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This better end well...

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gsalt57tr3

gsalt57tr3

Jedi Warrior
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My Triumph 10 is almost home. It would have been here today if the truck driver had his way. Delivery was to be Monday, so with a house full of guests (yes, I know Thanksgiving isn't until Thursday, but as anyone with inlaws and outlaws and relatives knows, you gather when you can gather), I get a call from the driver saying they want to deliver it today. In 2 hours. Across town at the shop where I have my work done.

As the French say, merde.

I can't get anyone at the shop, I can't get the shop owner at home, so it looks like I need to have it delivered to my home. From a 75' rig. Right.

Here's the kicker. When they were loading it on the truck, all 4 tires shredded. Apparently, she still had the same ones as when they sold her some 47 years ago, or at best, 20 years ago. She's rolling on her rims.

So I call back the trucker, and tell him it needs to come to my house. He says he can do another delivery (a Hummer to Oregon) and deliver my car on Monday. I think the idea of driving residential streets with a big rig may have altered his plans.

Anyway, she will be here on Monday.

Here's the problem: Shes riding on her rims and he isn't going to be able to get into the parking lot to unload her. She's going to have to be unloaded on the street (not busy)and pushed into the garage.

I'm thinking I could jack her up and slide some of those wheeled coasters under the rims and push her that way. What are they called and where do I get them? I know the shop has some but they are currently occupied under an MG or Jag or 2.

Or, put her on jack stands in the street, pull off the wheels, get new tires mounted and roll her into the shop.

Any other ideas?

Help.
 
It's probably safest to just carefully push her on her flat tires.
It's hihghly doubtful that just carefully pushing her across a parking lot would damage the rims
Those "car skates" can kick out if you find a good crack or pit in the pavement, and do more damage than good.
About your only other option would be to try and get some good tires on her as soon as she's off the truck. either swap some rims, or up on jackstands at the edge of the lot, and put some quickie, just to make her roll, at leatst its the correct rim size, Itialian Baldinis, on her to het her inside, then worry about getting the right ones later.
 
My advice - don't use the wheeled coasters. They are only meant for moving around on a very smooth garage floor. I tried to use them to haul in one of my TR4s which had locked brakes - as I pulled, one of the coasters stuck, then jambed into a previously perfect fender. I was not happy.

Randy
 
I agree about the cheap dollys from HF, they are only usable on smooth surfaces. But tow trucks have dollys that will work on rough pavement, you might see if you could borrow some.

Not sure, but I think maybe a 10 takes the same bolt circle as a Spitfire ... borrowing some Spit wheels shouldn't be too hard. I might even know where there are some original 10 wheels for sale, but no way to get them to you by Monday.

The biggest problem with moving it with flat tires is how hard it will be to move. IMO you'll need at least 3-4 people. But the damage to the rims will likely be minimal.

Personally, I'd probably just put tires on it where the tow truck dropped it.
 
You're going to have to get tires on it anyway sooner or later; might as well be sooner; just don't leave it too long on jackstands in a public place or there might not be much left when you return
 
You won't have any problems moving it around on the wheels, I did it this summer with a 39 Ford I trailered home from Wisconsin. I put some scabs on it after I got home to make it easier to move as I am storing it on dirt.
 
My TR7 wheels fit on my 10. I tried last year to make sure. I have a set of the HF dollies, I've found them difficult to use if I try to move the car (my tr7's) over long distances or uneven or rough surfaces. I've had better luck using a couple of trolley jacks.
 
Well, she's arrived.

We had to pull her off the Truck with another vehicle, the rear brakes were frozen and the front wheels had an ominous pigeon toe look to them. More on that later.

Actually found a dealer with some 155R13 tires, and had them mounted in less than an hour.

The good news is that the engine turns freely, the seats and doors all work, and there is minimal bondo repair.

The challenges are that she has what we think is a spitfire transmission, but we aren't sure if it works, there is some rot at the bottom of the left side doors, and we discovered the cause of the pigeon toes.

Looks like someone was off roading with her, probably hit a rock or curb, and bent the left tie rod so severely thatit looks much more like a small radius arc than a straight line.

Ah, yes, and there is a small amount of some kind of rodent droppings (raisin size, probably rat).

First thing I am going to be doing is to get her cleaned up with a vacuum, dust mask, gloves and clorox.
 
After thinking about it, the bent tie rod may have been what saved this car.

How many times have we heard stories about a nice TR3 or MGA that had a broken fan belt or a dead generator and so it got put in a barn somewhere for lack of effort to repair it?

At the time they bent the tie rod, this was a running car. They only managed to make it undrivable.

This could be a good thing.
 
TR3driver said:
I agree about the cheap dollys from HF, they are only usable on smooth surfaces. But tow trucks have dollys that will work on rough pavement, you might see if you could borrow some.

Not sure, but I think maybe a 10 takes the same bolt circle as a Spitfire ... borrowing some Spit wheels shouldn't be too hard. I might even know where there are some original 10 wheels for sale, but no way to get them to you by Monday.

The biggest problem with moving it with flat tires is how hard it will be to move. IMO you'll need at least 3-4 people. But the damage to the rims will likely be minimal.

Personally, I'd probably just put tires on it where the tow truck dropped it.
Click to expand...

This photo shows a wheel and tire sold by: Pedro's Automotive. Must have been imported from some island
somewhere as: "Slightly used," yet still in good
condition.
 
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