Guys, I've worked on many antique cars but my 1917 Maxwell is my first wooden wheel car. It has 30 x 3 1/2 clinchers so it's just like a Model T. While trial fitting the bearings on my all original wheels I noticed that one wheel is REALLY warped badly. Is this normal for almost 100 year old wooden wheels to warp? It shows no accident damage and seems tight. If that's the problem I guess it's time to send the wheels to one of the wooden wheel shops mentioned on here? I welcome any advice or suggestions as to who to use.
If I do send them off, do I just send the entire wheel or is it my job to disassemble them and just send the metal parts?
Do they sandblast and paint the metal? Thanks for any help and advice,
Howard Dennis
Be sure the hub flange isn't bent, or even cracked. In other words, your warp may not be in the spokes.
Which are they, Non-demountable or demountable?
Thanks Jerry, I hadn't thought of that. I just went out to the garage and put a magnetic pointer to the spindle and it runs nice and true but when I moved out about 2 inches to the speedometer gear attached to the wooden spokes I start to get a serious wobble. Leads me to ask could I loosen all the bolts and shim or adjust the wheel back into trueness?
Howard Dennis
Kerry, they are demountable.
Howard Dennis
I don't know the reason for your wobble, but if it turns out you need to send them to a wheelwright Stutzman and Johnson will both do a good job. If they have wood felloes I'd send the entire wheel and let the experts do their thing. If they're steel felloes, you can use the Regan press and do them yourself.
How much wobble is 'serious' wobble? Wood wheels do run out some.
Hal,I didn't mike it but by eye at the rim edge we are talking an inch or better.
Howard Dennis
Hal, I guess it looks worse than it is. I just locked a yardstick to the frame and the wheel edge wobbles back and forth over 1/4 inch on the yardstick, sure looks a lot worse by eye!
Howard Dennis
I'd be happy with that if it's good and tight.
Hi: I think I read somewhere that Fords tollerance for wheel runout was 3/8 inch or less at rim when the cars was new...
Thanks guys, I guess I'll just wobble on down the road.
Howard Dennis
I put new spokes on my rear wheels using the press. Ended up with about 1/4 to 3/8 runout at the rim.I could not get them any better. They are nice and tight. I have put close to a 1000 miles since and have no tire wear or issues,so I say wobble away.
At one point in the late teens, Ford issued a service bulletin that they would no longer supply, as parts stock, wheels without hubs due to the fact that wheels had a great tendency to warp if they were stored any length of time without hubs installed... Something for people to think about if you ever see wheels without hubs for sale. Total acceptable runout by some Ford blueprints is 1/8".