Spare wheel

[Reinaldo]

Hello,

 

This is a sort of same topic as the one posted by George, but I guess what I have to say might not have been said recently and for future search this title might help.

I bought my TR3A by the end of last year. It came with KN wheels and an original steel wheel in the boot. My car is with the tight boot so the 165 tire is squeezed in that space.

Last week I had to remove the KN wheels and install the wire wheels (taken from my TR4A) using spacers. This change was done just because I had to carry out an inspection in order to get the proper black license plate for historical vehicle.

Now I have to decide if I should swap it back or not. I am a kind of inclined to keep in the way it is (wires on the TR3A) despite of my concern on running with spacers.

Well now I have to decide what to do to solve the spare problem.

I read all the dicussions on George´s topic and wonder why not take a simple route: keep the original steel wheel as spare and, when it happens, do a "wire to steel wheel conversion" on the road. I guess one issue is on how to do it in the front wheel, when somebody else has to help by pulling the brake pedal. But it does not seems to be a major issue. The other issue is to carry the wire wheel when coming back home, but for that I just learned on this forum what to do (plastic bag for protection and fitting it behind the seats).

And if I change to a 155 spare tire on the original wheel, things would be even better.

Regards,

Reinaldo

[Eyetee]

I didnt see Georges post so might be repeating stuff already said/written.

 

Just bought a tr3a with wire wheels 165 tyres, the spare is a wire wheel and is deflated so to fit in the space provided by the factory, previous owner carried a pump that could be powered from the battery terminals and a spare tube for repairs. A friend saw this set up and suggested the common practise was to cut a hole in the boot floor so the spare could be dropped into the space provided by the factory, this also allows the opportunity to fix the rear lower panel that has a tendancy to fall off if knocked.

 

hope this helps

[tr3aproj]

I didnt see Georges post so might be repeating stuff already said/written.

 

Just bought a tr3a with wire wheels 165 tyres, the spare is a wire wheel and is deflated so to fit in the space provided by the factory, previous owner carried a pump that could be powered from the battery terminals and a spare tube for repairs. A friend saw this set up and suggested the common practise was to cut a hole in the boot floor so the spare could be dropped into the space provided by the factory, this also allows the opportunity to fix the rear lower panel that has a tendancy to fall off if knocked.

 

hope this helps

 

 

I use a 48 spoke wire wheel with a 155 tire and it fits in the spare tire bay with a lot of room to spare. Changing from wire to disc wheels on the road is not practical. The extensions for the wire wheels are difficult to remove on the road and the studs are usually shorter than the studs for disc wheels. So you would have to pull the axles and replace the studs with the longer studs for disc wheels then use a spacer when the wire wheels were on. Then when you had a flat tire you could pull the wire wheel, remove the extension and spacer and put on your spare disc wheel. Remember to bring a set of lug nuts for the disc wheel also. Or you could buy a 48 spoke wire wheel and fit a 155 tire and throw it on in the case of a flat. I guess it depends on which seems easier to you.

Robert

[John Soffe]

I use a 48 spoke wire wheel with a 155 tire and it fits in the spare tire bay with a lot of room to spare. Changing from wire to disc wheels on the road is not practical. The extensions for the wire wheels are difficult to remove on the road and the studs are usually shorter than the studs for disc wheels. So you would have to pull the axles and replace the studs with the longer studs for disc wheels then use a spacer when the wire wheels were on. Then when you had a flat tire you could pull the wire wheel, remove the extension and spacer and put on your spare disc wheel. Remember to bring a set of lug nuts for the disc wheel also. Or you could buy a 48 spoke wire wheel and fit a 155 tire and throw it on in the case of a flat. I guess it depends on which seems easier to you.

Robert

 

 

I also have a small spare wire wheel that fits with the air let out and I carry an electric pump. When I had a puncture the problem was that the punctured wheel would not go into the space. Luckily, I was travelling alone and with the passenger seat folded down I was able to bring back the wheel. I now carry that foam stuff from Halfords to use first for when I get another puncture.

[Reinaldo]

I also have a small spare wire wheel that fits with the air let out and I carry an electric pump. When I had a puncture the problem was that the punctured wheel would not go into the space. Luckily, I was travelling alone and with the passenger seat folded down I was able to bring back the wheel. I now carry that foam stuff from Halfords to use first for when I get another puncture.

 

 

Eyetee

 

Yes the idea for the pump and a deflated spare tyre sounds good. But 165 deflated tire with wire wheels does fit in the space? Might IT be a narrower spare tire?

I would prefer not to cut any panel to keep the car´s originality

 

 

Robert

 

So far what I found was tires narrower then 165 but not radial (cross ply?). These are the ones for old VW Beetle. But I am still not sure external diameter will fit the space.

I agree that changing from wire to disc wheels on the road might take more time and effort. The four nuts of the extensions hubs are not that hard to remove. On the front wheels is worst because parking brake is useless and so somebody else has to pull the brake.

In my case I am already using the spacers and so no change is required for the studs.

I guess lug nuts for the disc wheel are the same ones for the hub extensions.

It is like you said a matter of choice on which seems easier to each of us.

 

 

John

 

When you say "a small spare wire wheel" it means regular 15 inches wheels with narrower tires?

Someone said in this forum that a 15" wire wheel with punctured 165 tire fits behind the seats. I will do the test!

And having the foam stuff sounds like a good plan A.

 

Thanks for your feed back,

 

Regards,

 

Reinaldo

[stuart]

Eyetee

 

Yes the idea for the pump and a deflated spare tyre sounds good. But 165 deflated tire with wire wheels does fit in the space? Might IT be a narrower spare tire?

I would prefer not to cut any panel to keep the car´s originality

 

 

Robert

 

So far what I found was tires narrower then 165 but not radial (cross ply?). These are the ones for old VW Beetle. But I am still not sure external diameter will fit the space.

I agree that changing from wire to disc wheels on the road might take more time and effort. The four nuts of the extensions hubs are not that hard to remove. On the front wheels is worst because parking brake is useless and so somebody else has to pull the brake.

In my case I am already using the spacers and so no change is required for the studs.

I guess lug nuts for the disc wheel are the same ones for the hub extensions.

It is like you said a matter of choice on which seems easier to each of us.

 

 

John

 

When you say "a small spare wire wheel" it means regular 15 inches wheels with narrower tires?

Someone said in this forum that a 15" wire wheel with punctured 165 tire fits behind the seats. I will do the test!

And having the foam stuff sounds like a good plan A.

 

Thanks for your feed back,

 

Regards,

 

Reinaldo

 

The lug nuts for wire wheel extensions are not the same as original wheel nuts for steel wheels so you will need a set of those.

Stuart.

[AndrewMAshton]

Hello,

 

just be careful with the foam stuff, I understand once you use it the tyre is written off,

 

Andrew

[John Bazzano]

A question on the spacers .........

 

I have a TR2 with cut down studs, adapters with rounded nuts and wire wheels mounted on my car. All as per stock factory provided.

 

When I remove the adapters and wires and mount original factory disc wheels, the rounded nuts fall in exactly the same place on the cut down studs. They still have the same "bite" as with the wire wheel set-up.

 

So do I really need spacers and the original length studs to mount the disc wheels? Can't I just use the cut down studs and rounded nuts? If they were strong enough for the adapters with wires, wouldn't they be strong enough for factory disc wheels?

 

Am I missing something here?

 

John

[stuart]

A question on the spacers .........

 

I have a TR2 with cut down studs, adapters with rounded nuts and wire wheels mounted on my car. All as per stock factory provided.

 

When I remove the adapters and wires and mount original factory disc wheels, the rounded nuts fall in exactly the same place on the cut down studs. They still have the same "bite" as with the wire wheel set-up.

 

So do I really need spacers and the original length studs to mount the disc wheels? Can't I just use the cut down studs and rounded nuts? If they were strong enough for the adapters with wires, wouldn't they be strong enough for factory disc wheels?

 

Am I missing something here?

 

John

 

They dont bear enough on the wheel rim which is considerably thinner than a wire adaptor and they will pull through. Triumph found that out within a very brief period of time after introduction of the 2 and changed to the bigger nuts.

Stuart.

[John Bazzano]

So cut down studs would be OK with the larger nuts and steel wheels since the amount of thread contact would still be the same?

 

Not talking major mileage here just 25-30 mile hops and checking the lug tightness frequently.

[stuart]

So cut down studs would be OK with the larger nuts and steel wheels since the amount of thread contact would still be the same?

 

Not talking major mileage here just 25-30 mile hops and checking the lug tightness frequently.

 

With the larger nuts I dont think there will be enough thread through the nut to be particularly safe as there should be at least a couple of threads showing to be completely safe. Short get you home distance at reduced speed may be ok but I personally wouldnt trust it.

Stuart.