This ensures that the knock-offs won’t loosen themselves while traveling forward. The left-side hubs have a right-hand thread pattern, while the right-side hubs use the reverse, left-hand thread pattern. Note that different hubs are used for each side of the car. Damaged hubs and/or axles should be replaced as there is no cost-effective way to repair them. These hubs are pretty beefy, but the splines do wear, and occasionally the knock-off threads get damaged. Cars with pressed-on hubs are notorious for suffering bent, twisted or broken axles Spridgets-especially those with worn differential assemblies-seem particularly susceptible to the problem.Įverything revolves around the hub, which has four basic components: the mounting area, the tapered seat that locates the wheel, the splines and the threads for the knock-off. The center of the wheel sits on the splines and is held in place by a large nut, commonly called a knock-off.įront hubs usually bolt to the front brake drum or disc, while rear hubs can be bolted or pressed onto the rear axle. The axle hub actually holds the wheel to the car the piece is splined and threaded to accept the wheel hub and the knock-off.

Most of the action takes place around the hub. Each component requires its own special attention, but, fortunately, most enthusiasts can tackle the necessary tasks at home. Wire wheels are actually a system of sorts, containing the axle hub, the wheel hub, the spokes, the rim and the knock-off nut. Becoming familiar with the different components can help you understand these creatures. Properly installed and maintained, wire wheels can provide your car with great looks and performance. New pinch nuts should be used if hubs are replaced. On some cars, like big Healeys and Triumphs, the hubs bolt on at the lug nuts and are easy to replace. In another worse case, the wheel will keep spinning on the brakes, and the car won’t stop. In one worse case, the hub will spin the knock-off loose, and the wheel will come off. In the best case, this will happen on a rear wheel, and the car won’t accelerate properly. The wear on the wheel’s hub will wear the axle’s hub, which will further wear the wheel’s hub, creating a vicious circle that eventually allows the axle’s hub to spin within the wheel-a very dangerous situation. The splines in the hub wear, especially if the wheel is not tight enough (which it rarely is). The single largest issue with wire wheels, however, is the condition of the splined hub. Finally, they are more expensive than their steel disk counterparts.īeyond maintenance, there are other issues, like broken spokes. Wire wheels get dirty and can be hard to clean. The wheels themselves must be trued to eliminate wobble, known as runout. Spokes need to be tightened periodically. Their “knock-offs,” the big nut that fastens the wheel to the car’s hub, must be kept tight. Wire wheels require maintenance, and lots of it.

Of course, these pluses are offset with some inherent minuses. Non-racers sought them out because they provided an elegant enhancement to any car’s looks. Usually laced with 48, 60 or 72 spokes, these wheels offered a performance boost as well as visual punch.īack before the advent of today’s “mag-style” wheels, racers chose wire wheels for two reasons: They were lighter than the available disk steel wheels, and the single knock-off nut made for fast tire changes. One of the things that distinguished the classic British sports cars from many of their contemporaries was their striking wire wheels.

Dayton wire wheels