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How tell if wire wheels are good?

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tdskip

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Seems simple, but how do you check to make sure your wire wheels are good. The splines are easy to check, but do you "just" initially check to see if any of the spokes are loose?
 
Tap the spokes with a wrench or equivalent. A tight spoke will ring and a loose spoke will make a dull sound.
 
:iagree:
Of course, a loose spoke doesn't necessary mean the wheel is "bad", just that it needs attention. 'Tuning' is part of periodic maintenance for wire wheels.
 
...and a broken spoke will sound very dull and generally feel very loose.
 
tdskip said:
Seems simple, but how do you check to make sure your wire wheels are good. The splines are easy to check, but do you "just" initially check to see if any of the spokes are loose?
Click to expand...

This is of course the trouble with wires. It's very hard to tell. If someone had cleaned them up and painted or power-coated them, it would be difficult to determine the state of the spokes. I must also agree that the condition of the splines and the adapters are critical.
 
Another thing to check is the mounting holes of the adapters to the hub. After a while the holes in the adapter may oval out and start to move ever so slightly when you accelerate or brake hard. If this happens you may begin to notice a "thud". I went through this when I first bought my TR4A. I replaced the u-joints and the sliding axle splines trying to eliminate the thud. Finally I realized the holes on the adapters were severely worn. A New set of wheels made everything happy.
 
It is hard to hear the spokes when checking them for all of the above reasons. I used to take an open end wrench and go around the middle of the spokes to check them, but if the paint is flaking or pealing off you aren't going to hear them properly. Wire wheels are really tricky- never take them apart or loosen several keys at once. If you need to replace a spoke, get a proper spoke key. Then carefully loosen the ones around the broken one. Once installed, listen for the difference as you tighten them. If you are tone deaf don't even bother. Sometimes you need to tighten other the wires to get a spoke to begin threading. If this is the case let it sit and stretch.

Tuning an entire wheel should be left up to an expert.
 
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