MG-Cars.com
MG Midget and Sprite Technical considering going from wires to steel wheels BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net
MG-Cars.net
Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.
Recommendations
Parts
MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.
|
|
MG Midget and Sprite Technical - considering going from wires to steel wheels
| Hi, I'm getting fed up of cleaning the wires and putting up with clonks etc, I know that they look nice, but I am thinking of going back to bolt on wheels, maybe alloys or similar? What are the general views on wires? John  |
| John Collins |
| John. I have owned these cars for over 40 years as my primary driving cars. I have used the disc and the wire wheels, sometimes on cars which were otherwise identical. My last two "daily driver" MGBs, with wire wheels, were my 68GT and my daughter's 77B. I replaced the wire wheels using replacement rear axle assemblies and front hubs. Splendid change. Much better handling on the GT (which was being raced at the time of the change over. Slight handling improvement on the 77 which only sees road use. No more worries about loose spokes, broken spokes, and wear between the splines on the hubs and the wheels. The disc wheels are just a much better system for a road car. Les |
| Les Bengtson |
| wires are like blondes in that: they are the perfect accompaniment to a sports car they look just 'right' they are a little higher on maintenance they always turn heads they are more fragile than the alternative many people are put off by their reputation the rewards are worth the extra effort IMO, it HAS to be a personal decision |
| David Smith |
| I changed mine to Rostyles, partly because of the higher maintenance, but also as I didn't think they looked right ona round-wheelarch car. |
| Dave O'Neill 2 |
| Hi John, Yes, get rid of the wires as they are utterly crap and more trouble than they are are worth. Also, can I have first dibs on your 3-eared spinners.. Personally I rarely clean my car and clean its wire spoked wheels even less. I have to agree with David and add that you can of course get wider wires and wires standard or wider width that are designed to be tubeless. |
| Daniel Thirteen-Twelve |
| why not get some alloy wheels designed for the axle and then you can change back to the wires if the mood takes you or for the summer months. |
| Lee Reed |
| <<I have to agree with David and add that you can of course get wider wires and wires standard or wider width that are designed to be tubeless>> All well and good Daniel, but you disappoint us all by failing to link your point to Mr. Smith's excellent "blondes" analogy. 8^) |
| Steve Clark |
| MG considered wires an anchronism by the early 50s and brought out cars like the TD and MGA with steels wheels. I think the Minilite type alloy suits the midget well; and they are usually around 5" rim which fits a 165/70 nicely. You could always hang the wires on the garage wall so you can look at them ... which, after all, is what wires are about. A |
| Anthony Cutler |
| With a nice 'old' looking Midget in a great colour like yours I would maybe go with some of the original steel disc wheels in silver with the chrome hub caps. I think rostyles would look too naff and Minilites might be too modern looking. Maybe Mk1 Rostyles would look ok as well. |
| John Payne |
| John- I had wider rims welded onto a set of the old steel disc wheels so that I could run the old chrome-plated hubcaps and wider, more modern tires. The total cost, including shipping to and from, was about the same as a set of new Minilite-style wheels. With the antiquated bodystyling, the combination looks just right. |
| J Strange |
| chose what you want (alloy's, steel etc) but lose the wires!!!! the day i switched midgets(one on wire's one on minilites) was the first day my steering weel stoped wobeling but if it is just a show car than it does not mather but post war road cars go on solid wheels! |
| Onno Könemann |
<<I have to agree with David and add that you can of course get wider wires and wires standard or wider width that are designed to be tubeless>> All well and good Daniel, but you disappoint us all by failing to link your point to Mr. Smith's excellent "blondes" analogy. 8^) David of course has both a blonde and wires.......I won't comment on whether Mrs MG David is wider or tubeless because I like various bits of my anatomy where God or Darwin decided to put them.... ...but David is replacing wires with knock-on alloys. Alloys are mostly grey, sturdy and less delicate than the wires and draw whatever analogy you want from that yourselves :-) |
| M Tyler |
| Hi, thanks for all replies, after having a good look around stoneleigh and then realising that I've only done 1300 miles in the last year, I'm warming to the thought of keeping the wires after all, the clincher was Davids reply though as that was similar to my thinking in converting the car to wires in the first place! I guess I'll just have to clean them a bit more often, I guess its having cars with alloys that just need a quick wipe to keep them looking as new that has put me off a bit! Thanks John |
| John Collins |
| Do Lotus knock on steels fit sprites? |
| Shawn |
| John, dont you have kids who can do the cleaning for you? Thats the good thing about kids, they have to obay and you dont have to pay them! Works for my father, im 34 and im still cleaning his boat for him...for free! :) |
| Arie de Best |
| ~~Do Lotus knock on steels fit sprites?~~ if you mean Elan & Elan+2 wheels, no they don't. the size is about 4.5 or 5.5x13, but Chapman designed a unique peg drive system that didn't use the Rudge (sp?) spline. A colleague of mine thought that minilites were a factory option for midgets ;P Rob |
| robnrrugby |
| If your wires are fine and working well, keep them. From my perspective, to properly replace a set of wire wheels, you are likely to need new wheels and hubs. For that price you can get a very nice set of RO-Styles with tyres as well as a set of nice alloys with tyres. David "I have sworn a mighty oath never to buy another car on wires" Lieb |
| David Lieb |
| John has (so to speak) wheels coming out of everywhere, he wont need to worry about getting some more... I suppose you could make it an every morning task for the kids at school John, like we had to bing the milk crates to the class room and wipe the chalk dust off the blackboard, back in the good old days. Appoint a "wirewheel monitor" to have 4 teams of kids do a wheel each every Friday morning and give a gold star to the best team each week. Or fit those gorgeous gold and silver ones again... |
| Bill sdgpm |
| Arie, no children of my own (yet), but plenty in the class I teach at school, Bill is dead right there, but could I get away with putting wheel cleaning on the national curriculum! BTW, the gold wheels are earmarked for the k series, but I do have quite a rostyle mountain growing in the garden, even my trailers seem to be sporting them nowadays! looks like the wires are stying on this one then, John |
| John Collins |
| next track day can I scrounge a couple of your rostyles (rubber permitting) to wear out on the fast (very!!!) left-hander hairpin on the airfield? please very very please I knew the goldies were for the kseries, but.... I have known you for a while now and........ you know! |
| Bill sdgpm |
| Bill, you are welcome to a couple of rostyles, but they are only suitable for sitting a project on, all have persihed sidewalls etc, but ideal for getting a pair of cheap part worns fitted to! |
| John Collins |
| Bill I've still got these GT2s going begging. I almost brought them to Stoneleigh, but didn't get up early enough to go via the lock-up. |
| Dave O'Neill 2 |
| Bill do you need some Rostyles? I've got a garden load and some are eminently road useable, but I wouldn't comment on their road holding abilities. |
| M Tyler |
| Dave yes mate I would still love those GT2s please John thanks I'll have a couple then please M Tyler cheers, I think I'm sorted now thanks |
| Bill sdgpm |
| I like my wires. They look great. One knock off vs. 4 lugs is nice. They look right. That's worth a few minor headaches, IMHO. |
| J Van Dyke |
| I've driven >60,000 miles on the same used wire wheels. The splines are starting to show their age but I've had no issues with loosening spokes. If I get a "clonk" I tighten the knock-off and they go away for another 6-12 months. Mine are painted wires (not chrome) so maintenance is a lot less. Actually, I had them powder coated 9 years ago and they look even better. |
| Scott Linn |
| scot if you ever drive a steel/alloy wheeled midget you will feel the difference |
| Onno Könemann |
Perhaps. Wires *are* heavier. But it won't look as good... |
| Scott Linn |
This thread was discussed between 22/02/2009 and 25/02/2009
MG Midget and Sprite Technical index
This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.