# Big rims and little sidewalls **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2023, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/big-rims-and-little-sidewalls/189757 "2023-03-24T19:25:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/big-rims-and-little-sidewalls/189757/1 "2023-03-24T19:25:54Z")
… are nothing new. (1901 Packard) ![maxresdefault-1](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/a/f/af8d955a6c4bd8427b833bae4974142f63a0b3e4.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 9:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/big-rims-and-little-sidewalls/189757/2 "2023-03-24T21:00:50Z")
It’s a one horse power open sleigh. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 9:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/big-rims-and-little-sidewalls/189757/3 "2023-03-24T21:28:40Z")
Technically those are not little sidewalls compared to the width (but I understand what you mean) as the aspect ratio is high compared to a LoPro 45, 40, 35 and lower sidewalls… But it defiantly is a big wheel (rim)… As I understand it those tires are as tall as they are wide, so a 30 X 3 tire had a 24" wheel and a 34 X 4 1/2 tire had a 25" wheel… That is a 100 aspect ratio… ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 10:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/big-rims-and-little-sidewalls/189757/4 "2023-03-24T22:22:43Z")
The American Underslung had huge 41 inch tires. Same 100 aspect ratio as the Packard with a 4.5 inch width. So 32 inch wheels. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 10:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/big-rims-and-little-sidewalls/189757/5 "2023-03-24T22:29:17Z")
Definitely like the spoke wheel look. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/big-rims-and-little-sidewalls/189757/6 "2023-03-25T14:20:53Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > Definitely like the spoke wheel look. And, if you decide to swap wheels, you don’t have to worry about whether there is enough clearance for the brake drums. There aren’t any! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 2:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/big-rims-and-little-sidewalls/189757/7 "2023-03-25T14:45:44Z")
And those are a lot better than the wooden spoke’artillery’ wheels, which can shatter if they hit a curb sideways. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 3:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/big-rims-and-little-sidewalls/189757/8 "2023-03-25T15:00:43Z")
The artillery wheels are stronger overall, though. The US didn’t have many paved road in the early 1900s. Not many curbs either so wood wheels were more common on US cars. Europe had paved Roman roads so their cars more often used the softer riding wire wheels. The first Ford GT40s used wire wheels but they switched to alloy wheels because they could not carry the heavy cornering loads.