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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Wire Wheels how tight?

How tight should I do my wire wheels up? It is very difficult to tell how tight I have done them up because I am using a rubber mallet.

Dave
D Brown

A rubber mallet is about as useful as a chocolate fire guard

The factory method was to bash the living daylights out of them with a copper hammer. Unfortunately unlike those days we are now conscious of "appearances" this has lead to loose wire wheels for fear of bruising the spinners (They are designed to be bruised)

I personally hit mine with a copper hammer to ensure they are really tight, if you are concerned about appearences then a wooden tool exists to allow the wood to be hammered and not the spinner, either way the spinners should be tight IMO.
Bob Turbo Midget England

Thanks, Bob.
I will invest in a copper mallet and take my frustrations out on the spinners.
They have seen better days and I would rather the wheels didn't fall off than the spinners look nice.
D Brown

My neighbour bought a 3lb Thor copper hammer recently for his Morgan wire wheel spinners from J&L. They're still on sale http://www.mscjlindustrial.co.uk/CGI/INSRCH?ns=1&oldNtt=&oldNtk=&oldURLVar=&scrNtt=bttho00312m&x=0&y=0&Ntk=Keyword+Search

Part number BTTHO 00312M aas the link posted doesn't seem to work.

I don't know how that compares with other vendors.
David Billington

don't forget that you need to have the wheels off the ground before you whack the the spinners

remember also that they are handed so will get tighter as you drive [provided you spend most of your time going forwards ]
David Cox

Why do the wheels need to be off the ground before undoing the spinners?
3lb copper hammer, that makes my 6oz rubber mallet look silly.
D Brown

Dave: I was told MANY years ago that it prevents breaking spokes and allows the wheel to be pulled up nice and truly aginst the hubs
David Cox

I have a lead hammer which I bought about 20 years ago from Bromsgrove MG Centre - no longer in existence, I'm afraid, although I have a feeling that M*ss sell them.
Dave O'Neill 2

have the off the ground for tightening because it centers the wheel.
and how tight depends on how much you want them to stay in place ;P

on my previous midget i just knocked the hell out of them with my thor
Onno Könemann

I use the afore mentioned wooden spanner with the car off the ground and hit it (the spanner, not the car!)with my Thor hammer. I check them before any long run and usually about once a month if I'm just pottering locally. The wooden spanner is starting to look a bit worse for wear, but my spinners are still unmarked.

Bernie.
b higginson

I don't believe it's necessary to belt them to death for as David says, they self tighten as you drive. The big hammer is needed when you want to remove them.
I hate them.
Mike Allen

I hate them, too...wire wheels, that is.

My last Midget, I converted from wires to Rostyles, for ease of maintenance and aesthetics. I think Rostyles look better on RWA cars.

My MGB has wires and I'm debating whether to convert it.
Dave O'Neill 2

For the best part of 20 years Ive used a Thor with nylon inserts. They dont mark the spinners. I buy new inerts every few years
neil munn

I'll have to get one of those Thor Hammers. Found an electric one here -
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9284927&ecamp=trf-005&CAWELAID=266893008
Must be electric it is 230 Volts and 12 Watts (Do I need a more powerful one?)
D Brown

as pointed out, the hammer is just to get them tight. Driving will keep them tight.

The problem comes in when someone has worn splines (and they click on acceleration, and when reversing direction) and tries to remedy it by cranking down on that nut really, really hard. Wheel spline marks on the cone (hub) are evidence of this going on. Because the friction available from a really tight nut isn't much, they still click anyway.

New hubs only cost about $100 each, so if one is ever replacing their wheels it is a wise investment to change the hubs at the same time.

I was amazed when I replaced my hubs ("looks ok to me, but they click a lot"), the new ones had WAY more spline on them, and fit the wheels much more snugly than the old ones did. The problem is that the differences don't show up well in photos, so I never realized just how worn mine were until I had new/old side by side.


Norm "wheel nut" Kerr
Norm Kerr

<<Do I need a more powerful one?>>

I would have thought you would need at least a 25w hammer!
Dave O'Neill 2

This thread was discussed between 05/07/2010 and 06/07/2010

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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