Morris Minor Owners Club

Just a word of caution if you are planning to turn your own botls. OEM botls are made from carfully selected steels. So you cant go using anything. They are also forged, this gives them considerable work hardning, that a turned bolt wont have. I think there is more to the design of botl/nut than meets the eye. As an alternative I would consider using an aviable wheel stud or bolt without modifying it, and modify the hub.

Many things still been to be considered, as already been pointed out the taper angle on the underside of the head, determines the angle of contact to the wheel. NB the surface on the wheel that this mates with is often not conical as it appears to the eye, but more a toroid. It will allow for some variantion in the above mentioned angle.

If you couldnt picture that, then imagine a the crosssection through a wheel stud hole looks like this ) ( not \ /.

If you note above - I was careful to state what I would do in this situation - it's up to others to do as they feel best.

Goodness!

I am a bit overwhelmed at the responses. I hope I get to know more so I can be of help rather than on the receiving end...

I'm considering all of these options.

Going out to jack up the car [stopped raining] and have a good look at all the wheels etc to find out what I've got and the condition.

Buy a torque wrench [Rob Thomasson wrote '....about 50 lbs on the end of the spanner!' ] and after tightening, check for any 'play'.....

Then back to here....

BIG THANKS!!!

This may be a long shot and completely wrong but are you using the correct size socket?
If you have a wrongly sized socket that "nearly" fits you may be thinking that it is the bolt head that is wrong. Perhaps you could get advice on here for the correct socket you need to be using then if that doesnt solve the problem then it is time to look at the more radical options.
Good luck
Dave

246gts wrote:This may be a long shot and completely wrong but are you using the correct size socket?
If you have a wrongly sized socket that "nearly" fits you may be thinking that it is the bolt head that is wrong. Perhaps you could get advice on here for the correct socket you need to be using then if that doesnt solve the problem then it is time to look at the more radical options.
Good luck
Dave

Don't worry, I appreciate even long shots

Some of the bolts look like they are about to disappear through the holes in the wheels. The holes don't 'look' worn. That's the only reason I thought the heads were too small.

Ta.

PS Just to double check, what is the right size socket?

3/8's" whitworth, almost exactly the same as 18 mm.

alex_holden wrote:I have a couple of lathes and would be willing to turn a new taper on the bolts if they needed it, except the legal issues of doing work like this worry me a little. Could I be sued if a wheel subsequently broke off and caused an accident? The situation in the US is getting crazy - people being dragged into court for the most tenuous of reasons, and it's heading that way here too. I'm sure garages must have some kind of professional indemnity insurance to cover that possibility, but I'm just an enthusiastic amateur.

Just wanted to say many thanks for the offer. And, should I accept such an offer I'd like to be businesslike about it. Pay for work and sign anything that would be fair and necessary. I understand the concerns and hope it doesn't stop us helping eachother eh?

minor_hickup wrote:3/8's" whitworth, almost exactly the same as 18 mm.

Same this end

Squiggle wrote:Just wanted to say many thanks for the offer. And, should I accept such an offer I'd like to be businesslike about it. Pay for work and sign anything that would be fair and necessary. I understand the concerns and hope it doesn't stop us helping eachother eh?

Understood. Drop me an email if you need me to do any machining for you.

I have had 2 or 3 rear wheel studs snap on my 1960 convertible. Hence, my requests for assistance earlier in the year. Advice received was helpful.

Anyway, one broke when I was tightening a wheel nut - just at the end of a brake service - very annoying. The rubbish garage I took my car for its MoT also broke one or two - not sure if they were using air or hand wrench.

I suspected abuse by previous owners, as I bought the car with no history. I thought someone might have fitted the car with some wide heavy wheels (ie wide steels rims) to my car at some point. OR do they just break with old age and wear ?

OR do they just break with old age and wear ?

Fortunately its not a common occurance.

It is for me, as I've said before

It is for me, as I've said before

I meant the cars Andrew