Wobble

Hi,

Just had new tires put on my steel wheeled TR-3B and still have a wobble around 50 mph.

Tire place said one wheel was not as good as others and they put it on left rear. Car still wobbles.

Had front end rebuilt about three years ago and car does not pull to either side. Front end was not aligned. One of the old tires on front left was showing wear on outside. The other front tire was normal wear.

I received feedback to have my drive shaft checked for balance and alignment.

I would appreciate other suggestions as to what may be causing this wobble.

I'm assuming the problem is my left rear wheel. Does anyone know where I could get two steel wheels fixed so they are perfectly round and in tolerance?

Thanks.

Paul

Hey, Paul -

Those wheels are old, and notoriously fragile. Lots of folks, myself included have had difficulty with them, and don't know that there truly is a permanent fix, other than going to later model, or new wheels. I went with Panasports, and was happy with them.

Here's the latest thread on the subject here:

https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/topics/612969/1

Mickey

Is the wobble coming from the front ie can you feel it in the steering?
I would get the front end aligned since you had uneven tire wear.
Do you have enough pressure in the tires, assuming you have modern radials on there now then your tire pressure needs to be higher than what is posted on the nameplate or in the manual; on the other hand tire installers often set the pressure too high for these little cars; too low or high pressure can lead to wobble'iness. I would settle for about 28 lbs.

I have had three TRs and between them had four bent wheels. It always took me ages to find the problem, but I guess if your tyre supplier says you have a bad wheel, then it will be bad enough to cause the problem.
It is easy enough to find a used wheel, but not so easy to know if it is straight. Maybe a nice set of Minilites is your answer.

Here is an old thread that might help. Pico wheel Service is still in business.
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/topics/19217/2

Paul

PS
These guys are up the street from my office Pete Paulson I could drop my wheel off if you want a rim made.

Paul

Thanks everyone. I'll start by getting the front end aligned and see what happens.

I'll keep you posted.

Paul

Just in case you don't have a shop in mind, Radial Tire has a recommended shop virtually next door. Sorry, I can't remember the name at the moment.

Also, Ye Olde Wheel Shop in Elkridge (near Baltimore) fixes wheels if you go that route. Besides that, Hendrix Wire Wheel down in NC might be a good place to call as well.

Hi all,

I took my car to London Auto Service in Fairfax and they spun all four wheels on the car. Here are the results:
-One wheel is perfect
-The other three are less than perfect with one realy out of alignment
-They put the best two on the front and spun balanced all four on the car. The car does ride a lot better; but I still notice a faint wobble from that left rear wheel

The shop has seven TR steel wheels they say are perfect as far as roundness and alignment. I'm going to buy three and paint them myself after they are sandblasted.

They also foung the transmission and exhaust touching the frame and shimmed them to the proper clearance.

I drove the car 35 miles to a British car show yesterday and could notice the improvement. Now, hopefully the three new wheels will put the finishing touch on the car.

The shop wants $200 per wheel, which inludes mouting the tire and balancing on the car. I'm going to try to get them for $150 each since I'm doing the painting.

Pricey, but hopefully it will ge the end of my wobble story.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Paul