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Re: The truth about wire wheels

To: terry bettinger <tbett@tir.com>, mgs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: The truth about wire wheels
From: Andy Ramm <aramm@concentric.net>
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 22:18:38 -0800
1 part luck, 1 part reasonable POs that kept the wheels in good shape, 1
part the fact that wire wheels aren't as big a deal as people make them out
to be.

Cheers,

Andy


>Andy,
>    What I'm not hereing is how much time and money you have put into
>your wheels to keep them in condition where they take care of you.
>
>Terry
>
>
>Andy Ramm wrote:
>
>> I have never even DRIVEN an MG that doesn't have wire wheels.  I have
>> done
>> thousand mile trips driving 10 hours a day.  I have gone to get bagels
>> on
>> sunday mornings countless times, and have gone back and forth to work
>> many
>> more times than that.  I have never had a problem with a wire wheel.
>> Take
>> care of your wires and they'll take care of you.
>>
>> At 02:09 PM 9/17/97 UT, doug russell wrote:
>> >
>> >
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From:  owner-mgs@autox.team.net  On Behalf Of Mike Lishego
>> >Sent:  Wednesday, September 17, 1997 2:52 AM
>> >To:    mgs@autox.team.net
>> >Subject:       The truth about wire wheels
>> >
>> >Ok, I've converted my MGB to run on wire wheels.
>> >
>> >Comment>  Sounds like you have your head screwed on correctly!
>> >
>> >My '77 had wires, but I only drove
>> >it a few times, and not for very long.
>> >
>> >Comment>  Surely this had nothing to do with wire wheels.
>> >
>> >I'd like the skinny from someone who's had
>> >them for a few years, and the problems they ran into with them.
>> >
>> >Comment>  The skinny: They're great and you will have minimal
>> problems
>> >provided you avoid hitting curbs, frost heaves, sinkholes and thick
>> boned
>> >varmints at speed.
>> >
>> >I've got about 12 or
>> >13 used wheels, how many of these can I expect to be good?
>> >
>> >Comment>   You should avoid forming any expectation without an
>> inspection!
>> >Check the wires.  Are any broken or loose?  Look into the spline -
>> are the
>> >edges sharp or are they flat?  Flat is bad, sharp is good with the
>> following
>> >caveat - sharp can be bad but this is rare (if the wheel spline is so
>> worn,
>> >the flat edge begins to sharpen again due to loose fit and clunking
>> and this
>> >is very bad but also rare).
>> >
>> >How do wire wheels handle
>> >nog trips of about 10 hours?
>> >
>> >Comment>  Well, I have not made any nog trips lately (perhaps around
>> >Christmas) much less ever made one that was 10 hours long.  But let's
>> say
>> you
>> >were to make a long trip of 10 hours or so.  The quality of handling
>> will be
>> >determined by the quality of the wheel.  Let's say you are using some
>> of
>> your
>> >12 or 13 used wheels and neglected to do any inspection other than
>> "Golly,
>> >that one sure is purdy!" when you had your tires mounted and
>> balanced.  Now
>> >let's say that the right side wheels had a few broken/loose spokes
>> (say 20)
>> >and the left side had flat/worn splines.   Here's what you can
>> expect.  When
>> >making a left turn you will hear a crunching sound.  This will be the
>>
>> sound of
>> >the spokes colliding into each other while other spokes join in on
>> the break
>> >up party.  Now when you go to step on the brakes, as you pull over to
>> see
>> what
>> >that terrible noise is, you will notice that brake function has
>> disappeared no
>> >matter how hard you step on the pedal and an even worse zipper like
>> grinding
>> >noise will appear - but don't worry about this worry instead about
>> that
>> parked
>> >car you are about to hit (the emergency brake may help a little
>> here).
>> Truth
>> >be told, the above is unlikely to happen because prior to all this
>> tragedy
>> you
>> >will find yourself puzzled while still in your driveway.  You see,
>> the
>> moment
>> >you let your foot off the clutch in first gear, you will hear a
>> zipper like
>> >grinding noise again but this time from the rear.  This will be the
>> splined
>> >hub spinning freely within the wheel spline.
>> >
>> >The moral here Mike is to make sure you inspect the spokes and the
>> wheel
>> >splines.  Equally important, check the hub splines.  When both are in
>> good
>> >condition you can expect many miles of trouble free motoring provided
>>
>> there is
>> >no significant abuse (hole shots, curbs ...).  The splines should all
>> have
>> >nice sharp edges.  When you put the wheel on the car **do not
>> overtighten** (I
>> >believe it's hand tighten then 1/2 turn although my recollection here
>>
>> could be
>> >faulty) and then check to make sure the wheel is solid with a good
>> 6/12 and
>> >then 3/9 back/forth (in/out?) jerk (this checks to make sure spokes
>> are not
>> >loose or spline too worn!)
>> >
>> >What is the average cost of having these babies tuned
>> >and trued?
>> >
>> >Comment>  Never had them sent out but a recent post suggested that
>> British
>> >Wire Wheel charges $130 per to do a complete (like new?) rebuild.  Be
>>
>> careful
>> >who you have mount and balance tires on these babies.  Make sure you
>> are
>> >convinced that they have some experience with wires - otherwise they
>> could
>> >damage your wheels and not balance properly.  I'm sure others will
>> have a
>> lot
>> >of suggestions on this from DIY to whatever - I use a service station
>>
>> locally
>> >that's been around since the 50's (cost per wheel for mount/balance
>> $6) -
>> you
>> >do what's comfortable and affordable for you.
>> >
>> >Any facts about these prolific rims would be appreciated.
>> >
>> >Comment>  Has nothing to do with facts and everything to do with soul
>> - glad
>> >to see you're getting some!
>> >
>> >Dr. Doug
>> >A group of 69 MGs in my garage - all wired with soul!
>> >
>> >
>> >--
>> >Michael S. Lishego
>> >St. Andrews Presbyterian College
>> >Elementary Education Major,
>> >English Minor, Class of 1999
>> >R.A. of Winston-Salem Hall
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Andy Ramm
>> aramm@concentric.net
>> DoD #1682
>> So much to brew, so little time....




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