[Healeys] Spokes and Truing Wheels

Mon May 3 14:42:03 MDT 2021

I have brand new Daytons on my BN2.  Not used yet at this point.  Should
they be tried OK from the factory?
Mike MacLean

On Mon, May 3, 2021, 12:24 PM Henry G Leach via Healeys <
healeys at autox.team.net> wrote:

> As a kid with no money, in the early '70, I thought it would be great to
> have chrome wire wheels on the finished example of the A-H100 that I had
> just disassembled. They would just look like Donald Healey's show cars.
>
> So, I took the wheels I had, picked up some additional used wheels,
> including one new affordable one I located, and disassembled all of them,
> breaking lots of spokes as I went along..until I eventually had enough good
> spokes and nibs for 5 wheels.  Remember this was the 1970s so parts for
> these cars were nil and so was the money to buy new chrome ones. The only
> affordable thing at that time was chrome plating. I had 5 wheels and hubs
> and countless spokes and nibs re-plated for $150!
>
> I polished all the spokes and nibs in a hobby rock tumbler used to shine
> beach rocks to gemlike appearance...took hours and days but not $$. The
> chrome plater assured me he would "anneal" the spokes so as not to get
> brittle in the process
>
> Forty-five years later they are on the car after spending hours assembling
> and truing. Was all that worth the effort, that now you can just order an
> Indian set from Moss for a grand?  I don't know if a labor of love counts
> in this case, but I get lots of positive comments on the finished
> "affordable" product. Hank
>
> -----------------------------------------
> From: "Laurie Wilford"
> To: "gradea1 at charter.net", "Harold Manifold"
> Cc: "healeys at autox.team.net"
> Sent: Monday May 3 2021 11:20:06AM
> Subject: RE: [Healeys] Spokes and Truing Wheels
>
> I have rebuilt and trued a number of wire wheels over the past thirty
> years, starting with replacing  spokes on my Made in India Dunlop chrome 60
> spoke set.
> I broke so many spokes on those wheels that I ended up purchasing spokes
> and nipples in bulk  direct from Dayton.
> The information I was given by them was that truing wheels to plus or
> minus 0.030" was the best they could expect when building new wheels!
>
> Laurie Wilford
>
> Sent from my Galaxy
>
>
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Henry G Leach via Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net>
> Date: 2021-05-03 1:40 p.m. (GMT-05:00)
> To: 'Harold Manifold' <manifold at telus.net>
> Cc: "'healeys at autox.team.net'" <healeys at autox.team.net>
> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Spokes and Truing Wheels
>
> Hi Harold- yes, I also used a dial gauge and that, unfortunately, is too
> fine an instrument for the crude wheels that we have. It will drive you
> crazy to try to "0" out the wheel. Looks like you got close and could not
> effect a change. Me too.  That is probably as good as it will get.  I think
> the eye is a better judge of the "quality" of the wheel-if you see runout
> try to move it to be less. Of the five wheels I did I rated them as the
> best-worse and used #5 for the spare, putting the best on the fronts. They
> are very close to "good" as round goes. A wonderful theory that in
> practical use has some forgiveness.
>
> You could send them assembled, off to Hendricks Wheel service and they may
> be able to do a tighter finish.  Folks swear that their trued, shaved,
> rebuilt wheels from them are the cats meow.
>
> A couple of things I did in assembly: I used anti seize compound on all
> the spoke threads-just enough to make so you could possibly undo them
> later. Then at the other end, I used marine sealant on the hub nubs to seal
> in grease and seal out water.  May work for awhile. I also ran a 2" duct
> tape seal over the nibs in the rim, in addition to the rubber rim seal
> (which does not cover them well.)
>
> The only secret sequence I found was when you tightened one nib, you
> needed to go to the exact opposite nib to compensate for the "pull" on the
> shape of the wheel. Remarkable how much they will distort. Fun experience
> to do ONCE. Best of luck, Hank
>
> -----------------------------------------
> From: "Harold Manifold"
> To: "gradea1 at charter.net"
> Cc:
> Sent: Monday May 3 2021 8:44:09AM
> Subject: RE: [Healeys] Spokes and Truing Wheels
>
> Hank,
>
>
>
> Thanks for the reply. Did you find any secret sequence for loosening and
> tightening the spokes. I have a dial gauge and can find the high spots and
> low spots but I seem to be able to just move them around.
>
>
>
> I agree this will tedious no matter what.
>
>
>
> Harold
>
>
>
> *From:* gradea1 at charter.net
> *Sent:* Sunday, May 2, 2021 6:21 PM
> *To:* Harold Manifold
> *Cc:* healeys at autox.team.net
> *Subject:* RE: [Healeys] Spokes and Truing Wheels
>
>
>
> Harold- I made up this table with an axle hub mounted vertically and a
> fixed post each side using two coffee stir sticks as markers or guides.
> After  lacing the wheel, rotate to first get rid of up/down wobble and then
> tighten to keep wheel round-equally from each post. (photos)
>
>
>
> You are correct the spokes and nibs are 10-32, but the thread angle is
> Whitworth (55 degrees-I believe) Use a British tap to clean up threads.
> Don't use SAE.
>
>
>
> Its a tedious task but I did all 5 wheels for my 100, and they run
> perfect. Check a bicycle/motorcycle shop for procedure. Have fun, Hank
>
> -----------------------------------------
>
> From: "Harold Manifold via Healeys"
> To: "healeys at autox.team.net"
> Cc:
> Sent: Sunday May 2 2021 4:35:21PM
> Subject: [Healeys] Spokes and Truing Wheels
>
> Hello,
>
>
>
> What is the thread size for the spokes and nipples It looks like 10-32 but
> a threading die doesn’t seem to fit. Also, does anyone have a good
> procedure for truing wheels? I was told Out of Round first then Wobble. I
> did the Out of Round on one wheel and could get to 0.050” but no better.
>
>
>
> Harold
>
>
>
>
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