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Wire Wheels

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Is there way to tell what brand of chrome wire wheels I have? I believe them too be either Daytona or Dunlop. I bought them used.

Also, I need to replace some spokes and I was told that they are all stainless these days?

Rich
 

Keoke

Great Pumpkin
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TH"

Just take a magnet and test the spokes if it grab them they not SS

Rarely do SS spokes fail????
 

Healey Nut

Luke Skywalker
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TH"

Just take a magnet and test the spokes if it grab them they not SS

Not correct ,,,lower grade stainless steel can still be slightly magnetic as it does contain traces of iron . Only pure stainless is completely non magnetic . Ie 304 stainless .
if they are Dayton wire wheeels then they will be stainless . If they are Dunlops then they may not be stainless .

Take the tire off the rim , if the end of the spokes are all siliconed over its a Dayton . Dunlops are NOT tubeless Daytons are .
 

Bob_Spidell

Yoda
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I was told once what the differences are by an 'old salt.' The hubs and rim bears are different but, unfortunately, I can't tell you exactly how. Allen Hendrix might be able to help.
 

RAC68

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Tahoe,

When purchasing my chrome Daytons in the mid 1990s, I chose the Daytons because of their SS spokes. A good friend wanted me to purchase his XKE's Dunlop chromes so he could get wider wheels and tires. However, I was warned that the Dunlops had steel spokes that became brittle as a result of the chroming process. I suggest you give Dayton a call and ask how to identify if the wheels were their manufacturer.

RAC(64BJ8P1)
 

Keoke

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Not correct ,,,lower grade stainless steel can still be slightly magnetic as it does contain traces of iron . Only pure stainless is completely non magnetic . Ie 304 stainless .

YEP BUT:
Most that fit your description are imported junk, most magnets do not grab good stainless even though it may contain a small amount of magnetic material.
 
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Tahoe,

When purchasing my chrome Daytons in the mid 1990s, I chose the Daytons because of their SS spokes. A good friend wanted me to purchase his XKE's Dunlop chromes so he could get wider wheels and tires. However, I was warned that the Dunlops had steel spokes that became brittle as a result of the chroming process. I suggest you give Dayton a call and ask how to identify if the wheels were their manufacturer.

RAC(64BJ8P1)
Pretty sure the Jaguar's hub is a larger diameter; details escape me now, but I'm thinking Ferraris are 42mm, Healeys__large & small), MGs and Triumphs are 48mm and Jaguars are 52mm.

So his wheels wouldn't have fit without lacing in new hubs anyway.

Corrections welcomed.
 

RAC68

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Randy/Steve,

To further clarify, my decision to purchase Daytons was made well before the Jag wheels alternative became a serious consideration and, since it happened so long ago, I don't remember if I was aware of that hub size difference at the time. Additionally, my Dayton's were purchased before tubeless was available but I am not sure I don't have silicone sealant on the ends of the spokes.

Sorry for the confusion,

Ray(64BJ8P1)
 
Last edited:

RDKeysor

Jedi Trainee
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That is correct regarding Jaguar wires and Healeys. I had retained my wooden knock-off protector after I sold my '62 Jag Mark 2. It does not fit the Healey knock offs. I was living in Dayton in 1963/64, working as a reporter at the Dayton Daily News, and purchased a Healey 3000, probably a BT7, that had been actively drag raced by the PO, a law student from Cleveland. So, I had a few broken spokes. I took it over to Dayton Wire Wheel, which I recalls was over at Xenia at the time, and arrived about lunch time to find only a man I believe was the proprietor on hand. Whoever he was, he cut out the bad spokes, replaced them, and even painted them when he was done. I don't even remember him pulling of the tires, but necessarily he did. He also told me that the Healey wheels were a weak design that didn't cope well with the 3000's power. He, of course, offered to sell me Dayton's replacements. But as I said, I was a newspaper reporter, and fresh out of college to boot, and I couldn't afford the Daytons. I think that is what my BN7 wears. I have replaced broken spokes in one of those wheel, breaks that preceded my ownership of the car.
 

Barefoot

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Not correct ,,,lower grade stainless steel can still be slightly magnetic as it does contain traces of iron . Only pure stainless is completely non magnetic . Ie 304 stainless .
There are a wide variety (probably hundreds) of stainless steel alloys and heat treatments. All have Iron as part of the alloy. The alloys vary widely in corrosion resistance and strength.
Generally speaking the most corrosion resistant alloys are non magnetic, but there are exceptions to every rule.
 

John Turney

Yoda
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Not correct ,,,lower grade stainless steel can still be slightly magnetic as it does contain traces of iron . Only pure stainless is completely non magnetic . Ie 304 stainless .

YEP BUT:
Most that fit your description are imported junk, most magnets do not grab good stainless even though it may contain a small amount of magnetic material.

Wrong and wrong. Austenitic stainless steels (generally 300-series) are non-magnetic, ferritic and martensitic stainless steels (generally 400-series) are magnetic. They are designed for different uses. For a discussion from the Healey's home country, please see https://www.bssa.org.uk/faq.php?id=24. Grade 409 is typically is used for automotive exhaust, grade 420 is used for cutlery, 431 for shafts and 440 used for machine cutting tools. Austenitic stainless steels would not work well in these cases.

I just checked my Dayton spokes with a strong magnet; the spokes are not as magnetic as the rim, but more magnetic than the chrome-plated knock-off. (The knock-off has nickel under the chrome, and nickel is magnetic.) The magnet is left over from a hard drive that I cannibalized for a rocker cover racer.
 

Healey Nut

Luke Skywalker
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Like I said take off the tire and if it has a rim band is probably a dunlop if the spoke ends are sealed with silicone its probably a Dayton . AFWIW I checked my Daytons and yes I know they are Daytons as I bought them and fitted them etc have very slightly magnetic spokes so they are not the purest of stainless steel .
Having said that they look awesome .
 

Keoke

Great Pumpkin
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Marvin, I have sent you a private message.
TH

Well TH:
Maybe you should talk to those Hendricks folks, they may know a physical characteristic that identifies Each vendors wheel.

Since I run tubes I added rim bands to my wheels as have others so I feel this is not a reliable characteristic to use.
 
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