Bent steel wheels.

[Brock]

Has anyone any experience straightening bent steel bolt-on wheels?

I have spoken to the closest wheel-straightener, and he thinks he can get them serviceable. He said that bending stretches the steel and he can't shrink it back, so he'll bend away with his hydraulic jig.

A couple of mine are out a fat 1/8th both radially and laterally... enough to shimmy. Problem is, he wants CAD$175 per wheel. I have asked my lawyer if he can do better. This is presuming that he understands the concept of lug concentricity -- and none of my local tire shops do! They all insist on balancing such mounted wheels via the centre bore -- and they don't even have the tooling to chuck up the things via the lug holes (too small). Those of you who live where Western Civilization reached a reasonable plateau are very lucky. I'll probably do it myself.

I would look for two or three straight wheels, but lol. I have Panasports that I would rather sell than use.

As an aside... What do your locals charge to mount and balance a set of wheels? I think I'm at about $130 or $140 plus tax.... £81 or US$106. I just had five tires dismounted and it cost $56. It took 4 minutes.

[ericbushby]

I straightened a steel knock off wheel. It had a wobble of about 100 thou. but was OK radially.
The required run out is less that 50 thou.
I was concerned about distorting the wheel centre and wanted to move it a little but still remain flat.
I first made a clamp of two 20mm thick rings which were bolted through the peg holes to hold the centre flat.. One had a rounded nose to fit snugly in the wheel.
Then I could use a press to straighten it.
We used a radial arm drill with a dial clock in the chuck for measuring the progress and pressed it with the lever system as shown. That is the biggest Allen key I have ever seen, about 20mm.
very little movement was required as it is amplified at the rim.
I would not how to tackle a radial error, that would be more difficult.
Eric in Burnley
1967 S3SE DHC
I am having trouble uploading pictures. File too big. I will try again soon

[ericbushby]

Sorry folks, I cannot upload the photos and yet I think I have done so before when the same topic came up.
It was a steel arm pressing down on one side of the clamp ring. The other end of the bar on a spacer at the same height as the wheel and a large Allen screw applying force part way along. A dial gauge in the drill chuck is measuring the deflection.
I do not know how to simplify the photos in order to show them here. If anyone really wants to see them then PM me with an email address and I will send them that way.
Eric

[tonyabacus]

Eric
Do you know if the pics are in the jpg format, if not which format are they in?

Alternative if a series of pictures you could send one at a time
Tony

[tonyabacus]

Brock
When you say the rims are out radially, where are you taking the measurement, is it on the edge of the rim or is it on the bead where the tyre sits. If the former it may be that the rim has been hit at some time and possibly straightened, so its worth checking radially at the bead on the inside of the wheel where it is less likely to have been distorted.

[ericbushby]

Hi Tony,
Thanks for your offer of help. We may have sorted it. I have emailed the pictures to Brock, the original poster who will put them on here. ( if it works)
They are jpg. I know that because it says so on the image. Unfortunately I do not know a jpg from an MGB. I tried sending just one picture but the forum still would not play with me.
The main reason that I have difficulties is because I am not good enough.
Cheers
Eric

[Brock]

Ta da! (Great idea!)

[Brock]

And....

[ericbushby]

Thanks Brock, that`s brilliant. I'n it good when you find someone who can sort it. The reasons for attempting to straighten that wheel were that I prefer original steel wheels, there were no new ones available at the time and every one said it couldn`t be done.
Eric

[tonyabacus]

Hi Eric
We are all good at something so they say and looking at the photographs that Brock has put up, you are pretty good at figuring out a solution to some of these niggling problems. It makes a big difference of course if you have access to the right equipment and machines for producing bits and pieces, but you still need to be able to work out how a job can be done, so there will be a number of members grateful for your input on this one.

Brock, hope the pictures enable you to sort out your problem. There are as you know firms that will do that sort of thing, but many of them know how to charge for it. I don't suppose you are close enough to Eric to get him to sort it.
Tony

[ericbushby]

Hi Tony,
I`m sure we all hope that any suggestion we put on this forum might be useful to other readers and not just the person who asked the question.
None of the kit shown in the photos is mine.
The rings were cut out by a nearby laser cutting firm. If I am on the scrounge for some help I find it is useful to take the car and show them the problem. It is amazing how much people like to help when they feel involved. Also always go back with the results afterwards. Two bottles of beer helps things along as well.
I cleaned up the rings on my own lathe.
The press assembly was set up in a local machine shop late at night on the back shift when the boss wasn`t there.
It helps living in a light engineering and manufacturing town.
I did have to buy some screws though.
I would like to help Brock, but according to Google it is 7,147 km from Burnley to Oliver BC, so I might not be home for teatime.
Cheers
Eric in Burnley

[tonyabacus]

Eric,
It has and always will be a problem trying to get small jobs done by some commercial outfits, but as you demonstrate a little bit of lateral thinking, a couple of beers and its surprising how many people out there are willing to help, especially if the boss is not around. Still, passing on suggestions and answers to the problems we inherit is a major benefit from any of the forums, so long as people take them in the spirit with which they are intended.

Let's hope Brock has managed to benefit from yours and others suggestions and now has the problem sorted.

I had not picked up where Brock was located but enjoy the long flight of fancy anyway!

Tony

[nomad]

Has anyone any experience straightening bent steel bolt-on wheels?

I have spoken to the closest wheel-straightener, and he thinks he can get them serviceable. He said that bending stretches the steel and he can't shrink it back, so he'll bend away with his hydraulic jig.

A couple of mine are out a fat 1/8th both radially and laterally... enough to shimmy. Problem is, he wants CAD$175 per wheel. I have asked my lawyer if he can do better. This is presuming that he understands the concept of lug concentricity -- and none of my local tire shops do! They all insist on balancing such mounted wheels via the centre bore -- and they don't even have the tooling to chuck up the things via the lug holes (too small). Those of you who live where Western Civilization reached a reasonable plateau are very lucky. I'll probably do it myself.

I would look for two or three straight wheels, but lol. I have Panasports that I would rather sell than use.

As an aside... What do your locals charge to mount and balance a set of wheels? I think I'm at about $130 or $140 plus tax.... £81 or US$106. I just had five tires dismounted and it cost $56. It took 4 minutes.

That is ridiculous! Here on the farm I have always done my own tire work. These people need some competition or you need to start doing it yourself.

Kurt