• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

anyone take their Healey to the track?

Share this page

B

Birdball

Freshman Member
Offline
I am interested in going through my Healey suspension and make it track worthy for the occasional open track day. What are the weak links that you guys have found? I am trying to figure out if there is any options for bigger front brakes (or better, vented ones).

I am also going to have my original front shocks rebuilt, probably with the Welch valving. Will my 72 spoke wires destroy themselves? How about the control arms or other bits?

Thanks for any input!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif Matt
 
I never had my healey at the track but I did race mini stocks and modified 4 cyl. cars at Hickory Speedway.
I tried running widened stock wheels on the mini stock but it tore the centers out and it only weighed 2300 lbs.
I figure the heavier in the front Healey would in fact destroy a set of wire wheels. I think on a disc wheel Healey the bolt pattern is the same as a Chevy. Maybe a set of Corvette rallies would bolt up. I put racing wheels on the mini and the modified and didn't have any more problems
(with the wheels that is) We did some control arm stuff but I am sure you want to turn other than just left so I 'll let the road race guys advise you on that. Bob,
Oh ......seen the pictures, the car looks sharpe.
 
Hi Birdball,Heavy duty shock valves in the big healy suspension are subject to cause the front shock nounting bolts to rip out and the rear shock mounting plates to separate from the frame.--Fwiw---Keoke
 
[ QUOTE ]

Hi Birdball,Heavy duty shock valves in the big healy suspension are subject to cause the front shock nounting bolts to rip out and the rear shock mounting plates to separate from the frame.--Fwiw---Keoke

[/ QUOTE ]
I cut the front edge of the shock mounts off with an air tool cutting wheel , cut some 3/8" steel plates ,drilled and taped the plates 3/8 fine thread,inserted in slot (I had to cut the old nuts out of the cavity) then welded the pieces back on the outter edge. Also weld the caps better if needed. My problem starting out was the nuts were stripped on the mounts. Seems like a good Fix. Bob
(front shocks)
 
[ QUOTE ]
I figure the heavier in the front Healey would in fact destroy a set of wire wheels.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nonsense. Healeys raced very successfully on wire wheels for years. And, the usual open track day is much less stressful than all out competition. Provided the wheels are solid and in good tune to begin with, they should hold up just fine.
Jeff
 
Bugeye, Wire wheels may be ok for what you call open track day but I don't think they would fair well at a NC short track. Them boys don't play around and see who can finish last. Bob
 
[ QUOTE ]
Bugeye, Wire wheels may be ok for what you call open track day but I don't think they would fair well at a NC short track. Them boys don't play around and see who can finish last. Bob

[/ QUOTE ]

Bob, You aren't suggesting Birdball take his Healey to a NC Short Track are you? He originally asked about taking it to the track for occasional open track days, i.e. not racing and not short track competition.

Wires in good shape should be fine for open track days as Bugeye suggested, as long as they are trued and in good condition. However, they will flex more than steel wheels and too many track days will wear them out quickly. I would save the wires for the street and use steels with stickier tires for track days. But of course Triumphs are pretty easy to switch back and forth from steel to wires. How are Healeys on that?

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
I don't think changing back and forth from disc to wires would be an easy option on a Healey, Did you get a look at
BB'S previous post with pictures of his car? Certainly he has the power in place to do some damage to the wheels if he
gets to aggressive in the turns. And if he's like most,if it's there he'll use it.Bob
 
[ QUOTE ]
what would be wrong about a set of "minilites" for race days,and a set of wires for street days? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

7777,COST. BlueRidge1 & Swift6 Switching on the Healey is a breeze.---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
 
Hubs, Brake drums ,wheel studs ,not sure if the front calipers would work.Seems alot of work and expense.
Price some of that,if it's available. I had to purchase a complete used hub because I couldn't find wheel studs for a disc wheel car! Then throw in the cost of a set of mini lites plus the cost of his wires,thats alot of cash.
 
I think it has all been covered by now.
Wire wheels were used successfully in racing for many years. I even used 48 spoke wheels behind a Chevy small block engine for several years. They DID finally loosen up after a while & 60 or 72 spoke would have been better. The main disadvantage of wire wheels is the increased unsprung weight & it's effect on handling.

If you are still doubtful, Minilite style wheels are readily available in spline drive, center lock style, & will directly & easily interchange. They are not exactly cheap, though not a lot more than new wire wheels.

Lastly, you could use 5 lug wheels with appropriate spacers, adapters, etc. Pretty sturdy, but not easily switchable back to spoke wheels.
D
 
Hi Bob,
I have no idea. Some patterns which appear to be the same are actually a few thousandths different & will cause trouble. I do know that some wheels are lug centered & some are hub centered. Make sure that the wheels are compatible with the mounting system. Also there is the question of rim offsets, widths, & clearances. Maybe someone who has tried it can answer.

There was a thread about wheel interchange on this forum at one time. Don't know if it is still here.
D
 
Seems to me, back in the 60's I remmember guys welding wire wheel hubs into steel wheels or am just hallucinating again!? <font color="black"> </font> /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
 
Thanks for all the replies guys! All opinions are valued. My internet at home is out, so I am only able to check posts here at work, so I am a little late in replies back.

I am not sure a healey would actually pass a tech inspection, but I have some friends that go to Waterford and Grattan once in a while for open track days, and I thought it would be pretty fun to take the Healey.

That's good info about the shock valving concerns- I have a front tube shock conversion on there now, but I was thinking of converting back to original rebuilt shocks. Even though I have the Chevy V8, I really like the look and idea of mostly original stuff on the car. I was kicking around the idea of converting the car over to a different upper control arm and knuckle configuration from another vehicle (like C4 corvette), a rack and pinion and run big brakes too. But again, that may be getting too crazy with the mods for me!

So it looks like I need to watch out for the front shock mount bolts as a weak link, potentially the wire wheels (mine TR6 72 spokers are about 10 years old, but very low milage on them as I bought them new from Moss). How about the front brakes? What are you guys using for a brake upgrades?

Now, I just need to find someone to trade me some minilites for my wire wheels!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Matt, just for informational purposes, I'm the Chief Tech Inspector at Waterford. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Jeff

[/ QUOTE ]
That explains it. In my years of racing I've found that arguing with the inspector is alot like wrestling in the mud with a pig, after awhile you realize that he's enjoying it.
OK ,I was wrrrrong. Bob
 
Back
Top