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Wire Wheel Question

To: josephb@buffalos.aftac.gov
Subject: Wire Wheel Question
From: slevine@netmatics.com (Sandy Levine)
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 17:36:19 -0500
Cc: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
 Joseph Burlein wrote . .
 >How often do you need to tighten the spokes?  Can you do it yourself?
>Is it really worth getting wires or are they just more trouble than >they
are worth?  How much more are tires for these than for the solids?

I drove my TR6 year around for 16 years with wire wheels. I commuted to NYC
back then -  every day (35 miles each way) so the car has seen a fair
amount of highway and pot holes. I drove it very, very, very hard. Killed a
set of Pirelli snow tires in less than 6K miles by doing 4 wheel power
slides on the way home every night on a back country road. Cracked a
trailing arm doing something foolish..

In all that time I never had a problem with a wheel that I didn't cause.
Never had to tighten the spokes but you better watch the nuts that hold the
splines. Check them every 10K miles or so. Also you have to grease the
splines, and the caps - -  everywhere that metal touches metal. If you
don't you may one day not be able to remove the wheel from the hubs.

I used whatever tire was in vogue at the time and radial tubes inside.
Again maybe two flats in 85K miles.

The question that I can't help you with is the quality of what you are buying.

I am getting my car ready for the road after 11 years of sitting outside.
The wheels on my car have some light surface rust (protected by those heavy
amounts of grease I used in days gone by) but the spare which was in the
trunk for 26 years is rusted beyond repair. I need to figure out how to
check out my wheels also. Thought I would have them media blasted and
painted. Then find a motorcycle shop that could check them out.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

__________________________________________________________
Sandy Levine                              813-962-0100 (v)
slevine@toucan.com                     813-962-2330 (f)



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