5 1.2" Wide Wheels to fit a Minor.

Post by **wanderinstar** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:42 pm

As we all know it is rather difficult to get wide wheels to fit a Minor. So why not make your own. I hear gasps of horror from certain quarters. But if done properly I see no problems.
One of our American members put the thought in my head. Find a suitable wide ( well to us with 3" wide wheels) wheel. Remove the original centre and fit a Minor centre into the rim. At first I wondered about Cambridge/Oxford wheels but they are only 4 1/2" wide. Then someone said use a Transit rim, but that was VERY heavy. Then BMC said that he had tried a Vauxhall wheel that he thought was Cavalier. Bingo.
After a trip to the local scrapyard I bought 4- R reg Cavalier 5 1/2"x 14 wheels complete with 185/70 tyres. I also bought 1 Minor wheel, as I didn't want to butcher mine if it didn't work. So this is what I started with.

I then, with a 4 1/2"grinder removed the centre from the Vauxhall wheel and, if you get a Minor wheel with rivets in, Grind the rivet heads off in the wheel well. Then punch the rivets through to free the Minor centre. You may have to cut the rim through to release the centre.

You will then find with a bit of light, and I mean light, cleaning up. ( dont want to remove any metal fron edge of Minor wheel or centre of Vauxhall rim) that they fit together like this.

Then all you have to do is find some reputable company to weld the 2 together. I found one that used to put bands in Land Rover wheels some years ago. When doing this you will find that you have to reverse the rim, so the valve hole is at the back. When your welding firm is welding the two together they can weld up this hole and drill a new one in the front. You then end up with this.

.

Then as someone has pointed out you should get them crack tested and x rayed. Then I took mine and got them shot blasted and primed. At the moment I am in the process of painting them. Will take some more pictures at the weekend

Post by **bigginger** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:17 pm

Looking good - well done

Post by **alanworland** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:35 pm

Damned fine work wanderinstar! I like the approach to the problem, and a million times better than 'banding' How did you ensure that the rim didn't runout axially?
The centre could be bolted to a hub and the rim tack welded to the centre to ensure that it ran true I suppose?

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:41 pm

Well done Ian - looks just like the one I made up a few years ago , but I haven't had the courage to have it welded up! That welding looks spot-on, and I'm pleased to see it's on the inside and the outside of the webs. I assume they run true when 'spun up' on a front hub ?

Post by **Kevin** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:42 pm

I think the 5J ones from Minor developments are made in a similar fashion but I dont know what the other rims are from.
I know its a bit late to say this now Ian but I assume you checked the offset is enough to clear the top trunnions.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:44 pm

I certainly tried mine on the car (even though not welded) and it cleared ok.

Post by **downsey** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 2:08 am

I did this a few years back using mg b outer rims, turned out good. Running reverse rims also.

Post by **wanderinstar** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:33 am

To ensure they were true They were were welded on a 12" thick cast iron table with a machined spacer underneath the wheel centre.
Take the plunge Roy and get it welded up. It will obviously cost you. I could have got mechanic at work to do it but thought it prudent to get it done professionally.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:56 pm

I have a perfectly good arc welding set Ian, and a packet of rods - and I'm an Engineer! What can possibly go wrong ?

Post by **Kevin** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 3:47 pm

I have a perfectly good arc welding set Ian, and a packet of rods - and I'm an Engineer! What can possibly go wrong ?

Must be a good workshop if you have

a 12" thick cast iron table with a machined spacer underneath the wheel centre.

I wonder if the problem is

Take the plunge Roy and get it welded up. It will obviously cost you.

No offence intended as my dear old Dad was a Scot.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:25 pm

I was being sarcastic Kevin - the problem is exactly lack of machined spacer etc (although I do have a block of wood I was using!) . Also rather amatuerish welding skills!

Post by **rayofleamington** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:39 pm

and I'm an Engineer!

maybe that's the problem!
You'd be better off getting a decent technician to do it (i.e. someone who wears overalls, - an engineer in his work suit is likely to worry about getting welding spatter on his tie)

For those who are confused by that:- It's just a general gripe about the miss-use and abuse of the term 'engineer' to mean someone who turns spanners etc... Rather than those with proffessional engineering qualifications.

When people ask me if me being 'an engineer' means I fix cars I ask them if a supermarket checkout girl is an accountant

As a general rule - most mechanical engineers would not not how to fix your car, or service a boiler but should be able to describe the process of doing FEA, describe metal grain structures and other such dull tasks...

Post by **jonathon** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:48 pm

Maybe 'engineers' should be taught how to put their technical skills into practice.
I do question the logic raised above as I know many highly qualified engineers who are very competant at practical implementation.
Or are you being sarcastic like BM

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:51 pm

Fortunately Ray - I wear both hats - and I haven't worn a tie in years (except strangely sometimes when Firing steam engines!) - but I can do the manual tasks and the 'dull' parts too! I own many sets of overalls - and no 'business' suits, except boiler suits of course!

Post by **jonathon** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:54 pm

Wot... no Marigolds

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:58 pm

They would MELT J! Hands get roasted as it is through the work gloves.

Post by **rayofleamington** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:04 pm

I do question the logic raised above as I know many highly qualified engineers who are very competant at practical implementation.

that's probably because of the line of work you are in - An engineer with a passion for classic cars is likely to pick up techical skills, and an engineer working at a jobbing machinist unit probably needed practical skills to get the job!

If you sat in an office with dozens (or hundreds) of engineers you'd be amazed how rubbish loads of them are when it comes to anything practical! It scares me how useless they can be.

Maybe 'engineers' should be taught how to put their technical skills into practice.

As our technicians at work like to say "there's a role for everyone". We have highly skilled machining technicians and vehicle maintenance technicians at work - they don't like engineers thinking that they can do technicians jobs. They also get upset when their equipment gets used (abused) behind their backs. Technicians require skills and these skills need to start with training then experience. Engineers need a different set of skills and experience - there's plenty of room for overlap depending on aptitude, but aptitude is a bit like common sense - it can be rare.

Post by **les** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:29 pm

When did all this happen, I thought engineers made things and technicians were more technical! Maybe it's an ego thing.

Post by **Kevin** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:39 am

When did all this happen,

Good point Les when I was in toolmaking I was classified as an engineer and the few technitians we had worked in the experimental dept, but that was a long time ago..............................................

Post by **rayofleamington** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:06 pm

When did all this happen, I thought engineers made things and technicians were more technical!

maybe it hasn't 'happened' maybe it's always been a problem here? When you work in other countries you realise that they manage to differentiate between the roles (and use the term engineer to mean someone with higher qualifications - higher as used by education, not 'better than yours')

When I was on my apprenticeship, the toolroom machinsits were called 'toolroom machinists' , machne setters were called machine setters and so on.

anyway - I've expressed my opinion more than enough so will shut up now ;-)