In a message dated 96-10-28 18:31:47 EST, you write:
> Does anyone know another source besides Snap On or if a smaller (less
> mass) is sufficient to keep the spinners tight.
>
Gary, 1st - you do not need a massive hammer to do the job correctly,
2nd -TRF, Moss, or Vic Brit all sell the proper hammers. These are
lead headed or leather headed. They are quite sufficient and will do the job
without damaging either the hubs or the spinners.
The main point is : THE WHEELS TIGHTEN THEMSELVES (just be sure to put
them on the correct side of the car)
See below for a copy of my previous posting regarding the proper method of
tightening wire wheels.
_______________________________________________________________
Subj: Wire Wheels (Scientific Study) Long - But necessary
Date: 96-10-20 16:12:59 EDT
From: ArthurK101@aol.com
Sender: owner-triumphs@triumph.cs.utah.edu
Reply-to: ArthurK101@aol.com
To: triumphs@autox.team.net
CC: kedwards@norfolk.infi.net, Silikal@aol.com, twakeman@scruznet.com,
keithbennett@bbc.co.uk
This refers to the proper method of tightening wire wheels.
OK -- here it is, as promised in my earlier post. If you are going to refute
this please do so with the same scientific method that the article uses :-).
Quotes follow from p.1005 of The Vintage Triumph #51(1992) -- (quotes are in
quotation marks -- [my comments are in brackets]).
"Principles of the Rudge-Whitworth Centre-Lock Wire Wheel" [this article
originally appeared in #31 of the same magazine. It was written by F. Wilson
McComb and submitted by Bill Sohl back in 1981.]
"What is equally widely misunderstood however, is the all important bit in
the middle of the wheel." ...
"Let us take a closer look at this assembly referring to the central
portion of the wheel as the 'wheel centre' which is fitted to the 'hub' and
fixed in place with a 'locking cap'. The first thing that must be
appreciated is that the wheel centre does not come into contact with the
brake drum; there is in fact, a clearance of about 1/8" when the wheel is
fully home. [I just checked my wheels and that is a fact ] It is the back
taper of the hub [adaptor on my TR4] that comes into contact with the back
taper of the wheel. Notice too, the taper which is formed on the outer
surface of the wheel centre. This engages with yet another tapered surface
on the inside of the locking cap. When the wheel is fitted to the hub and
the locking cap screwed on, it [the wheel] is therefore centralized and held
between two pairs of tapers. The only oither contact between hub and wheel
centre is provided by the splines which carry the driving and braking forces.
The locking thread on the hub and cap is right-handed on the left (near)
side of the car and left-handed on the right (off) side.
"One of the endearing mysteries of the wire wheel is that the spokes are
not .... indeed, can never be .... in compression; the weight of the
stationary car is suspended from those spokes which are uppermost in the
wheel. ... As the car moves forward, a different portion of the wheel rim
takes the weight and relative movement occurs between wheel centre, locking
cap and hub. The effect of this is to tighten the locking cap and the
locking action continues until there is firm contact with the tapers all
around, when it [the locking action] ceases. The clearances involved are of
course, minute but the locking action is completely positive and entirely
automatic.
"There are people who deny the very existence of this locking action and
presumably attribute left and right hand threads to cussedness on the part of
the manufacturer. They are, no doubt the ones who bash their locking caps
with heavy hammers.[McComb's words! :-)]
" The earliest instructions that I have been able to trace [McComb says
elsewhere that it was in the 1918, yep, 1918 Autocar Handbook], advise
leaving the locking cap finger tight and no more. A later recommendtion is
to hammer the locking cap tight, check for slackness after 20 miles and
tighten again if necessary.
" ' Hammer them tight ' means the application of a lead, copper or hide
mallet and a little common sense, with the wheel locked up [read brakes
applied or equivalent] ... not a murderous attack with a heavy hammer ..."
[McComb then discusses the importance of keeping the surfaces clean and using
some oil on the threads so no rust forms - which would freeze everything up.]
" The effect of overtightening? We have seen that the wheel is held in
place between two pairs of tapers and does not touch the brake drum.
Excessive tightening of the locking cap will therefore force the wheel
centre farther onto the back taper of the hub, expanding it and thus making
...eventually, a sloppy fit on the hub. The outer taper tends to be
compressed and the locking cap itself will actually expand to a small extent;
this may cause the locking cap to contact the outer spokes or "bottom-out'
on the hub, in either case preventing proper tightening. An incidental
calamity is that the inner spokes tend to be slackened and the outer ones
over-tensioned, thus pulling the wheel rim out of shape as well. [could that
be why I NEVER had a problem with my 29 yr old wheels, --since replaced for
worn splines, which is normal after all that time -- being out of shape? - I
did not "bash" my caps] A sloppy wheel centre soon starts to fret on the
hub. The splines wear rapidly [notice "rapidly"], even the back taper begins
to wear and eventually the whole assembly .... wheel, hub and locking cap
.... is fit for the scrap yard." [Thus ends McCombs analysis.
What follows, on p. 1006, is a commentary on the original article. This
commentary was written by the late (died this year at 86) George Osmandson
(VTR member #0105), a life long engineer and member of the Northern Florida
Triumph Club. George's comments further illuminate McComb's article and
George arrives at the solution] "When do I [Osmundson] stop hitting the ears
of my knockoffs? ... I hammer on the end of a short length of hard wood held
against the ear of the knockoff, with the wheel off the ground and quit
hammering when a reasonably solid blow moves the tip of the knockoff less
than about 3/16 inch, then I drive the car very carefully for a mile or two
allowing the cap to tighten further until any clearances, newly introduced by
the stresses of a dynamic load, are taken up.
" In the meantime, hoping no immediate need arises to slam on the brakes
[this would cause the hub to loosen before it was fully tightened]. Then I
recheck and so far have had no problems in braking [because the wheels were
fully tightened by themselves] or traction."
I rest my case -- I'll follow these guidelines. If you want more info read
the article or send me a message. :-)) Cheers
Art Kelly CT33118L (Original owner, daily driver)
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