Dennis Wilson <DWILSON@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU> asks:
> Ok, I got me nu mota, 'n MGB GT 'n evryone sez don't put on wires keep the
> discs. Why are wires such a pain??
Wire wheels, wire wheels... John Thornley considered them an anachronism
when they introduced the TD, which as a result was only available with
disc wheels. But demand was so great that they came back at least with
the MGA and I think with the TF as well, but I can't recall.
Wire wheels are only really defensible on an aesthetic basis, but then
you can make that statement about most of the cars we talk about on this
list. Either you like the look of them or you don't. The subject of
maintenance has come up already, so I won't belabor the point except to
mention a few tips:
- DO the bleeding MAINTENANCE. No, I mean DO IT. Every other oil
change, pull off all the wheels (one corner at a time is OK) and
clean them. You'll be shocked the first time you loosen a knock-
off and a few tablespoons of water pour out of the hub; I know I
was. Wear the kind of clothes that a bag person wouldn't take
out of a dumpster if they were wrapped around a whole turkey; the
crud in the splines stains everything permanently rusty-black.
- Use a toothbrush-like wire brush to get rid of the old crud, then
use new silicone bearing grease. Spread it evenly over the end
of the hub or around the inside of the wheel, coating all the
splines completely. Take this time to inspect the condition of the
splines; they should be sharp and evenly angled. If the tops are
blunt or if one face of the spline is longer than the other, you
should watch that corner carefully because it means it's wearing.
- About knock-offs. The octagonal ones from 1968 and later cars need
a special wrench so they're a little more theft-resistant, but I like
the look of the early winged ones. The early ones that I've got on the
car now seem to be holding tighter than the others, too.
- When you replace a wheel, tighten the knock-off as far as you can while
the wheel is still up in the air. This will centralize it on the hub.
Then when all four wheels are back on the car, give them all another
few taps and take the car out for a slow test drive. If you hear a
clunk from any corner of the car, get out and tap that corner a few
times to tighten the knock-off. (Well, stop the car first, silly.)
- If you encounter a stuck knock-off, a propane torch applied to the
surface evenly for a few minutes will usually loosen the lock enough
to let you remove the knock-off. (Wear gloves when you pick up the
knock-off after you have removed it from the car; they're made of
heavy, chromed bronze and they hold heat very nicely.)
If you're going to inspect a set of used wire wheels, there are four
things you need to look for:
- The hub that goes on the car
- The center of the wheel that goes on the hub
- The condition of the spokes
- The condition of the rim
The hub should have evenly spaced, sharp splines on it and should not
be rusted, cracked, or uneven. The wheel center should be in a similar
condition; pay particular attention to the beveled area where the wheel
fits against the hub, and also to the outer edge of the wheel where the
knock-off fits against the wheel center. That latter place is where
the knock-off applies pressure to the wheel, and in older cars it can
be worn. Spokes are cheap individually but require careful tuning at
installation; a good wire wheel shop will usually restore your wheels
for about $50-60 a rim and will include a couple of new spokes in that
price, along with cleaning, degreasing, truing and painting. The rim
itself must also be straight and even, or you'll end up with bad tire
wear and unsafe handling.
So those are all the reasons not to have wire wheels. (Well, no, I
haven't gotten into the performance-oriented ones yet.) If you're the
kind of person who balks at a little extra maintenance, an MG isn't the
right car for you in the first place, so you only have to decide that
you want them and then do the work necessary to keep them working.
--Scott
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