knockoff wheels coming loose!

[rcombs]

I took my SE on its maiden voyage and discovered that some of the wheels started to come loose. I had a hammer with me so I tighten them, but the left rear is coming loose in just a few miles. These are the original wheels and spinners that have been repainted and rechromed, not alloys. I tightened the wheels using a 2x4 on the ears and a 1lb ball peen hammer. Any thoughts about what to look at, hub?, wheel?

Thanks,
Rick

[mbell]

Make sure:
- Hubs on the right side
- threads are clean and not lubricated
- spinners aren't bottoming out on the thread
- wheel is sitted correctly

[oldelanman]

The specified torque for the spinner is 200 lb/ft
A lead mallet was supplied in the original tool kit and your 1lb hammer is probably just not heavy enough for the job.

[rcombs]

The hubs are as follows: right hand thread on right side, left hand thread on left side of car. The threads are dry. I have the lead hammer and it feels no heavier than the ball peen I have, but I may give it a try. I am going to take the wheels off and take a look at them and the hubs.

Thanks,

Rick

[awatkins]

You might find this video useful:
https://youtu.be/X8kCWG3d1Cc

[powellsmail]

Mine used to do that until I invested in a custom socket and a big bar to tighten them up. Not a problem any more but I still do a quick check every now and then to check they are tight. From memory it’s about 200 ft lbs of torque needed so maybe you just haven’t got the spinner tight enough. The one that was the main culprit was rear left. I have swapped my original wheels for minilites and thought that may be part of my problem.

[7skypilot]

KO wheels need a good thumping, or a tool (like Sarto's) that allows the spinner to be torqued.

Minilites - beware! The supplied stainless steel collars can be too thick and prevent the wheel from being tight on the hub even though the spinners are correctly torqued. This applied, in my case, only to the rear wheels and witness marks of the collar on the rear hub 'webbing' gave the game away. I've reduced the thickness of all collars to ensure the wheel, and not the collar, is tight on the hub. Now the Minilites stay tight as intended!

[TBG]

Minilites? Wheels of the devil..............................

[StressCraxx]

Hello Rick,

Some great advice already. Since you are on the original steel wheels I suggest you inspect them carefully to make sure the peg drive holes are round and have not elongated. Elongated holes will allow the wheel to work forward/aft and back off the K/O nut.

200 lbs/ft is the recommended torque with no lubricants. A one pound ball peen is not enough, the 2x4 absorbs too much kinetic energy. If you don't have one of the spinner tools and a torque wrench, the only alternative you have is the lead hammer. Tighten them until they no longer move when you hit the ears hard.

[rcombs]

Sounds like I need to inspect the wheels and buy the tool to torque them down.
Thanks for the info everyone. Very helpful as always.

Rick

[saildrive2001]

Just a note that the torque wrench you get needs to be able to work in both directions.

[h20hamelan]

If you prefer the cool (ish) look of the eared spinner, then buy the torque wrench adapter.
The 8 sidded nut requires a 8 sidded nut socket, available from many sources.

Most torque wrenches are opposible. All one needs to do is switch the head, et voila. L or R torques.

[powellsmail]

You don’t need to buy a torque wrench if you don’t want the expense. A long “breakers bar” with appropriate socket and a bit of maths will do the trick. For example in my case I weigh about 200 lbs so have marked out 12 inches along my breakers bar and lean all my weight on the bar at around 12 inches out. As it happens I also have a torque wrench so have checked it and it’s ok.

[denicholls2]

No, you don't need a torque wrench, but you do need enough torque. I had a Volkswagen Beetle in my college days and the rear axle nut torqued to 220 foot pounds. Breaking it loose took a Craftsman breaker bar (mine still has the bend in it), a four-foot long 2" aluminum pipe over it, and a fair tug from the arm resting on the assembly. The bar bent but did not keep bending once the top and bottom were both in contact with the pipe.

Reassembly was easy. Apply force until the nut stops turning, as stated above for the mallet method. There is a clear point when all of the slop is used up and nut and shaft become one for all meaningful purposes. When you get there, you don't need any more.

Parts designed to torque to 200 foot pounds are highly unlikely to strip or fail at, say, 225. Removing the nut probably took close to 250, which shouldn't be the case for KO's which I hope aren't rusted on. So you have plenty of margin for error when the pipe stops moving. The long lever arm also magnifies the arc so you can see this better. Everything happens in about one inch of arc at four feet from snug to tight.

[Andy8421]

You might find this video useful:
https://youtu.be/X8kCWG3d1Cc

It is absolutely key that you have the hubs on the correct side. Half the world gets this wrong. Lotus aren't immune, they published a guide to the 26R wheel which is generally considered to be wrong, and the Cobra video linked to above appears to be incorrect (Hallibrand wheels have the same taper arrangement as the Elan and need to be tightened up the same way).

The thread here explains the problem.

https://lotuselan.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=46552

If your car has ever been rebuilt, you shouldn't assume the hubs are correct - they will fit on both sides. The easy way to remember (sitting in the driving seat) is that the right hand thread goes on the right hand side of the car. This is the opposite way to pretty much every other knock on wheel (Jag, Aston, MG etc) and restoration shops that work on multiple marques assume that all knock ons are the same, and put them on the wrong side for the Elan.