Front wheels

[StewbieC]

I finally decided to check what I thought was wheel bearing play. It turns out that it isn't the wheel bearings as they are fine and dandy, the play is the MWS Stainless wires on Gerry's supplied hubs!!

Before you pass any comments the spinners are on tight and the rears are fine (fitted to MGB standard wire hubs that I sourced myself).

Before I investigate further has anyone any suggestions??

Cheers

[clive]

Is the play due to slack spokes or the splines on the hub?
If you put the front wheels on the back is the play still there, or is there still play on the front hubs?

[Roger King]

Isn't the front hub standard MGB? May be wrong...

[allan horsfall]

Rogers right, whichever back axle your using, front should be standard MGB, and rears would be either standard MGB or Gerry's hubs for Jag axle, which has same splines as MGB?

[allan horsfall]

As an afterthought, is anything stopping the wheels from locating fully?

[Roger King]

As an afterthought, is anything stopping the wheels from locating fully?

Unlikely on the front... but the rears are presumably held on with studs and nuts, which could interfere if too long. Can't remember - could the front hub-to-disc retaining bolts be affecting the seating of the wheel? Bolt-heads to the outside, yes, Stewie?
Machining tolerances? Although wire wheels are often very loose-feeling until the spinner is tightened. They have to move a bit - the spinner is not just a retaining nut, its inside face is a bearing/locating surface.

Hang on, so the wheel's actually loose on the splines, with the spinner done up tight? You can move it with respect to the tightened spinner? Definitely not right, so I'd suggest (as Allan has implied) the spinner's not going on far enough. Try all the wheels on the front, but I'll bet they're the same. My money (excluding the disc bolts being in the way) is on the splined hub being slightly too long and the spinner bottoming out before it's tight.
Clean up the inner cone on the hub and the cone in the wheel, smear a thin layer of engineer's blue (felt tip pen might work) on them and tighten the wheel. Take it off, and that should show if the contact area looks pretty much right. If it does, then I think your threads are too long... can you get any axial movement along the splines with the wheel 'tight'? How many turns are you getting on the spinners at the front? Next, I'd be measuring very carefully and experimenting with an angle grinder...
Oh yes, please note, I do NOT recommend this course of action

[StewbieC]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the info. My set up is standard MGB.
Without any investigation I am assuming that the thread on the hubs is a tad too long. I didn't want to stick them in the lathe just yet. I was sort of hoping that someone else would pop up and say "Oh yes I had that problem and it was this...."
Before I do anything too drastic I'll have another look and may even pop to an MGB bits supplier and measure their hubs. The rears are rock solid hence the reason why I think it may be the hubs. It's not the spokes, it's definitely the wheel rocking on the hub. I've got a spare set of wires ( from Neil Herridge) so will easily be able to rule out wheel problems.
I'll report back ... when I've finished putting a ruck of post and rail fencing in!! (I can't complain at least I was allowed to buy the Land Rover too!)

[Roger King]

.....I didn't want to stick them in the lathe just yet....

Oooooo! Get you, with your lathe! Angle grinder not good enough, then? When I were a lad we had to use t'nail file...

Just check first the front disc to hub nuts and bolts. I can't remember how close they get, and (sniff) currently I don't have a car here I can check against...

[StewbieC]

Well it's sorted, kind of a false alarm. I took all the spinners off to compare and the threads were proud by just shy of 8mm. I made sure that the threads and mating faces were smeared with copper slip and tightened the spinners back up and managed to tighten the front spinners by an extra 1/2 turn (without any real effort) and the wheels are now tight. So I reckon that it was just the mating faces binding up a bit.
Anyway thanks for the info and guidance guys!

[Old Boy Racer]

So you mean you bought yourself a larger hammer then

Cheers

Robin