Wire wheel mallet

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

C27290 is the part number the copper hide ‘Thor’ mallets are sold under.

here is a good buying price. 
 

the range   

https://www.zoro.co.uk/shop/hand-tools/faced-and-dead-blow-hammers/dual-purpose-copper-and-rawhide-soft-faced-hammers/f/4296
 

I think the TR mallet weighs 2 lbs so somewhere around 32 ozs will do.

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by BlueTR3A-5EKT

[Phil Read]

I use a rubber mallet. Much gentler on the chrome spinner.

[Z320]

A spanner here and 300 Nm torque

[Drewmotty]

I’ve tried all sorts. Copper is too hard, hide and nylon too soft, rubber too light and bouncy. 
I’ve settled on lead. Lead mallets are kind on the spinners, heavy enough to do the job and don’t bounce back after impact. 

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

53 minutes ago, Drewmotty said:

I’ve tried all sorts. Copper is too hard, hide and nylon too soft, rubber too light and bouncy. 
I’ve settled on lead. Lead mallets are kind on the spinners, heavy enough to do the job and don’t bounce back after impact. 

I agree.

  Simmonds the pattern makers used to supply the lead/antimony head mallets with wooden handles to motor manufacturers like MG with wire wheel cars.  
They made a range of lead mallets.   ….still use an 8 ozs lead/antimony mallet for precision machining set up.
 I can only find an American source for lead mallets now.   https://www.mcmaster.com/lead-hammers/handle-material~wood/

[Drewmotty]

Buy direct from Thor:

https://www.thorhammer.com/product-category/mallets/lead-mallets/

[Lo100469]

On 3/12/2022 at 7:03 PM, Z320 said:

A spanner here and 300 Nm torque

Sorry in advance for the newbie's questions...

the car should be back to me in 2 weeks max and i would like to take the wheels off for cleaning (wired wheels with central spinner).  I do have a Thor hammer that i plan to use.  Can i mark the spinner and wheel so that i refit them to the exact same position?  Assuming everything was right to start with of course.   I find 300NM a lot. Do you use an impact gun with a special socket for the spinner?

Have a good day,

 

Laurent

Edited March 23, 2022 by Lo100469

[harlequin]

Lauren

The spinners should be marked left side and right side. Unless you are removing the splined adapters you cannot get it wrong as the left side are right-hand thread and the right side are left-hand thread, the idea is that they tend to self tighten as you drive.

If your spinners are the ear type use a block of hardwood and hammer tight against that, if you have the nut type you will need a hub spanner and again hammer tight. I don't see how you can be precise with the torque readings . I have used wire wheels for decades and always hammered them up tight and never had one come loose. 

Enjoy your new car

George 

Edited March 23, 2022 by harlequin

[harlequin]

This is the spanner https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/spanner-wire-wheel-spinner-octagonal-ahh5839.html

George 

[Deggers]

Laurent,

Here is a full fitment guide, and some useful tips, from Motor Wheel Services in Berkshire : MWS Wire Wheel Fitment Guide.

They also add, "There are no recommended torque settings for spinners, and the exact number of turns will vary from one vehicle to the next. [However] if you hammer the spinners too enthusiastically, you will deform the thread of the spinner and hub, and they are more likely to work loose. Over-tightening also means that if you ever need to replace either the hub or the spinner you will also need to replace the other part, as the deformed thread of the old part will not fit with the new thread."

Cheers, Deggers

[Z320]

Hi,

this reference is written for owners who cannot tight the nuts with a spanner.

I tested it starting at 200 Nm, this is slack,

250 Nm is not tight enough, 300 Nm is correct for our low powered TRs.

500 Nm for + 200-300 hp.

I explained how I torque up with 300 Nm with simple methods on another post.

There is no reason to use a hammer on any car, tells much about the user.

Ciao, Marco

[harlequin]

7 minutes ago, Z320 said:

 tells much about the user.

Ciao, Marco

Well it certainly tells something about one of us! 

We are not talking about a cuckoo clock here! These things go back donkeys years and are designed to be changed at the side of the road by the least mechanically minded in society, and remain safe

Ciao George 

[Ian Vincent]

The spinners are made of brass and the hubs are made of steel so I don’t understand how the hubs can end up being deformed. 

Rgds Ian

[Z320]

Hi George,

please go one step beside yourself and think about: a hammer most times on such a car tells about

- limited tools / options, or

- limeted ideas, or

- limited patience / time

This is my tool, very easy to make and to carry in the cars boot.

Easier is to use a flat steel 40 x 5 mm, 0,55 m long

Center to its end 0.60 m long a man can pull 50 kg from this position very easy = 300 Nm

You can also by nuts for 1/2" levers

for octagon nuts

for 2 winged spinners

and for 3 winged spinners

I know 300 Nm is correct, tested on my TR4A.

I never use or used a hammer on any car (apart from sheet metal).

Ciao, Marco

[Andy Moltu]

I use a dead blow hammer. The surface is rubber and filled with shot. Doesn’t bounce or mark the spinner.

By nature of being handed they tend to be self tightening. One of our local group members wasn’t aware of this when he bought a set for his 6 and had a lucky escape when one departed and had to be retrieved 100+ yards away in a field. Not easy in the dark. So if you get it wrong self loosening!

[harlequin]

That is all very nicely done Marco, (I also like to tinker with my car) and I know knock ons appear very agricultural 

BUT

The things are designed to be knocked on and the TRs and every other car with wire wheels were supplied with a mallet in the tool kit to do just that, especially those with eared spinners.

George 

[michaelfinnis]

Knock on wire wheels should be tightened with the wheel off the ground to allow them to centralise on the hub, as both the original TR manuals and the MWS guide above emphasise. Therefore I don't see how you can torque the nut to a specific figure with a spanner or torque wrench since the wheel will spin. Tightening the nut with a spanner while the weight of the car on the wheel as in Marco's pictures above seems to me to be all wrong since the wheel and spinner may not be correctly located on the hub.

Mike.

[Z320]

I do it with the wheel lifted and my lovely wife on the brake pedal.

The photo was made only for the demonstration of the kneeling position.

[michaelfinnis]

Ah, I didn't know about the lovely wife!

[Ralph Whitaker]

On 3/12/2022 at 6:09 PM, Drewmotty said:

On 3/12/2022 at 7:10 PM, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

I agree.

  Simmonds the pattern makers used to supply the lead/antimony head mallets with wooden handles to motor manufacturers like MG with wire wheel cars.  
They made a range of lead mallets.   ….still use an 8 ozs lead/antimony mallet for precision machining set up.
 I can only find an American source for lead mallets now.   https://www.mcmaster.com/lead-hammers/handle-material~wood/

I’ve tried all sorts. Copper is too hard, hide and nylon too soft, rubber too light and bouncy. 
I’ve settled on lead. Lead mallets are kind on the spinners, heavy enough to do the job and don’t bounce back after impact. 

After reading this series of posts I have purchased a lead hammer from Thor direct. I was amazed at the range and variety of hammers available, I went for the 1kg barrel shaped item. Not received it yet, maybe today. I have a set of brand new spinners to fit so will be trying it out soon.

Ralph

[lee]

I discovered The benefits of a Lead hammer through owning a C2 Sting Ray. They all seem to use a 6lb lead jobbie so I use it for all my spinner cars. 

[stuart]

1 hour ago, lee said:

I discovered The benefits of a Lead hammer through owning a C2 Sting Ray. They all seem to use a 6lb lead jobbie so I use it for all my spinner cars. 

Nice car, theres no substitute for cubic inches!

Stuart.

[Mick Forey]

I use one of these: https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/spanner-wire-wheel-spinner-2-eared-ahh5839w.html Always tightened with the wheel off the ground first to get the cones aligned then a final go with one foot and one hand which produces a lot of torque and does no damage to the spinner. I used to do a final check with a Thor hammer but don't bother now, as it produced little or no further tightening, unless you really welted it.

Mick

[lee]

6 hours ago, stuart said:

Nice car, theres no substitute for cubic inches!

Stuart.

Yeah I love it, big block 427. 

[JohnC]

On 3/24/2022 at 6:15 AM, Andy Moltu said:

I use a dead blow hammer. The surface is rubber and filled with shot. Doesn’t bounce or mark the spinner.

Likewise. Although the surface of mine is nylon or some similar hard plastic.