Can the centre hub on the wood spoke wheels be easily removed? I don't want to damage the wheel. I am replacing front wheel bearings and would like to paint or replace the outer hub with stainless steel ones.
What? No matter how many time I read this, I don't understand it.
Try again. The hub/ steel part that houses the bearing and goes onto the axle. It is bolted to the spokes. I undid the bolts but it doesn't seem to want to move.
What I am asking is , is this easily removed from the wheel to make it easier to paint etc.
There is T model I have seen recently where the hubs were stainless and looked a lot nicer than my black painted ones. I thought these might be available from one of the suppliers but can't find them hence my questions
Not that easy, Somebody must have made those hubs or the plate that bolts onto the hub as stainless is kinda rare.
Yes. I have done a bit more research. I think it is a one off. I will leave it as is, mask it up and paint it I think. Will have to wait for some parts so no hurry.
Russ
Yes they're removable but due to the effort involved .... you don't want to!
FAR easier to mask & paint.
schuh
Actually, the difficulty in removing the hub means you have good spokes! When hub drops right out, you have a problem, because no matter how tight you tighten the nuts, they will loosen up again. As the wheel turns, the weight of the car pushes the bottom spoke up against the hub and as the wheel turns the spokes will in order be pushed up against the hub until the constant motion wears some of the wood away, and then the wheel begins to creak and wobble. With tight spokes, that won't happen. The best thing to do is leave the hub in place and replace the wheel bearing in the same hub and paint the hub by masking off the spokes, or you can do as Henry did and paint both the hub and spokes the same color (black).
Norm
I like black!
Yes, a hub that does not want to come out is a good thing.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2
I don't mind black but the only parts not painted black were glass. Overkill for me so I have stripped and oiled the tray and soda blasted and oiled the wheels. Also painted the radiator apron gold.
It looks a lot nicer now (to me at least)
It has been too wet to finish the paint on the wheels and I have to wait for bearings