Wire wheel spinner direction safety concerns

[RandallRK]

I have a 1955 100-4 which has an interesting spinner thread direction on the rear wheels. The fronts are as I'm accustomed to seeing on wire wheel cars- the 'undo' direction is the same direction as the wheels would turn when going forward (left side = normal threading, right side = 'reverse' threading).

However, on the rears, 'Undo' is the direction that the wheels turn if the car is in reverse (right rear = 'normal' threading, left rear = 'reverse' threaded). From the research I've seen, there were certain 100-4s (including this one) produced with this pattern, so I believe this is 'correct' for the car and it is not a matter of improper assembly or modification.

My question is about the safety of this configuration- I've always heard about the dangers of spinner nuts self-loosening when turning the 'wrong' way, such as driving in reverse for a long period or being improperly towed. However, on this car aren't the rear spinners basically always going the 'wrong' way during normal driving? The design has me nervous. Is this justified? Are there any additional safety precautions I need to take with these spinners? Thanks for your input.

 

[glemon]

Others may have more drastic solutions, but I would tighten the wheel down and mark the rear wheels and spinners with a non permanent marker, and take it for a few drives of pregressively longer length, checking after ech one if the spinner is getting tighter or looser. If it is getting progressively looser you might try swapping sides on the hubs and spinners (a simple job), wouldn't that reverse things? I am having trouble getting my mind around the movement and rotation of everything.

 

[twigworker]

You <span style="text-decoration: underline">should</span> be concerned. Swap the hubs side to side and get the knock-offs where they should be.

I'd say you are skating on thin ice until you do.

Jack

 

[Michael Oritt]

Randall--

I agree with Twigworker and wonder what you learned in your research that says this was a normal arrangement. Anything is possible with Healeys but it makes no sense why they would have done this.

 

[BobFrisby]

I don't think it is even remotely possible that this could have been correct from the factory. What specific info do you have to the contrary? On cars with knock-offs, it is universal that the left side has right-hand threads and vice-versa, as far as I know. VERY important for safety.

PLEASE do yourself a favor and swap hubs to correct this.

 

[Andrew Mace]

I'm not a Healey person, so I don't usually post here, but this topic caught my eye. Many, many years ago, a friend of mine bought a non-running XK-150 "project" car with wire wheels. One of many problems with it was with the RR wheel, so the car was towed backwards (front end on the ground). Luckily, we followed the tow vehicle home, so we quickly noticed the LF wire wheel knock-off leave the car and fly into the weeds on the side of the road. Just as luckily, the car had sat (and been neglected) long enough that the wheel stayed quite firmly affixed to the splined hub! In other words, had that been a better-maintained car, it would've been down to two wheels! :frown:

 

[tahoe healey]

You may want to replace both rear hubs since the splines may have been forced in the wrong direction for a long time and reversing them may weaken them. Have you had the car a while? I have found when obvious things have been done wrong, there may be other thing that need to be inspected. There were numerous things poorly done by the PO of my car. Take the time to go over everything before you get on the road. I know that is a lot to do so do the safety things first (like brakes, steering and wheel splines). If you have not had your Healey for a while, this will give you a chance to get familiar with it in case of road-side inconveniences.

 

[RandallRK]

Okay, thanks for weighing in and that all makes sense with the general logic of knockoff wheels. I have always just tightened the heck out of the knockoffs. I will swap sides of the hubs to rectify and feel much better about the threading of the spinner knockoffs.

As for the original setup- I was under the impression that the hubs were oriented in such a manner in conjunction with the axle stub threading on this car being both Right Hand (also seeming to be counter-intuitive pattern since one is 'backwards').

At any rate, I'm glad I asked and thank you very much for the words of wisdom.

 

[IanIrving]

Aren't the knock offs labelled "left and right", as well as "Undo" and therefore obvious as to which side they should be on?
Ian

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Some spinners, especially some early spinners have no markings on them at at.

DO change them to correct sides as soon as possible.

Marv

 

[Richard Dickinson]

I had a bad experience trying to tow a Healey backwards. Don't remember why I was doing that probably because it was the easiest way to hock from where it was parked. Any way, a wheel came going down the interstate. You definately want to get this straightned out.

 

[pan]

Stop the car immediately. Jack up the rear and remove both wheels. Now use the correct size wheel brace or socket to remove both the hub extensions. Swap the extensions side to side and re-assemble!
The hub cap has the arrow showing the direction need to loosen the knock-on and should also say "Left/Near side" and Right/Off Side. That is near is the kerb side and the Off side is away from the kerb(in right hand steer countries).
At some time in your cars history the hubs have been assembled the wrong way round. No car with Rudge pattern centre lock wheels has ever had a different direction of rotation

 

[Genos2]

I agree w/pan, when I got my '67 BJ8 back from the bodyshop back in the '80s, was pulling up to a stoplight when I heard a ting, ting,ting. Didn't realize what the noise was,cars behind me started honking(light was right)I thought dumba**'s,finally turned around & saw they were pointing at my rht rear wheel.(who was dumb?) Made it to the side of the road,barely,rim was barely on hub, jacked her up sheepishly put knock-off back on & went home,switched hubs&put on new chrome 72 spoke rim.Ruined my other new rim, boy was I hot! I repeat DO NOT drive with hubs on wrong sides. cheers Genos2

 

[terp83]

Back in the 1980's, I purchased a 100-6 project that the rear spline hubs reversed, and had it towed across town from the previous owner's house to my house, a trip of approximately five miles. The tow truck was the old style that used a hook and cable as opposed to the flat beds that you see now. In that short (distance-wise anyhow) trip, the driver first tried to tow it forward resulting in one of the rear wheels coming off the car. After replacing the wheel, he proceeded to tow it backward, causing a front wheel to come off. He was not a happy camper by the time he reached my house, but he did earn a generous tip.

I remember reading that John Chatham, who campaigned DD300 in the 1990 North American Healey Challenge, competed with the front spline hubs reversed, but secured the hubs by wiring or clipping the knock-off ears to a spoke on the wheel. The reason he stated for doing this was that the violent competitive braking would cause the front knock-off hubs to loosen.

I agree with the previous posters that the spline hubs need to be "unreversed" before using the Healey again.

Jerry

 

[zblu]

Just checked two of my original spinners (circa 1953) and its as pan states
undo ---> and right (off) side, and <--- undo and left (near) side are stamped around the outer edge.
There were apparently some aftermarket spinners made many years ago that did not have the markings.
In the workshop manual for mine (100/4) in section J page 2 hubs a description is given (direction of rotation is marked on the cap ((spinner)) )

 

[tiga2]

...Actualy, I intent to drill a hole in the spinner and wire it to the spokes, it may not be 'correct", but it is the way to go, you will notice most Cobras do this or anybody racing with knock offs.

 

[BoyRacer]

The hubs have stampings. One will have an "LH" and the other will have an "RH". Just like your front hubs.

 

[Randy Forbes]

The hubs have stampings. One will have an "LH" and the other will have an "RH". Just like your front hubs.

Apparently, some of the reproductions have omitted this vital feature.

The MKIII I'm currently working on does not have any markings on the hubs (neither front or rear). For the time being, I put the octagon caps back on, until the hubs are bolted back on the car, where they belong!

 

[pan]

Over thirty years ago I aquired what I thought were a pair of new hub "extensions" for my four stud axle. Turned out I had two of the same side so I still have one of them in my collection of bits. I just went & took a close look to see if it was marked LH or RH.There are no such markings at all, not even a part number. Due to the age I reckon it is a genuine replacement part.