Bent wheel? How do I fix?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Bent wheel? How do I fix?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Will,, Trenton,,,New Jersey on Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 04:43 pm:

Ok,, So my son in law and I took the touring car to a show today. One of the very rare times I'm not behind the steering wheel. We pulled up to a stop light and as we slowed down I felt a uniform bump like there was a lump on the right front tire. I looked over and the right front tire was fishing back and forth like a snake. We got home and jacked up the tire and it did have a curve in it. Pulled the tire and the steel fellow has a slight curve in it also. How do I straighten both the demountable wheel and the steel fellow?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Cassara Long Island, NY on Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 04:59 pm:

NY Rim Fix
http://www.nyrimfix.com/straightening.html

They might be able to help. I'm sure others will jump in with ideas.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Huson, Berthoud, Co. on Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 06:15 pm:

Will:

If the spokes are good take them out, step back and throw the felloe as far as you can. Get a good straight felloe that will lay flat on a staight surface. take the new felloe to a powder coater and have him bake on gloss black powder. Take the felloe home and mount the spokes and hub.
Note before you powder coat your felloe make sure the tenon holes in the felloe are the same size as the tenons on your spokes. Some tenons are 1/2" and some are 5/8

The tenons are the little knobs on the end of the spokes

spokes


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Will,, Trenton,,,New Jersey on Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 08:07 pm:

Dave, That was my first idea, But I didnt see any new felloes in Langs, does one of the other suppliers sell them. If I can find new felloes I'd just a soon replace all four as none of the tires really track right.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Huson, Berthoud, Co. on Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 08:28 pm:

Will:

Langs have them on page 27 at the top. If you are going to do that you might want to just send them in to one of the places that do them for you. I understand that the amish do a good job.

feeding Jay


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Will,, Trenton,,,New Jersey on Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 08:34 pm:

Thanks Dave, My plan is to send all four out to Stutzmans in Ohio this winter


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker on Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 09:26 pm:

Will,

There are also several different types of felloes -- i.e. Kelsey, Hayes, Cleveland, Firestone, Motor Wheel, etc. And Ford sold the T's new with at least 5 different types of rims and felloes produced by those companies. Sometimes using that companies design and sometimes having them produce the wheel to Ford’s design. Oh and Ford probably made some of them also. Therefore be sure the felloe also matches the rims you have in addition to the size of the tenons. And some of the felloes are a little larger diameter and take a little bit longer spoke. See Lang’s http://www.modeltford.com/item/2800HS-HY.aspx I still have not contacted Lang's to ask them about that. So if someone else already has asked and knows which felloes take which length spokes -- please let us know. And especially why they use the term Kelsey-Hayes as the companies did not merge until 1927. But if you send out your wheels for rebuilding be sure they are all compatible with the same rims.

Also you didn't define "slight curve in it" when describing the felloe. If it is less than 1/8 inch out of true, it is within the original Ford specification for the Kelsey loose lug demountable wheel -- the factory drawing is shown in the May - Jun 2001 "Model T Times" and that tolerance is noted on the drawing.

You may be able to use a press and a flat surface to straighten the felloe -- but do not put pressure on the spokes. The same is true for the rim -- a flat surface and a press would be helpful. And depending on where the out of round is located on the felloe and how much out of round it is – you may be able to bolt on a “true” rim and have it run “true” also. But as was mentioned earlier in the thread – good felloes are available and would be the better way to proceed.

And don’t forget to double check that the hub bolts are tight.

And while/when you are working on the rims and wheels, please let us know if you find any manufacture markings etc.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Will,, Trenton,,,New Jersey on Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 10:11 pm:

Hap, When I put a hammer next to the tire and spin it it shows a bit over a 1/4 inch side ways off set. On the felloe it wasnt as much but had a fair amount of wobble. Tommarow I'm going to check it for any egging by placing the hammer on the center of the tread and spin the tire.

Would someone please send me Langs link for the steel felloes and demountable clincher rim for my 1919 touring, I couldnt find it on there web site.

Thank you


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Cassara Long Island, NY on Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 10:30 pm:

Will double check all the bolts and your spokes. Maybe something is loose and might be causing it to run out. You might get lucky and find its just a bolt...


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Will,, Trenton,,,New Jersey on Sunday, May 13, 2012 - 08:12 am:

John, Everything looked tight. There is some slight play in a couple of the spokes in the felloe but nothing real bad. I tried to re tighten it like I used to tighten the old bud wheels on my old dump truck way back when but was not able to true it up any. Tommarow I'm going to give Langs a call and bend there ear about some new parts. Hap,, I'll be sure to bring up the issue that you mentioned. I do love the model T hobby, but it's kinda like that old saying about boats. A hold in the water that you pour money into!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Sunday, May 13, 2012 - 10:10 pm:

A certain amount of wheel wobble was considered normal back when the cars were new. Most wheels did not wobble much as the wood was new, and recently assembled using jigs which held everything pretty straight while they were being assembled.
But after fifty years or so, wood shrinks a little, and warps slightly. Random chance dictates whether spokes warp alternately right and left. Or maybe four spokes in a row all warp to the same side. Hence, some wheels wobble more than others. Another problem is sitting in one position for a few years, or decades. The weight, coupled with other random characteristics can also force a wheel to one way or the other.
And after nearly a hundred years, those factors are even more so.
One of my best friends has a speedster that has twice been clocked at 95 mph. It has been driven to tours and meets all over the country and from coast to coast twice. The car has beautiful wood wheels, and one of them wobbles quite a bit. I cannot claim the extensive use he can. But almost every antique car I have ever had has had at least one wheel that wobbles quite a bit. I have been kidded about it many times. I do not worry about the wheels wobbling. I give them a shake every year as part of my annual pre-tour-season inspection.
Just me.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Huson, Berthoud, Co. on Sunday, May 13, 2012 - 11:11 pm:

I think Wayne is VERY CORRECT. Some wobble will not hurt, I would consider 1/4" wobble are within reason and I do not worry if a wheel wobbles a 1/4".


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Sunday, May 13, 2012 - 11:49 pm:

1/4 inch is good. It is amazing how bad one looks if it is over 1/4 inch. I have measured quite a number of them. Any more than that, even I would hesitate to run it.
Thank you Dave H.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


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