You learn humility when you take your newly completed car that you've
just spend 1000's of hours restoring out onto the road for it's maiden
run and one of the wire wheels pass you when you step on the brake as
you are doing 30 MPH.
First thing you think of is "didn't I tighten those ear knock
offs?" As you feel the cars chassis fall to the asphalt, grind
mercilessly along the pavement and watch helplessly as your wheel rolls
off into oblivion, you ask that inevitable question "I did put the
the "left" splined hubs on the left and the "Right" on the right didn't
I?" Before the car comes to a complete halt, you jump out and assess the
dammage. After you tow your dammaged baby back to it's garage, you check
what went wrong and find out that the splines on the inside of the wheel
hub that are supposed to hold the wheel from spinning are brittle and
have worn with age.
You go to sleep that night believing that there is a god watching over
you and think about how lucky you were, not driving at seventy when this
happened.
Word of advice for all of you retoring a car with wire wheels that
haven't been drivin on a long while.... Check the splines on the axle
hub and wheel hub as well as the spokes. I had mine wheels checked by
two tire professionals before putting them on the car and neither picked
up the problem. The theory of the nut tightening each time you brake
doesn't hold water if the wheel turns on the splined hub. In fact it
will undo rather quickly!
"You give advice so that the next guy can avoid those problems which you
have already encountered"
Barry Shefner
59 TR3A OTS 57675
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