> >The wire wheel on the right side of the car is missing about 10 spokes. I
> >was told by someone that if a wire wheel has been sitting, that there is
> >no way to get it true again, you're going to have to buy all new wheels,
> >blah blah...I'd like a second opinion, as the knock off wheels are not
> >
> I don't know about missing spokes but my TR-3 sat on its wires
> with the tyres deflated for over 12 years. I now use those wheels
> (plus a coat of paint) and I don't see any problem's. I did have
It's difficult for me to see why just sitting would somehow prevent a
wheel from being made true. If the wheel is straight and the spokes are
in good shape, there shouldn't be a problem. I would recommend taking
all of the wheels to a wire wheel shop to have the rims and hub splines
checked, the spokes replaced and everything trued.
As I mentioned in an earlier message, I investigated doing my own wire
wheel rebuilding a while back. I concluded that it was do-able, but
that life was too short for the time and effort involved. I also found
out that information on this subject is very hard to come by. BTW, if
you do decide to do your own work, don't expect much help or sympathy
from any of the places that do this kind of work professionally. Most
likely you be told that its too complex a task to take on yourself. I
never bought this, but I still had it done professionally for the
reasons stated. I honestly don't think any of these places have much to
fear regarding the loss of business. I suspect most people would opt to
have it done, even if they knew how. It looks like one hell of a lot of
work to me, plus you would probably have to custom make some equipment.
If anyone is interested, a couple of good sources of information on the
subject of wire wheels are motor cycle and bicycle manuals. There are
also tidbits in a few Brit car manuals, but nothing very definitive.
Roland
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