• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
  • When posting a classified ad, you MUST select a prefix from the drop-down next to the subject line. If you don't you will get an error and your ad will not be posted!
Tips
Tips

60 spoke wire wheels

Share this page

T

tomnanney

Jedi Hopeful
Country flag
Offline
I tried to put a 60 spoke wire wheel with a deflated 165/80/15 tire in the spare tire compartment on my TR3A and couldn't get it to go in. I was trying to see if the 165 tire deflated would fit, but the 60 spoke wire wheel itself would not fit. Is the wire wheel to big for the compartment? Do I have to go to a smaller wire wheel for the spare tire.?
What I am working toward is converting from steel wheels to wire wheels.
thanks tom
 
Did you put it in with the hub down? I believe the later bodies (like yours) should be able to accommodate a 60 spoke.
 
OH yeah, my mistake. I was thinking of 48 vs 40. The 60 probably won't fit. Sorry.
 
I had the same problem when I converted to wires on my
post 60K 3A. I solved it by having my spare on a 48 spoke wire.
It fits fine even inflated.
Frank
 
My brother has a 3a, he put a 60 spoke wheel in but couldn't get it back out, we have a picture (old fashioned print kind) of a stout rope which we managed to snake around the spare in the compartment, then tied to a tree, then let the grunt ot the TR 4 banger do the work of removing the spare, worked like a charm.

I think he fitted a 48 spoke spare after that.
 
With pre TS60000 cars a wire spare wheel needs to be a 48 spoke x 4" rim with 155x15 tyre.

Post TS60000 the spare wheel well was slightly enlarged, but still only comfortably accomodates a 155 x 15 tyre.

Even with the larger spare wheel well, later TR4 60 spoke x 4.5" rim wires with 165 x 15 tyres are a struggle, and usually have to be partly deflated to fit in. If going that way, use an old trouser belt or cord around the spokes so it can be pulled out, and a can of inflater.

Check that the trunk floor hasn't sunken down, as that worsens the problem.

Racers cut the trunk floor out to allow a larger drop in spare wheel.

Viv.
 
You say you're "converting from steel wheels to wire wheels". If you are doing this with a spacer (i.e. not shortening the studs) then you can, of course, use a steel wheel as a spare.

That is what I do. A deflated 165x15 on a steel rim goes in the (TS47xxx) spare compartment just fine. You do have to carry an air pump, 4 big lug nuts & a socket for both the wire adaptor lugs and the 7/8" lugs.
 
Thanks! That is what I am doing. I am using a spacer, but haven't put them on yet. I had thought about carrying the steel wheel, but didn't know if that would work or not. Did you have to cut the lug nuts off at all or did everything clear okay?
 
Hello Tom. My partner had a DICKENS of a time getting a wheel that would fit into his TR3B. He posted about it "ad nauseum" on this forum. He is tr3bgeorge, but I don't know whether or not you can bring up his thread.

Regardless, here is what he had to do. After many futile attempts on eBay, and a wasted $100 or so, he got the right wheel from Moss. He has 60-spoke wheels on his car, but this wheel is a 48-spoke; he doesn't care, as it is a spare wheel.

Here is the info off the box:

Moss number 454-610
WWP450
15 x 4, 48S, painted, 48-spoke
The brand name on the box looks like MWS
He thinks he paid $150 or $160 for the wheel.

<span style="font-weight: bold">HE COULD ONLY GET A 155 SIZE TIRE TO FIT INTO HIS TIRE WELL.</span> The 165 DEFLATED would not fit.

Good luck - I hope this helps. He tried for over a year to get the right tire/wheel combination.

Phil
 
tomnanney said:
...I am using a spacer, but haven't put them on yet. I had thought about carrying the steel wheel, but didn't know if that would work or not. Did you have to cut the lug nuts off at all or did everything clear okay?
Click to expand...

On mine everything bolted up fine with the long studs and a 6mm/0.25" spacer.

The steel wheel makes a suitable spare IMO as you are going to be using it sparingly (hah) as you would if you went with a 48-spoke.

The 165/15 would only fit my early TR3A deflated and it possibly helped that I sprinkled some talc on both side before putting it in. Also looped a nylon strap thru the rim so I could pull it out.
 
Just a thought, for those who can't find a tire to fit in the early well, or don't want to carry a deflated spare; a T135/70-15 "compact spare" tire will fit on a stock TR3 rim, and leave lots of room to spare (pun intended). I keep a cheap blanket stuffed in there to keep it from sliding around (which doubles as a pad if I need to kneel or lay on the ground).

DSCF0133.jpg


And I agree with Geo, it is probably OK to mount a steel wheel onto the shortened studs, for limited distance/speed/cornering. I actually drove that way for quite a few years, with no problems. (However, this is only an opinion, worth every cent it costs.)
 
TR3driver said:
And I agree with Geo, it is probably OK to mount a steel wheel onto the shortened studs, for limited distance/speed/cornering.
Click to expand...
I agree as well. Much like the "temporary spare" that you suggest, Randall, a steel wheel on shortened studs, snugged down as well as one can (and with the proper lug nuts) should be more than enough to get you off the busy highway shoulder and home or to a tire dealer or other repair shop. I wouldn't go autocrossing or running the Alpine Rallye with that setup, though....
 
TR3driver said:
...a cheap blanket stuffed in there to keep it from sliding around (which doubles as a pad if I need to kneel...
Click to expand...

Very useful when you're driving in your best clothes and have to pray it will get you home.

Actually, I use a spacer for my wire wheels (and so does Tom) so the studs are full length. Using a steel rim spare (with correct nuts) would look rather goofy but is probably safe at any speed.
 
Back
Top