TR2/3/3A wirer wheels

[sp53]

Ok I got my first set of wirer wheels. They are used but seem ok. Now do I need to do anything special to the axle studs or is everything I need here in the picture?

 

[TR3driver]

You'll still need the special double-bevel lug nuts, even if you use the spacers to avoid cutting the studs. And wheels, of course

Be sure to inspect the splines carefully; they are now going to be the only thing connecting the brakes to the wheels. And yes, they can wear until they slip.

 

[charleyf]

My experience like yours was to get a set of used wire wheels and hubs. After not very long I realized that when I put the car in reverse I got a "clunk" sound. I realized the splines were worn on both the hubs and wheels. Bottom line, I replaced all the wheels and hubs with new ones. Unless yours are almost new, I would not trust them.
Charley

 

[CJD]

The easiest way to tell wear is if the splines are sharp at their peaks, then they are worn out. If the splines have a small flat at the peaks, then you are still good. This applies to both the adapters and the wheels.

 

[sp53]

Well I knew I should have bought a Kia. Thanks John that makes sense. The splines are not too dull and have a little click, but I have often not followed rules well. I spent most my time after school, not studying, so I will at least try them. And Yes Randall that wheel within a wheel and the brakes mental picture you gave was unfair to my sense of danger. It actually hurt, but I do appreciate your concern. I might buy a set of new splines when the picture goes away.

 

[Andrew Mace]

And Yes Randall that wheel within a wheel and the brakes mental picture you gave was unfair to my sense of danger. It actually hurt, but I do appreciate your concern. I might buy a set of new splines when the picture goes away.

I have literally "been there, done that" on a Spitfire 4 awhile back. An acquaintance had decided to resurrect his long-stored car, but he also wanted to "upgrade" to wire wheels, so he bought a used set with adapters, etc., and nice new tires. I was doing some unrelated work on the car for him and took a test drive. Thankfully, the roads around my house are fairly quiet; the first time I "tested" the brakes hard, the left front wheel spun helplessly on the worn splined hub. Fortunately for me, the rear wheels held well enough to slow the car with the handbrake. Closer examination determined that possibly one of the four wheels/splined hubs was even marginally useful. Worst part was that the tires he'd bought for the 4.5" wires were just too big to be safe on the original 3.5" steel wheels...so he had to buy yet another set of tires.

Of course, the other mildly interesting "back story" on this car was the way he got it to me to do work. It came, rear-end up on a tow truck, which meant that the front wheels were turning backward. THAT of course meant that the knockoffs conceivably were ever so slowly undoing themselves. Fortunately, the 30-mile tow wasn't enough to loosen them completely...but pair that with the worn splines and there was a recipe for disaster that Betty Crocker would've been proud of!

 

[Geo Hahn]

Are you using used wheels with those used adaptors? In addition to safety concerns, worn adaptors may ruin the splines on new wheels.

 

[CJD]

And...I like the white frame! It really stands out. Are those pipes to take a roll bar?

I did remember one other sign of worn out wheel splines (you can probably tell I have a lot of those hanging around)...The adapter splines are shorter than the splines in the wheels, so it is very obvious if the wheel splines are worn, as they only wear in the middle, and not at the ends where they don't contact the hubs. So just looking inside the wheel centers the wear is easy to tell.

PS, I've got your tranny covers ready to go, but won't be able to get to the PO till Thursday...One is a TR3, and the other is a TR4 cover.

 

[sp53]

Yeh I see what you mean John about the wheels only going on so far to the splines. As a whole, the stuff does not look that bad. The spare looks like it has never been run, and I can see some wear on the others. Would it be possible, if someone wanted, to go ahead and cut the studs and get rid of the adapters? That would give about a ½ inch of new material, but in this case I am OK with running the adapters. I might have gotten lucky because this stuff was basically a barn/garage find, but the barn caught on fire. I feel better that way because the guy was not selling the stuff out right; he just let it go to the insurance company if that matters. Anyways that frame is primrose yellow. I left it that way because that is how it came from the factory.

 

[TR3driver]

I have literally "been there, done that" on a Spitfire 4 awhile back.

In my case, it was my previous TR3A. Not long after I bought it, I had to remove a rear wheel for some reason (don't recall why, maybe the tire needed repair). The knockoff was hideously tight, which I assumed was just from some gorilla installing it. Back then I didn't know much about wire wheels, including how to inspect them; and probably wouldn't have anyway since I had been driving the car with no problems.

Got the tire changed, wheel installed. Backed out of the driveway to go for a ride, but when I tried to accelerate up the hill, I just got a loud WHIZZZ and the car didn't move! Had to get a buddy to help me push it back into the driveway, the splines wouldn't hold even that much.

Never did put wire wheels back on that car, or my current TR3 for that matter.