Wire/Steel wheel axle question

[bcliff]

I'm considering converting my B to steel wheels. It is a 70, so it has a tube rear axle. Can I install axles from a steel wheel rear end in my housing, or do I need to change the whole thing out.
Do the front hubs (with their respective wheel bearings) fit on the wire wheel spindles?
Just need to know which parts to remove from parts cars.
Bruce

 

[bob67bgt]

The housing is a different width. I would think the only way to make your housing work is by putting on steel wheel hubs and good quality spacers and probably longer wheel studs. I would use the whole rear end from a steel wheel car. The front is just a hub change. Bob

 

[Kensai]

You better not be stealing my steel wheel conversion parts Bcliff.

 

[bcliff]

Kensai,
Just asking because I think I will be the primary labor supplier on the job of removing all the necessary parts from the dentmobile. I will probably keep the wires on my car.
Bruce

 

[Kensai]

You should be familiar enough with my sarcasm to detect it on the internet by now... If I felt my current engine had enough miles left to make the trip one more time I would be helping you pull the parts.

 

[bob67bgt]

You could also just swap the rear hubs and add longer studs and wheel spacers. Probably save some work and no need to purchase a new ebrake cable! bob

 

[tony barnhill]

The 2 rear ends are different widths...the wire rear end is narrower, by about 2" or so.....so, if you put your steel wheel axles in the wire rear end, they wouldn't fit.....you could put your steel wheel ends on the wire axles & use spacers to push the wheel outward - but I don't like spacers.

Change the entire rear end!

 

[bcliff]

We will be swapping the entire differential. I'm not a big fan of an assembly of parts which add up to less than a whole. No spacers etc. Do it once and do it right.
Bruce

 

[Hap Waldrop]

I did this exact thing on my 67 GT, 67 GTs were the first year of the tube axle housing. I just aquired a set of bolt on hubs from a bolt-on tube axle housing MGB, the front is just simple hub swap, the rear pretty much the same, but because of the narrower wire wheel tube axle housing, you need to run longer studs and a bout .300-.400" of wheel spacer. I ended up using ARP 1/2-20 studs, they were a PITA to make work, I ended up doing a bunch of lathe work to them to get them to work, the eaiser route is to use 12.5mm studs, I pretty sure they come from 90s Camaros, and they are simple tap in, no mods to the hubs or studs, I don't have the stud part number off the top of my head, but it has been heavily documented on the MGBEX site. As for wheel spacers, Winners Circle 216-889-4666 sells nice ones that fit MGB, and come in sever different thicknesses.