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MG MGA - Wire Wheels

Are their only 2 wire wheel manufacturers? Dunlop and Dayton? I really would like to purchase one last set of wheels and never have to deal with it again. I was convinced that I would switch to a Superlight or Minilight knock offs to avoid broken spokes, spoke adjustment and tube tires and leaks. But at the last 3 car shows I have been at my heart brings me back to the Chrome/stainless 60 spoke wheel. Is it foolish to think I can buy either Dunlop or Dayton wire wheels put them on and and drive the MGA without worry? I never thought twice about my original wire wheels and I took a look at them last night and found 5 broken wires! My new engine will be far more powerful than the original the new 5 speed transmission will let it reach higher speeds, and I just dont want to feel like the wheels will be the weak link, or make an inferior ride . Those dam shiny spokes have got me mesmerized ( or is it just the fact that they are only found on old classic cars{and dirt bikes}
Chris Velardi

A new set of wheels, whether Dayton or Dunlop (manufactured by MWS) should provide many decades of service just as the originals did. When they too are 50 years old, they will probably suffer broken spokes as well. Let the next owner worry about that. :)

By the way, I'm running a set of Dayton 48-spoke "maintenance-free" wheels on my A, and I drive quite aggressively at times in our tight and twisty local canyons. They are holding up just fine. The Dunlops will look a bit more original, can't say about the quality difference since the only Dunlops I can compare them to are the 72-spoke version on my MGB.
Steve Simmons

Dayton wires have a different look from Dunlop wires?
Chris Velardi

New 49 spoke ww might be OK, but 60 spoke PANTED ww are the only way to go. Chrome ww on an MGA is really over-doing the simplicity of a truly great design.
David werblow

I have just bought a set of Dunlop Chrome 60 spoke wires complete with Vredenstein 155 r15 Tyres from SC parts here in the UK made by MWS they have stainless spokes and are tubeless, appreciate painted would be the way to go for originality but I like the polished look!! My old wheels had 5 broken spokes and although had not covered many miles on looking up all the paperwork that came with the car the wheels and tyres were some 18 years old!and had started to show some rust- Wanted some secrurity !
Paul
P D Camp

Been running Dayton 60 spoke tubless for 6 years of very aggresive driving. No wheel problems other than some corrosion around the nipples. I have it under control with silicone spray, but the car is outside all year around and driven in all kinds of weather. Hope to get several more years use. Once they start to leak or become too rusty I'll replace them.
Tom Baker

Just a comment for the unwary..this is from experience here in Australia anyway...the Dunlop wheels are made in India, and their chroming leaves a lot to be desired..the Dayton wheels are more heavily chromed, and that is why they are more expensive. I know someone who has had a set of Dunlops for only 4 years, and the wheels are rusting!
Gary Lock

Dunlop 72 spokes (chrome stainless steel) 5.5" (195x65x15 tyres) look good and are strong. Only 1 year's experience with them but they have had a flogging - hillclimbs, motorkhana, sprints, etc. (you can check for chrome stainless steel components with a magnet - non magnetic).
Regards
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

Daytons on the MK11. Chrome with 60 stainless spokes. Looks great.


R J Brown

Chris...forget about the Indian Dunlops...they are a quality gamble. I went throught the same process re selection earlier this year and chose Dayton 72 spoke 15 by 5 with chrome rims and ss spokes. Arrived well packed, well made and fitted without any adjustments or other problems ( then or since ). A little more expensive than the Indian competition but well worth it . I fitted Dunlop 300E 195/60R15 tyres and a front torsion/sway bar and the ride and the look were transformed.
Neil Ferguson


n ferguson

Another vote for the 60 or 72 spoke Dayton wheels with the stainless spokes. So far I've heard no reports of broken spokes with the stainless ones, don't have the brittleness that seems to follow the plain steel ones, especially ones that have been chromed. I personally like the look of a painted wheel and installed 72 spoke wires from a TR6 on my car. I've no hesitation about them holding up to the power from my 4 liter inline 6 engine when the time comes.
Bill Young

I have 60 spoke Dayton Chrome wheels from British Wire Wheel. The wheels are exceelent, after five years, I have yet to have a problem. As for the originality, the MGA came with either steel wheels or spoke wheels. If the car came with spoke wheels, then they were painted and either 48 or 60 spoke. While no MGA ever left the factory with chrome 60 spoke wheels, they sure do look good. BTW the 60 spoke painted wheels were considered compition wheels.

Jim
61 MGA MkI 1600

JP Jim

Mike, and others with 5” / 5.5” wide rims, can you get the tire to slide into the cut-out for the wheel in the front of the boot? If not what are you doing for a spare?
David werblow

I use a slimmer tyre for a spare....and for extra space in the boot
n ferguson

David,
I have one of my old 48 spoke 4" wheels as a spare (and another 4 spares in the garage!).

Neil,
What process did you use to select the Daytons over the Dunlops?
Visual examination of both products does not show any discernable difference. Neway Wheels (an institution in Melbourne for wire wheel repairs since 1950) recommend the Dunlops. I also know of a car that has used them in club competition for 5 years without problems. Nothing against the Daytons but believe the Dunlops are now a good product also. I suppose this debate will only be solved when our granchildren look back at them in 50 years as we do at the old 48 spokers!

Mike
Mike Ellsmore

72 spoke wheels fit the MGA ?
Chris Velardi

Yes Chris, they fit okay as long as you have the right hub type. Downside to 72 spokers are they are harder to clean - for normal driving 60 spokers are fine. My experience is 5.5" fit fine. Some people say 6" rub on the anti-roll (sway) bar and guards others say they are fine - depends on tyre profile, wheel offset and how hard you drive!
Regards
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

Chris....I also retained a original 48 spoke 15 by 4 wheel with a slimmer tyre for the boot.

Mike...to select between Dunlop and Dayton I did an online search for every blog/whinge page/ BBS worldwide and then read up on comments by users over the last 4 or 5 years and sorted them into a list ( from recollection list was chrome deterioration,spoke problems, need to adjust spokes before fitting,balance issues , after sales support,tubeless comments etc ). Did not keep the bumf but from recollection...
I remember I came across one very dissatified customer of Daytons ( in Uk I think ) who had spoke to rim problems and poor response from Dayton ..initially.. but there were a lot more issues with the Dunlops.
My conclusion at the end of the review was that you could get good Dunlops but they had a quality control issue so you were more likely to get Friday pm wheels off them than Dayton. Your comment re someone having 5yrs of good experience fits that and does not surprise me...and possibly Dunlop have now overcome the issues.
As a supplement and on a like for like spec ( ie chrome rims and ss spokes ) and after a short haggle the Oz agents for each quoted about the same price ,A$550 per wheel , so for me it was a no brainer...and the Dayton product as delivered has exceeded my expectations.
n ferguson

I've had 48 spoke Dayton wheels on my car since the restoration (2003) and have had no trouble with them, even with radial tires. I can detect a little flex on hard cornering, but have had nary a loose spoke in all that time. That said, I don't rally or race my car. If I did so I'd go with the 60 spoke wheels, as the factory recommended.

Now from engineering to aesthetics: The 48 spoke wheels are more attractive in that they give the car an airy, open look, almost defying gravity (like the TC does in spades), whereas the 60 spoke wheels are busy and heavy looking. They serve a purpose for a car that's driven hard, but if Syd Enever had thought they were stylish and appropriate for everyday driving, they'd have been standard equipment, and the MGA is such a masterpiece of design I'd hate to second guess his judgement.

And while we're on the topic of totally subjective styling opinions (ie, mine), I'd like to say a word against chrome wheels. :-) In my mind they have a "Hey! Look at me!" appearance to them that makes it hard to appreciate the styling of the car as a whole. They drown out the other styling points.

Totally subjective, yup.
David Breneman

I totally disagree with you on the subject of chrome wire wheels on an MGA, David. I love the look of chrome wires with wide white walls on these cars...but that's just my opinion.
Andy Bounsall

Another vote for painted wheels. Chrome is just too tarty and just not right for the "A". David Werblow --
I use the full size tyres (165R15 on 60 spoke wheels) and they will fit through the hole -- put the wheel into a large plastic bag and that way it will slide through the hole ok.
David
D C GRAHAME

Neil,
My selection was eventual made on width - Dunlops came in 5.5" while the Daytons were 5" or 6" (I was wary of 6" with a sway bar (not an issue with the Heritage version as I have now found out).
I got the Dunlops for $495 each where Daytons were $550 ea.
Regards
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

Mike...sounds a very good reason ! I was wary of 5.5 or above re issues of contact and overspill beyond body work ..but sounds like I was wrong.
...still I enjoy the TARTY look...I must be a basic impurist compared to some of the artistic souls who inhabit this thread.
..and I found the Heritage bar fitted beautifully and easily..I thought I was in for a monster task when I did mine ..but templates and access made the job very easy.
n ferguson

Neil,
I also like the Tarty look but I am not sure I could come at white wall tyres (tires) on an MGA! I fitted my Heritage sway bar this weekend - as you say was a straight forward job. I will post some pics on the job later in the week.
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

We have a set of 72 spoke Dunlop wires in silver paint finish. I love the look of the 72 spokes as they look a lot more solid that the original 48. Have had no problems over the last 3 years with may mountain road drives.


DJ Lake

If you were to place a Dunlop 60 spoke and a Dayton 60 spoke side by side could you tell the difference?
Chris Velardi

Hello,

There is this Cie with nice wheels but more for american car or bolt-on type or their knock-off system. Not a wire wheel replacement for originals Dunlop.

Cheers,

Jean G.

http://www.roadsterwirewheel.com/zenith.html
Jean Guy Catford

Agree - 48 spoke, no. Too weak.

Dunlop recent quality - spotty recently.

Dayton quality - excellent.

Best size for an MGA - probably 5" but 5.5 fits.

Chrome - matter of taste.

Spare - use original wheel (found that out when running MGB competition 14 x 5.5" wires on a TR3 - rims that wide don't fit in the spare compartment!)

Used alternatives - MGC - 5", TR-6 - 5.5" but watch condition of splines.

I actually run neither 48, 60 nor 72, but rather 70 spoke triple laced AC Cobra wheels on one of my cars.
Bill Spohn

Just a note, 60 spokes allows you to get your fingers behind the spokes to polish with just but a few bruised knuckles. The 70 spoke you a relying on just spraying them down to clean them, so as grease builds up they become very difficult to clean.
WMR Bill

WMR Bill, How did you fair on your recent broken spoke?
James Johanski

Hey Jim! Well they, (Dayton), repaired two of them and replaced the other two. On the repaired ones I had another broken spoke occur. The New ones have had no problems. Dayton has been really good with me on dealing with it, but the cost of removing and re-mounting tires has gotten old and exspensive. I'm going to settle with the one broken spoke and hope it stops there. It was determined that the wrong "angled" spokes were used in the production of my rims. I have a feeling on the repaired ones they replaced only the broken spokes and not all of them. I still luv the rims and feel there product is of great quality and I will still purchase new ones for my TR3 restoration. I enclosed an old pic so that others no what we are talking about.


WMR Bill

WMR Bill, have you tried changing your own tyres? It's easy on a 15" rim. I just removed and replaced all four of mine so that I could re-spray the wheels; armed with just a pair of tyre levers. Both operations took under an hour for all four. Just in case you've never tried it!
Lindsay.
Lindsay Sampford

Yes, I concidered it but I wouldneed them balanced as well
WMR Bill

I guess I'm not a purist either, but for me, 60 spoke Dayton chromes are the way to go - i got tired of broken spokes on the 48's, and painted spokes seem to corrode at the hubs and then break. Dayton chromes use stainless spokes, so no problems with corrosion there. Daytons are better than Dunlops, superior chrome, truer, and made in the US, not in India.
J.A. Rapson

Bill, Thanks for the update.
James Johanski

If any one comes across a good sale on 60 spoke chrome Dayton's Post it here.
Chris Velardi

I have been using TR6 wire wheels on my A since 1969. They are 72 spoke, 6" wide and fit well. I replaced them a couple of years ago with the Daytons, and have been pleased. I did "treat" my A to a set of chrome wheels, I like the look.They are on in the picture to the left. I use a 4" long bristle paint brush to clean them, blow them dry with compressed air. The painted wheels looked great too. BTW, I have the old set of TR6 wheels sitting around in my garage. No broken spokes, hubs are fair, they are noticeably out of round and need trueing if anyone is interested.
Russ
Russ Carnes

I see in Anders Clausager's book Original MGA that there was a factory - fitted racing and competition equipment 60 spoke wire wheel with aluminum rims . Anyone have these ? The aluminum rim have different look with a substantial rim shoulder. A nice solid looking wheel. A set of these would solve my search for the perfect MGA wheels
Chris Velardi

This thread was discussed between 13/08/2009 and 07/09/2009

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