Tom,
Your splines wore down on your wheel and/or hub. Your experience nearly
mirrors mine identically over 20 years ago, except I was coming down an
offramp at about 60 MPH.
Glad you weren't killed, or that your wheel didn't kill someone else.
Dangerous business.
Wire wheels are really only good for about 70,000 miles. Beyond that,
you're asking for trouble, especially if you don't keep them greased and
check them often.
Sorry to hear about your experience. I know firsthand how frightening it
can be -- as do many others on the list, I expect.
So what do you make of my decision to get rid of the steel wheels on my
latest Spitfire and replace them with wires? Death wish? Ha ha. I'm
livin' on the edge, baby!
Best wishes,
Jeff in San Diego
'67 RHD Spitfire Mk3 aka "Mrs. Jones"
----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Winslow <tom_winslow@email.msn.com>
To: Triumph Mailing List <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2000 7:07 PM
Subject: Ever lost a wire wheel? At 65 mph?
>
> I have been unsubscribed from the list for a while but have decided that I
> need to get back on the list . . . to gain some wisdom and maybe an
answer.
>
> Some of you have seem my 1965 Triumph TR4A IRS. If not, it can be seen at:
> http://www.iredell.com/triumph.html
>
> Last Tuesday I drove the TR to work. When I left around 4 PM I headed east
> on I-40 toward Statesville, NC. The top was up and the windows down. As I
> approached an exit, I headed a 'jingling' sound - as if something fell off
> of the car. I went up the exit ramp and stopped. I shut the car off and
got
> out - made a complete inspection of the wheels. Nothing wrong?
>
> Well, I got back into the car, headed down the entrance ramp on the other
> side and back on to I-40. I entered the right lane at about 65 mph. After
> about 100 ft, the right front wheel came off! I saw the wire wheel bounce
> much higher than the car and go ahead of me down the right lane for about
> 150 yards where it hit the end of a guardrail, bounced high into the air
and
> came to rest.
>
> In the mean time, I slid, ground, sparked to a stop in the grass on the
> right side of the highway.
>
> Now, how does the wire wheel 'knockoff' come loose? That is the only
> explanation. Could it have split? Could it have backed off? I thought that
I
> saw it when I did my inspection - maybe not. Usually they are very
difficult
> to remove because they are TIGHT!
>
> Anyone else ever had such a happening?
>
> Anyway, my mechanic (International Auto, Statesville), waited until the
> rollback could deliver my TR before leaving. It cost about $400 to get
back
> on the road. I am keeping the ground flat (on one side) break rotor as a
> reminder. Next week the TR goes to the restoration shop to fix the minor
> body damage.
>
> Any ideas out there?
>
> tw
>
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