The Jaguar XK 120, 140 & 150 used a 16" x 5" wire wheel with either 54 or 60 spokes. I believe Vic Sala used them on his speedsters. How do you adapt them to the Model T hubs? Thanks
Don't know about the Jags, but my old TR-3 had a bolt on splined adapter (factory) to accept the wire wheels (15" x 4.5" i believe) I think Moss and several of the Brit car resto shops offer them new. FWIW
You can probably figure out what you need here http://www.britishwirewheel.com/conversions.htm and then the hunt is on.
Yup, that's so. I had a '27 roadster, full fendered, that I used 15" MG wheels on. I simply had the knock off hugs plugged and drilled for my (different) front and rear bolt patterns, had the knock off nuts stripped of chrome and polished 'em up. Very cool, different and they looked good on the roadster.
I have a 120 with E Type wires. If I remember correctly the hub for the knock offs is 5 bolt in chevy spacing. The steel wheeled 120s just bolted the wheel to the studs. Should be an easy thing...the hub/splines are avaialble many places. The early 16" are course spline..while the E Type 15" are fine spline..so make sure you have the correct match. Dayton sells the hubs..
I'm wondering if there's a 21" rim (like a Model A) that has the same number of spokes that could be strung onto the Jaguar hubs, OR another British hub that could be used?
Anybody on here know anybody that can turn 15" jag wire wheels into 18" wheels (new rims and spokes)? Any idea on the price to do it?
Advisory to anyone who attempts to build their own wheels using parts from different manufacturers. Be aware there is something to consider besides the number of spokes, and that is the spoke angle. Most rims I'm familiar with are dimpled, and each dimple is drilled at a specific angle to match both the diameter of the hub and it's depth/offset. I've seen a bunch of bike wheels built way wrong by the chopper wannabes. Generally these are 18" or 19" rear wheels converted to 16" using a Harley style or "universal" rim. Those rims were designed for a small diameter "spoolie" hub that had a separate bolt-on brake drum. By contrast, the bike being modified usually had a much larger diameter and wider hub incorporating the brake drum inside it. These usually end up with a weird bend in the spoke as it tries to accomodate the mismatched components. Not only does it look ****ty, but it doesn't take long for the spokes to start breaking from the unnatural stresses. Add to this the additional side loadings from automotive use, and you have a recipe for a lot of broken pieces, as well as a legitimate safety issue. I'm just sayin'......
Dayton can probably build you anything you want. Just open thy wallet and ask "How many wheels can we afford today?".
Splined hubs for wire wheels are a potential minefield. There are several different types and size of splines. Jag and Aston martin are 52mm J splines, MG Triumph are 42mm J splines. Some Italian wheels (and vintage Brit wheels) - Borrani for example use Rudge Whitworth for vintage wheels. Italians also use K splines for later wheels - knock off Campys for Ferrari and Lamborghini. The definitions K & J etc. refer to the shape of the spline - round cut top or square cut top. Then there are fine and co**** spline, 32 mm, 42mm 52mm and of course you get metric Borranis 400 series wheels from the 1950s as well. Ted Waibel at TAW Concepts is the go to guy for Borrani wheels www.tawvehicle.com and pretty knowledgeable about wire wheels in general. Good luck - it's a jungle out there!
i have knockoffs, and splined hubs for sale....cheap http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=325642
That is one of the reasons I bought a donor with knockoff wire wheels on it. I figured it would be less grief in the end.
I've had a few Brit rides with wire wheels, and they were all splined. My Excalibur (65) was the 12th one made, and was on a Stude frame (with disc brakes), but had a 327 sbc. The wire wheels had a delta-dental ring instead of splines. I had never seen that before, nor have I seen it since. I don't recall if I ever looked to see who manufactured the wheels - I would have to ***ume Dayton, but the mounting lockup was unusual. They were true KOs...came with a lead hammer too, but did not use the splines that are more typical of the Brit wires. Just commenting - I have no advice on trying to make 21" wire wheels using modern methods. dj
Okay, I'll throw this one out again- What about using motorcycle wheels or rims? The spokes could be replaced if they were too thin (then again, would the rim/hub be too thin as well?).
Photos of Vica Sala Jag Wheels on a T, if it helps. http://tomlaferriere.com/1926_Ford_model_T-Racer_compe***ion_sports_racer_vic_sale_for_sale.htm
ANY wheel or wheel part from a motorcycle has NO place on a car. Dangerous. The weight and design loads for a motorcycle are a lot different to a car
I suspect that it would be fine on a very light car, provided you use new, undrilled rims and have them drilled specifically for the spoke count, configuration, offset, etc. that the centre requires. My researches for the '31 A project have thus far revealed that MGB front wheel bearings will go onto '28-'48 Ford spindles: the inners will require collared sleeves to be made up but the outers will fit exactly. I have not had the opportunity to compare in the axial direction, if any spacers or such might be needed. I've got a good pair of MGB wires, tatty but the splines are good, and the plan is to have them laced to 18x5.5 rims (or 18x6 if I can find any).
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