Kevin,
Here are the comments of our wheel specialist:
***
Radial design tires DO load the bead area of a wheel differently than a bias
tire. The max cornering loads generated with a radial tire are greater than
when the same car is using a bias tire.
There are several factors with the car and the age of the wheels that need
to be considered.
Positive factors :
Considering that this car is only 1700 lb, the maximum wheel load on the
heaviest axle is probably no more than 650 - 700 lbs.
The wheels load rating is listed as 1520 lbs (over 2 times what the max
could be)
Negative factors:
The wheels are VERY old, (manu date 4/81).
They have been already used for some time with racing slicks.
The wheels are marked for use with bias tires only.
Comments:
The best option is to just get some new wheels and then you know exactly
what you have. Any failure of a part on a car is not good, wheels happen to
be a rather critical component and when a wheel fails, there are other
things that also get damaged. This car is so light that buying a new set of
wheels now could last many seasons if they are taken care of and you don't
have to question if your old wheels are still up to the job. Keep the old
wheels for rain tires or transport wheels...
If you still want to run the old wheels as your primary race wheels, here
are a few things to consider:
Wheels used for racing do not last forever, It doesn't matter WHO makes them
or HOW much they cost. That does not mean that these wheels are only good
for scrap; depending on the condition of the wheels they may still be good
for racing on. Just because they are old, it does not mean that they have a
lot of time on them. The wheels should be cleaned well and visually
inspected for any signs of a crack or stress fracture. (Mounting and
dismounting cantilever tires can also cause additional stress to the bead
areas depending on how good the person doing the mounting is.) Then the
wheels should be checked for runout to be sure that none of them are bent.
If they still seem OK, I would strongly suggest having them die-penetrant
tested (Zyglo) to be sure that there is not a crack anywhere on the wheel.
It is important to do visual checks prior to every racing season and during
the season to catch a small problem before it becomes a much larger one.
***
Let me know if you have other questions, and I will pass them along.
Regards,
William Loring
The Tire Rack, Marketing dept.
7101 Vorden Parkway
South Bend, IN 46628
574-287-2345 x225
574-236-7714 fax
888-362-8473 sales
www.tirerack.com
on 4/22/03 8:23 PM, KWall73108@aol.com at KWall73108@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 4/22/03 6:34:44 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
> bloring@tirerack.com writes:
>
> <<
> Kevin,
>
> I passed your note on to one of our wheel technical specialists. Here's what
> he had to say:
>
> "It is probably a very old aluminum wheel and may have only been
> developed for bias tires. Radial tires create higher lateral loads and
> put more stress on the wheels. If you were to run a "R" compound tire
> on a wheel noted for bias tires only, it could result in a failure in a
> very short time."
>
> What brand/model of wheel is it, and how old do you think it is?
>
> Regards,
>
> William Loring
> The Tire Rack
>>>
> William,
>
> The following is written on the wheel;
> For use with bias tires only, 1520 lb max load, do not inflate over 40 psi,
> C.L. 4-81.
>
> The wheel make is centerline, I assume the above 4-81 is the date of the
> wheel, the wheel size is 7" X 15". 23 X 8 X 15 cantilever slicks were used
> on these wheels on a 1700 lb TVR Griffith. 225 X 50 X 15 Kuhmo Ecsta 700s
> are the tires that are being considered for use with these wheels.
>
> Any input would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Kevin
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