Wheel press

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Wheel press
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By michael grady on Monday, September 03, 2012 - 01:06 am:

Hey guys,

I tried the Reagan wheel press for the first time last pm. I had just so so results and will start over again tomorrow.

Quick question though.. when you're screwing the nut down that presses the spokes in, how do you know you have reached the correct level? In other words, how do you know when to stop?

I've watched a couple of the videos you guys have posted, bit it's not clear when to stop.

Thanks,

Michael


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Monday, September 03, 2012 - 10:24 am:

As you near the end of travel and the spokes are at right angles to the hub it will get very easy to turn the nut compared to the start. That is where you typically stop. Tightening the hub bolts will bring the spoke hub area flat since it is a clamping action that the outer ring imparts to the spokes when those bolts are tightened against the hub backing plate area.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By michael grady on Monday, September 03, 2012 - 11:39 am:

Thanks John...

I think I'm still having an issue with alignment of the spoke. I'm head back to the man cave to re do this wheel.

Michaelspokes


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Monday, September 03, 2012 - 12:33 pm:

If you don't mind, a related question:

What's the best method for drilling the hub bolt holes through the spokes once it's assembled? I can see problems if the holes aren't drilled straight and/or if the inner and outer hub halves aren't lined up just right.

Thanks!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Monday, September 03, 2012 - 01:00 pm:

What is going on with those spokes? It never fails. You watch the videos and read the books and something strange happens when you try it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Monday, September 03, 2012 - 01:52 pm:

Charlie has a good point. The fact that they don't line up right looks like something that you could remedy by just rotating the felloe a little while holding the hub stationary, but I don't think that would work. It seems like the problem is an error in the angle of the spoke to spoke surface cut. Since the spoke to spoke surfaces are in full contact I can't see how it could be adjusted. That's just where it lands based on the angle of the cuts.

Just my uneducated guess....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By michael grady on Monday, September 03, 2012 - 01:56 pm:

Well...for this photo...I've figured out it was an operator issue - what a surprise. I needed to shift the spokes, before adding ANY pressure so that they came off the wheel at a 90 degree angle. The center ends of these spokes needed to be shifted to the left if you were looking down on them from the top and were looking at the spokes closest to you.

More photos to come as I close in on it.

Michael


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Monday, September 03, 2012 - 02:18 pm:

Yes it is mportant that the spokes are all up against the center surface and top underside corner of the hub. There is a lot of pressure against the hub center section and the ends of the typical spokes you buy are flat so you might be wise to file a small V into only the bottom surface of that flat part so that the spoke end will then get started with its flat end centered somewhat on the hub. The "v" I am talking about should NOT be the total thickness of the spoke but just the bottom end corner so that the spoke starts out centered. After you begin to tighten the spokes the pressure of the hub will compress the end a bit curved and that will be where it wants to go back to even if you disassemble and reassemble. I made my own spokes for my wheels and I put a radius on the hub end that matched the radius of the outer diameter of the hub center section. That way my spokes didn't want to wander but you could still get them installed "off" if you allow the hub to rotate freely while you are starting out. I have repeatedly told folks that the magic of the press is having the hub TIGHT and locked between 2 nuts while you assemble the spoke teepee and you release that tightness only a wee bit at a time as you start to press the hub down. When you have good tension on the whole wheel and all is going straight - then you can release the bottom nut and drive the top one home. It is an easy process buy you have to have patience to get it all lined up. Allowing the hub to move freely about is not how I did it and most who have had problems have used alternate methods that did not hold the hub tight during the setup phase. Hope this helps.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By michael grady on Monday, September 03, 2012 - 05:13 pm:

Thanks for the help.

John ....you were correct. There was an off center dent created when I pressed the wheel the first time and did not have them rotationally correct.

I was able to just kiss them with my drum sander and a drum sized for the proper radius.

Please see the before and after. Not perfect...but much better. Next one should be perfect - well, almost.

Before and after photos posted..

Michaelbeforeafter


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Tuesday, September 04, 2012 - 12:23 am:

Much better!


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