MGB Poll: New VTO wheel for MGBs

[DrEntropy]

Forty year old steel wheels have been stressed, work hardened, curbed, abused...
If I ~had~ a wallet fat enuff there'd be a set of the classic 8's on Her B now. The VTO repro A.R.E. one is a bit too 'modern' for an early MGB, IMO, but the last thing I'd worry over is the strength of the things.

Funnt bit about the splined hubs, too. What we're getting as "replacement for OEM" is always dicey. Third-world metallurgy is an oxymoron. :wink:

 

[swift6]

A few people have commented that the wheel looks weak and Hap has responded to each comment with the DOT approval rating. Design has come a long way since these cars were in their period so the heavier looking wheels do look more appropriate to the design and match the perdiod photos of these cars. Here is how I look at it though. The cars we are dealing with on this site, for the most part, weigh less than 2500 pounds and generally run a tire size that limits the extremes in cornering loads.

If this wheel

can support a 3000lb+ car with low profile tires and can generate higher cornering loads, then I wouldn't worry about these replica wheels that are now being designed with modern knowledge. The anecdote of the MG hubs failing before the wheel did should also tell you that the cornering loads that the DOT requires for a passing grade are much higher than what the car (meaning the cars we typically deal with) will tend to generate on its own. The DOT load testing will also take into account more than just cornering forces, but also impacts from potholes, curbstrikes etc... Doesn't mean they are indestructable but strong enough to survive the toughest driving conditions and a little more than the average accident.