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My 1958 TR3A has wire wheels, but I prefer the original disc wheels that mine was originally fitted with. At present the hubs have been bolted on, half thickness wheel nuts have been used and the rest of the studs sawn off.

 

I'd rather like to revert to steel wheels, so My question is, what are the chances of my finding original wheels and is it difficult to knock out and replace the brutalised studs?

 

Ash

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Hi Ash,

Unless there were variances at different times I believe you should find that the studs on the front have a mushroom type head which was knocked into place through the hole in the hub. They should therefore tap out and be replaced with shorter ones for the steel wheels. On the rear hubs the studs were threaded onto a thread in the holes in the hubs and the protruding thread on the stud was then peened on the reverse side to stop it coming loose. You should therefore get some resistance when trying to unscrew them. If the threads are damaged on the hubs it will probably be safer to use the same type studs as on the front and tap them into place, which will destroy the remaining thread on the holes in the hub but will then effectively be the same set up as on the front hubs, arguably a safer arrangement when the threads are as old as they are now. The rear studs of course have to be the shorter ones also, whichever of the two types you go for.

 

Steel wheels still seem to appear from time to time, possibly in part due to the current populatrity of minilite replicas. You will probably find they will need repainting or powder coating depending on what colour you go for. The original 4" steel wheels from the TR2 were I'm told not as strong as the later 4.5" ones although there still seem to be a few around, so best to check. Repro hub caps are available although they are noticeably lighter than the originals, but the chrome is now past it's best on many originals for sale. The globe centres for the hub caps are hard to find in the original metal and coloured glass construction and often the centre of them is damaged where they have been placed faced down over the years. They do look much better than the later plastic ones, and I believe all the repro ones are plastic.

 

I have stuck with steel wheels for my TR2 painted body colour , and for my TR4 which are powder coated in silver. I believe that most cars left the factory on steel wheels with only a minority having painted wires.

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Hi Trevor

 

Correct me if I am wrong aren't longer studs used with steel rims and full nuts?

Hence the reason when using wire wheel adapters and half nuts the studs need to be shortened.

Alterternatively use a spacer between wheel and hub to save cutting down the studs leaving the studs ok to revert back to steel rims if desired.

 

Cheers

 

David

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Correct, David. Even with a spacer the studs aren't long enough for steel wheels.

 

Ash, you'll probably have to be patient with steel wheels, some are considerably out of true. Assume you'll have to acquire twice as many as you need in order to get 4 good ones, unless you have a tame wheel man to hand to straighten the beggars out . . . .

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

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............also have hub caps but not sure if original or repro's will need to check....Regards Mark

Mark,

 

You no doubt already know this, but for the benefit of those that don't - the original hubcaps are coated with red-oxide on the inside surface. I have 3 sets of originals and all are painted as such, plus as Trevor says, they are a heavier gauge of steel.

 

Cheers

Andrew

Edited by Andrew Smith
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If you do a search back through this part of the forum you will find a long thread on just this subject by Guy (Jersey Royal). You need the long studs and correct wheel nuts for steel wheels. According to Revingtons 6mm spacers do allow the fitment of wire hubs to original length steel wheel studs without the need for trimming of the studs. Personally I just change the studs. ;)

Stuart.

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