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Broken steering wheel TR4a


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Yesterday I did the unthinkable and pushed my TR4a on to the car trailer, using the steering wheel to pull forward and back, and cracked the wooden surround.  
the clutch slave cylinder had gone and I needed to get the car back home to do the job, how I wish I’d just crawled underneath. 

does anyone have a spare they are willing to sell me?

i live in Suffolk Near Diss. 
 

thx Gordon 

 

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You probably won’t like my offering, but wooden steering wheels have not been offered for sale new for some time (I think). The damage they can cause when splinters get into your guts in an accident doesn’t bear thinking about.

There are some very good wood imitation resin ones around.

james

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Indeed , apparently not!!

I have a dished Motalita wooden one on the garage wall - removed when I converted to r & p and replaced by a smaller diameter one that the vendor thought was a wooden one but which is in fact resin!

james

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18 hours ago, RobH said:

Nobody seems to have told Moto-lita about that James. 

https://www.moto-lita.co.uk/steering-wheels/

Or Astrali, or several other manufacturers. I think now though they use ply rather than solid wood.

Ralph

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6 hours ago, Lockjack said:

Hi Bob, Do you know anyone who does this type of repair.  I have spoken to a couple of restorers locally and so far no luck. thx

Hi. I would repair it myself, just open up the crack (s) inject some wood glue (PVA etc) then clamp it up tight, & leave overnight.

Then clean up any surplus, & polish.

If I can turn this:   20180519_141249.thumb.jpg.8bdad5fdbdc135a84e9683ad02452dad.jpg via20180521_110905.thumb.jpg.244ce1c2ab3fa86b9bce7fe9f4188561.jpg 20180521_175705.thumb.jpg.9b2c69a2c0d6ca9b5867afb8e49d999e.jpg into  this :  20180523_183719.thumb.jpg.cf538b1b4ca8dd5da33918aa3b993bb7.jpg

Then anything is possible !

Bob

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my wood rimmed wheel had completely delaminated from the ali ring (which I appreciate is probably easier to work on) . I cleaned up the ali and the wood as best I could and then smeared both faces with 2 pack glue (Araldite) and then wrapped it tightly in insulation tape and left to set.

stripped the tape off, scrapped the excess off with a blade (at 90*), sanded down, used a couple of different brown felt tip pens to add some colour here and there and varnished it!

been fitted for 25 years now and still looking good and going strong (unlike its owner!)

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thanks everyone for your help.  I'm going to see if I can find someone to repair this (I just don't have the proper equipment or the skill for that matter) so meanwhile I'll see if anyone has a steering wheel they will lend or sell me.  Apparently TR4 to TR6 will fit.  thanks again and if you have one you wanting to part with please give me shout.

Edited by Lockjack
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I have seen that you are not planning to DIY it, but for the benefit of anyone else reading this post, I’d be inclined to use epoxy glue rather than PVA. It’s different if you have a completely delaminated rim, then PVA is probably easier to handle. 

Rgds Ian

PS very clever repair Bob. I like it. 

Edited by Ian Vincent
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As you already have the boss, why not just buy another wheel. Astralis are around £100  , probably the same as having the old one repaired. Must admit though I have not seen one like yours before with no rivets through the rim.  Also not seen one with such a small hole in the centre to take the original horn push.

Ralph

Edited by Ralph Whitaker
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3 hours ago, Ralph Whitaker said:

As you already have the boss, why not just buy another wheel. Astralis are around £100  , probably the same as having the old one repaired. Must admit though I have not seen one like yours before with no rivets through the rim.  Also not seen one with such a small hole in the centre to take the original horn push.

Ralph

Thanks Ralph,  I have seen Astrali wheels for ca£150 but would need to buy the boss or an adapter I think as the screws are definitely different (6 vs 9).  As you say mine fits the standard horn push and is certainly unique to others I have seen (no rivets showing).  Not sure if this is an original or North American after market (car came from NA originally back in the 90's).  I would like to get it repaired and meanwhile have purchased an old (rough looking) TR6 wheel which apparently will fit, to tide me over (Ebay £25 + postage).

If anyone knows someone who could repair this, it would be very helpful (East Anglia preferably, but to be honest anywhere!).

Thanks everyone and amazing job Bob with your repair, maybe one day I will be that clever (nah probably not).

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Thanks for the offer Bob, turns out my brother in law is a bit of dab hand at this sort of thing so will let him take a look first, if you don’t mind.  If not then I will certainly let you take a look. 
 

I used to work in Letherhead many (many) years ago (Merityre), so maybe our paths crossed? 

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4VC has a Les Leston wood-rim 15" wheel, which has no rivets.  Mike Sutcliffe, who drove the car for the Works team in rallies 1962/3, told me that he didn't like wood-rim wheels because of the danger of splintering in a prang.  I am guessing that Gordon Birtwistle, who owned the car from 1964-1969, fitted this wheel.

As my son has really beefy legs (running, cycling, swimming etc) and found it impossible to operate the clutch, I have had to change to a 14" wood-rim wheel, kindly given me by Peter Bowden.  This 14" wheel has rivets, and allows Alex to de-clutch.

Ian Cornish

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40 minutes ago, Lockjack said:

Thanks for the offer Bob, turns out my brother in law is a bit of dab hand at this sort of thing so will let him take a look first, if you don’t mind.  If not then I will certainly let you take a look. 
 

I used to work in Letherhead many (many) years ago (Merityre), so maybe our paths crossed? 

Quite possibly, I used to use Merityre for MOT's ,* still use them for puncture repairs, balancing etc 

Bob

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