Wire Wheel Fit

[Riquet1963]

Hello,

I have one question about the wheels.

Today during my Sunday afternoon trip in my BJ7, I had a flat tire. I tried without success to put on the spare wheel. In fact, it was impossible to push the wheel in the grooves! I checked the wheels and my constat [? -Mod.] is: The four wheels on the vehicle have 60 spokes, and the spare wheel has 48 spokes.

Question: Are the grooves different between the 60-spoke and 48-spoke wire wheels?

Many thanks for your advice.

BR

Eric G

 

[BobHaskell]

Nope.

 

[pan]

G'day Eric,
There shouldn't be any such difference between a 48 spoke wheel and a 60 spoke. Sometimes if the wheel or the hub extension is new there will be a snug fit, but will still fit. You haven't got a wheel from another car have you? Don't laugh, it happened to me once with a Jaguar. For months I carried around a Holden wheel as a spare, but when I had to use it it didn't fit. Then I noticed it was a 14" wheel instead of 15". Seems that before I bought the Jaguar the wheels had got mixed up when having punctures repaired. They were both the same colour and had the same brand of tyre mounted.

 

[Riquet1963]

Many thanks for your replies

Last question for you it's possible to have the spoked wheels with different groove for other brand like Jaguar, mg, ...?

BR

Eric G

 

[pan]

G'day Eric,
Jaguar cars with wire spoked wheels have larger hubs than the Austin-Healey.
The Jaguar that I had was fitted with steel disc wheels, that is how the spare was accidentally swapped for the Holden wheel. Holden was an Australian car built by General Motors. Now sadly, no longer made.

 

[Keoke]

Many thanks for your replies

Last question for you it's possible to have the spoked wheels with different groove for other brand like Jaguar, mg, ...?

BR

Eric G

YES!

 

[billspohn]

There are only the two sizes of spline, small and large. Small fits AH, TR, MG, Aston, Sunbeam etc. and large fit Jaguar. I even owned an early Lamborghini that has the same spline as an MG (see below). If the wheel won't go one the splines and they are the right diameter, then it is likely a case of wear on one or both spline and wheel.

 

[Healey Nut]

Spline drive wheels need to be regularly removed and the splines cleaned and lubricated accordingly .
My cars had them removed at least 2 or 3 times a season for wheel cleaning and spline checks etc .
Anti seize compound is your best friend .

 

[Bob_Spidell]

...
Anti seize compound is your best friend .

At one time--for 30 years or so--I would have agreed. But I re-thunk the common wisdom and came to a different conclusion:

-- anti-seize is great for what it's formulated for; i.e. creating a corrosion barrier between metal parts, usually iron or steel, that don't generally move about. For parts that get hot; i.e. spark plugs, an 'exotic' metal anti-seize like nickel-based ($$$) is best, yet when you remove the plugs the oily part is gone and only the metal filler remains
-- anti-seize is not formulated to prevent wear--presumably, why it's not called 'anti-wear'--and the splines on both the wheel hubs and chassis hubs DO move against each other if only a minuscule amount (esp. when braking). This is why even hubs slathered with anti-seize will eventually wear, as evidenced by the splines becoming knife-edge sharp and at risk for being spun
-- anti-seize will prevent the hubs from 'welding' together, but I submit it's the wrong thing to use on WW hubs for wear prevention

So, for a couple decades or so I've used thick grease on the splines. Until a couple years ago, I would drive my BJ8 for 5-8K miles a year, often through adverse weather, i.e. rain and snow, and a good coating of grease always stayed put*. Well-greased parts generally don't rust together, and grease provides better lubrication. I use wheel bearing grease; Redline synthetic is the best I've found--I use it in my Healey wheel bearings--but Sta-lube High-Temp Disk Brake grease or comparable is good enough for the hubs.

* But not TOO thick, or a lot will end up on the splines and outside of the hubs. I use use RTV on the inside to seal the hub bases.

 

[billspohn]

Yeah, I also use a light covering of grease to exclude water - it stays in place better than anti seize does.
Down to only one wire wheel car - the other two are peg drive knock off, so no splines.

 

[twas_brillig]

Have a look-see at both the hub and the interior of the wheel. There might be a bit of mechanical damage to the edges of the spare tire splines that prevent them from slipping into place, or a hefty build of up the ubiquitous crud. Doug