By my experience, if the peaks of the splines have a radius you probably
have a safe amount of play. The sharper the peaks of the spline the more
slop you have. In the extreme, splines that are too sharp have also become
too short and will not stick far enough into the roots of the opposing
splines to be safe. The risk of stripping the splines out of the wheel or
hub under hard braking becomes very real and is usually dangerous when it
happens. An indication of how worn your splines are can be experienced by
repeatedly going forward and back in the driveway braking briskly in each
direction. If you hear/feel clunks as the car stops, it is probably
potentially dangerously worn hub/wheel splines unless some bushings
somewhere are worn out in your suspension.
I have been told there should never be any grease on the circular tapered
surfaces on the inside of the hub and wheel opposite the knock-off. Clean
grease on splines and the inside taper of the knock-off is OK.
I feel wheel splines digging into the circular tapered surface of the hub
indicates excessive wear on components that should be considered for
replacement. When I finally did my TF - I replaced both the hubs and wheels
at the same time so I wouldn't prematurely wear out new components against
old ones. Save your old hubs. The day may come when we have to build up
the splines with weld and have them remachined to get longer lived metalurgy
than suppliers can afford to give us.
> ----------
> From: Jack W Drews[SMTP:vinttr4@geneseo.net]
> Reply To: vinttr4@geneseo.net
> Sent: Friday, December 18, 1998 6:28 AM
> To: mg-t@Autox.Team.Net
> Subject: Wire wheels
>
> Is there a reliable way to determine if the play between the wheel and
> the splines is too much?
> --
> uncle jack
>
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