Just read a note asking if welding hub bolts can be done. Take it from
someone who lost a wheel, hub and all, don't weld them.
It's along story beginning with a rumor that the DPO had lost the driver
side, rear wheel during a demo drive when he was trying to sell the TR3
(before I bought it from him), advancing through the time when I lost
the same wheel, hub and all, last July (coincidence?), and continuing
through the third time (after the July incident repair) when the (lets
make sure that the *#&%* bolts stay attached to the axle hub) welded
bolts sheered, good bye wheel and hub again!
We are guessing that the weld removed the "hardness" from the bolts and
they all snapped.
As for the cause of the July lost wheel, we (St. Louis TR Club, and the
St. Louis Healey Club) are mystified. Could be that when new brakes were
installed last winter by owner and friends, the nuts were not tightened
down enough. OR, A member of the Healey Club heard that this kind of
thing can happen when the holes in the wire wheel hub extension are
enlarged so that the tapered nuts do not properly hold the hub. They are
tight against the brake drum, but the hub moves around under pressure
and eventually works the nuts loose.
Got a used axle and hub with the bolts already attached to fix the
situation the last time. Also, used lock tight on the hub nuts.
Yesterday before my wife and I participated in the TR Club Fall Color
tour (great time, another story) paranoid me removed all the wheels and
checked the nuts. All were OK. Then, like Terri Ann suggested, pounded
the spinner hubs on with a heavy hand.
Hope that you have better luck that I did, although, some miracle or
very good luck occurred to keep my wife and I safe during the wheel loss
at speed.
>----------
>From: Bitparts@aol.com[SMTP:Bitparts@aol.com]
>Sent: Saturday, October 12, 1996 10:52 PM
>To: Triumphs@autox.team.net
>Subject: TR4 Front hub repair
>
>It is a long story how it happened, but my passenger side wire wheel spline
>is loose on the hub. Has been for a bit and the hub bolts are loose in
>their moorings. Question: do I need to replace the hub or can I have the
>needed new bolts welded to the hub to lock them in position.
>
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