Care & Feeding of Knock-Off / On wheels

[Mike Drew]

Resurrecting a long-dead thread. :dead:

For the definitive answer to which direction knock-offs are oriented on GT40s (forget about other cars), take a look at this video:

LeMans1966.flv video by hard11 - Photobucket

The timer counts off backwards; when the video gets to exactly 2:00 remaining, a pit stop is shown. It can clearly be seen that the crewmembers strike the spinners in the forward direction to loosen them, and towards the rear of the car to tighten.

You put the wheels BACK ON, that's how to remember it easily.

The wheel-whacker tool pictured in Tim's thread above is apparently no longer available (the link is dead), but I found a very reasonably priced alternative:

Speedway Nut Smacker Knock-Off Tool

Unfortunately it's set up for 3" six-sided hex nuts, not tri-eared spinners. My plan is to get a hunk of aluminum (or perhaps delrin?) and have an insert made which will have a six-sided end (mimicking the nut), a round plate and three slots to engage the wheel spinners.

Alternately, I could perhaps make cutouts on three of the six sides of the hex, but I'm not wild about steel engaging the aluminum spinners.

I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[Al Jones]

You could always make 'soft' edges on the tool and then use the dip style rubberized coating that you apply to wrench handles. Might need to be re-done once in a while,but cheap.

 

[Mike Drew]

You could always make 'soft' edges on the tool and then use the dip style rubberized coating that you apply to wrench handles. Might need to be re-done once in a while,but cheap.

I'm looking for something a bit more elegant, and that solution is a little cheesy. Plus, if I just notch the hex nut on the end of the tool, the interface between the tool and the spinner will be incredibly small. I'm thinking aluminum or delrin plate with slots machined in it to perfectly fit the spinner ears will be a much better solution. :thumbsup:

 

[Iain]

My Mantra is FOREWORD = OFF and as Dean said backwards = ON forget the left hand side / right hand side nonsense FOREWORD = OFF

9 Years of racing and I have never had a spinner come loose, use a lead hammer or a lead shot filled mallett, you can hear when it is tight enough, the noise changes from a dull lifeless thud to a sort of low frequenct ping ! Our racing season here in Australia is during our winter which delivers a continually changing weather pattern on a good week end I might change from drys to wets and back again up to 10 times in a week end so wiring the spinners in place is not really practical. Initially I was paranoid about them coming loose, this quickly changed to caution about overtightening when cold, the heat in the hub makes the whole assembly lock up, the next time I am in the workshop I will take a picture of one of the spinners to illustrate my point. For road use there is no reason not to wire them in place.

Iain

Iain

 

[Randy V]

Here's a VERY NICE solution to the tool needed for spinners by our own EGLITOM (Tom Schwab)

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/vendor-m...ents/26889-rcr-europe-parts-spinner-tool.html

 

[Chris Williams]

Maybe should start a new thread but...............

I want to torque my Vintage Wheels Halibrands to around 450 ft/lbs.

I have the tri-spinner tool.

I do not have a torque wrench to do the job. They are crazy prices.

If I wanted to construct a suitable torque bar / wrench - that would do the job - does anyone have any ideas for a DIY wrench?

Or am I stuck with going down the route of yet more expense in buying an OTT torque wrench?

On this basis it's cheaper to keep knocking lumps out of my wheels and have them polished regularly!!

 

[Russ Noble]

If I wanted to construct a suitable torque bar / wrench - that would do the job - does anyone have any ideas for a DIY wrench?

What do you weigh? You could try what we impoverished Kiwis (and probably others) do......

Say you weigh 200lbs.... 450 ft-lbs is 200 lbs acting at 2.25 ft. If you set up your tri spinner tool so that you can use an extension bar on it and stand on the bar 2.25 ft out from the centre of the nut you will have your nuts (well the car's nuts actually ) torqued to 450 ft-lbs. If you are anorexic and only weigh 100lbs, then you'll have to be standing at 4.5 ft from your nuts. You may need something to support the outer end of the tool, we find a small adjustable axle stand ideal for this. You will also need an assistant with their foot HARD on the brake pedal at the same time!

This is the major drawback with centrelocks and wide wheels, coz you normally can't get in with a hammer and if you can't afford a megabuck rattle gun it takes two people to loosen the wheel nuts. A right PITA!

A bigger problem can be undoing them, sometimes no matter how much anti-sieze compound you use when you fit them up or how hard you stand on the brake pedal, the wheels still turn before the nuts loosen. The answer then is to wedge a bit of 4x2 timber between the wheel spokes so that it jams up on the caliper and prevents the rotation. Not ideal but it can be a major problem and major problems require drastic solutions!

Edit. I see you've got Hallibrands, I've got BRMs maybe the 4x2 won't work you may have to downgrade to 2x2 but you get the idea....

 

[Frank Catt]

WHY IN HEAVENS NAME DO YOU WANT TO TORQUE TO 450ft/lbs ? thats just not only unecessary but downright crazy ! Frank

 

[Russ Noble]

OK Frank, so what do you torque them to?

Also Frank, LHT LHS or LHT RHS?

 

[Jim Cowden]

I machined the end cap of my tri spinners.
I then used some 6mm plate and made a triangular plate.
I welded 3x 3/4" spuds about 1" long at the correct position to load onto the ears of the spinner.
In the centre of the plate on the same side as the 3 spuds i welded a 3/4 bar about 3" long.
I then machined a piece of delrin sleeve 3" long to go over the bar ,the OD is a lose fit up the inside of the hub.
in the centre on the opposite side I welded a 32mm nut.
I put a rubber sleeve over the socket in case I slip off.
It works perfect.
It resembles a 3 legged oil filter remover.

I wire the spinners.
I grease the cones.
They are all R/H thread I check them and they never come loose.
Eventually I will stop checking them.

Jim

 

[Chris Williams]

WHY IN HEAVENS NAME DO YOU WANT TO TORQUE TO 450ft/lbs ? thats just not only unecessary but downright crazy ! Frank

Wasn't in Heavens name - it was in Bob Lacy's name "Hi Chris
450 ft pound ,hope you have a long torque wrench!
cheers
Bob" Vintage Wheels

 

[Chris Williams]

I suppose the thing that concerns me is this. I can use a 5lb lead hammer to knock the spinners on and use the same hammer to knock them off again.

It's easy and hardly an effort. However..................

If the spinners are supposed to be 450 ft/lbs and take a Jack Hammer or 7 men on a pole 40 foot long to do the spinners up - how come a toffee hammer is sold as the right tool for the job?

 

[Chris Williams]

I don't fancy spending £400 gbp on a torque wrench.

I don't mind using a long bar with a suitable socket on my tri-spinner tool (just bought from Sarto Rocheleau in USA.

Does anyone know what these are for? Can they be used with a socket and breaker bar to get 450 or 400 ft/lbs? Sykes-Pickavant Torque Gauge - Motorq 700

 

[Chris Williams]

May have found the answer - have a look at this - could be the ticket.

Torque Wrench Extension

 

[Chris Williams]

Just made the new extension bar and it works a treat. 24 inch bar with standard torque wrench doubles the power. Cost £10. Result!

 

[Will Croll]

Great thread here, will agree with Jac Mac on this one. Haven't been here for a while(GT forum) but doing a little research on this as a Vintage Delage has come into my workshop with LH threads on right side of car that doesn't seem correct to me.
Regards
Will

 

[Glenn M]

a Vintage Delage has come into my workshop with LH threads on right side of car that doesn't seem correct to me.

Yes it is.
If you are hitting the uppermost ear of the spinner; to tighten it, you should tap it towards the back of the car, regardless of which side of the car it is on.

Glenn

 

[Will Croll]

Ok Glenn, the nut has DROIT(French for right) stamped on right side nut (LH thread)so I guess I will go with you and the Delage factory on this one. I might add the car is 1921...
Spent some time looking at my bench grinder this afternoon LH and RH threads..
Will

 

[Pat]

Or you buy a really long torque wrench.

 

[Randy V]

Pat, I'd pity that poor bugger of the socket should split!