Spinner torque value

[RichardH]

Hi again folks
Its been a while since I have been here, but still got the '40, although not using it as much as I would like .
Having almost lost a rear wheel on Friday night..... spinner broke wire restraint, flew off and the wheel came off the drive lugs. Luckily only at about 20MPH. so the suspension dropped till it hit the ground and the tyre jammed onto the bodywork.
I do keep a jack (scissor) with me (but no handle ), so was able to refit the wheel, find the spinner and limp home.

Now obviously the restraining wire didnt do a brilliant job, and I never noticed any tightening of the wire. I am now thinking of fitting "R" clips through the stub axles as a more secure method of retaining an arrant spinner, however I have seen devices to torque up the spinners - particularly at Le Mans, where I saw some guy hanging off a 6ft pole in the paddocks.

Having said that, there must be some nominal torque value for these spinners - Does anyone have any idea - except for "Piggin tight and a bit more"

 

[Ian Anderson]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X8kCWG3d1Cc

I saw this and thought it is Oldhoff and makes sense
Ian

 

[RichardH]

Lotus was the only car manufacturer, I could find, that printed a torque setting for securing spinners. Early Lotus manuals showed 160 to 180 and later manuals showed 200 to 220 ft/lb of torque.

I would rather have known values used on '40's tho.

 

[RichardH]

Lotus was the only car manufacturer, I could find, that printed a torque setting for securing spinners. Early Lotus manuals showed 160 to 180 and later manuals showed 200 to 220 ft/lb of torque.

I would rather have known values used on '40's tho.

 

[Randy V]

The search function here still works.. This thread literally beats the knock-on knock-off spinners to death::

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-tec...care-feeding-knock-off-wheels.html#post206831

 

[Cliff Beer]

When I bought my CAV the rear spinners were torque'd to over 650 ft/lbs. Fronts a little less.

That's a bit much.

I settled on 400 ft/lbs going forward. I found this roughly corresponded with the "acoustic" technique with the lead hammer.

 

[RichardH]

The search function here still works.. This thread literally beats the knock-on knock-off spinners to death::

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-tec...care-feeding-knock-off-wheels.html#post206831

you are, of course, perfectly correct.
Reading that, and other associated threads, I now have torque values of 200ft/lbs to 650ft/lbs and a statement that "it depends on the thread size, pitch & shape.

So the answer seems to be.... "do what you want, and if the spinner slackens, do it a bit tighter next time".

Not the answer I was hoping for, but suitably pragmatic.

 

[Tim Kay]

14 years with knock offs and I've never had one come loose. I simply knock them on until the hammer pitch changes to a solid "thunk" (I think Olthoff describes it in his video). Never considered what torque pressure it is but I do know they can be too tight because I've had them torqued on by others to the point I had to do damage to the spinner in getting it loose.

Normal practice should be to check them routinely....as often as you check air pressure or your oil. Just about every time I drive it I at least check the 'loose' safety wire, make it a habit. My wheels are off\on the car so often it's rare that I drive it and the spinners haven't been recently tightened.

Richard, if you have an on going issue of a spinner loosening (you eluded to the safety wire, correctly slackened, had snapped), then maybe the angle cuts on the spinner and wheels are different than what they should be thereby not locking together properly. Or some wear of the mating surface has occurred which may also affect the surface angle and it's ability to lock properly.

I've always wondered if the angle cut in the wheel and spinner are universal between manufacturers, I think not (does anyone know the answer to that?). The wheel manufacturers could certainly mess with us that way.

Doesn't hurt to check that right side of your car has left hand threads, and the left side of the car has right hand threads. My saying "Right is wrong, Left is right" I believe this helps a tight spinner from coming loose.

Final note: I think your option of an "R" clip is an excellent idea. I don't know why I haven't done this yet.

 

[RichardH]

To be fair, in all the time I have had the car, this is the first time I have had a wheel come loose. As I said, luckily it was only at 20MPH, not 120!!.
Getting the spinner tight is the main thing. I was relying on the lockwire being a safety device - it obviously isnt, so I will be going for the "R" clips as well.
I just strikes me as being a bit weird, when these cars are built with such care and precise info, that having the wheel spinners tightened to a known, repeatable and equal amount, seems to be left to luck.

 

[Tim Kay]

To be fair, in all the time I have had the car, this is the first time I have had a wheel come loose. As I said, luckily it was only at 20MPH, not 120!!.
Getting the spinner tight is the main thing. I was relying on the lockwire being a safety device - it obviously isnt, so I will be going for the "R" clips as well.
I just strikes me as being a bit weird, when these cars are built with such care and precise info, that having the wheel spinners tightened to a known, repeatable and equal amount, seems to be left to luck.

My guess is, up until recently (past 10 years or so) a spinner attachment that will mate to a 400# torque wrench wasn't commercially made so most have been satisfied with throwing their weight on a 4' cheater bar or the basic hard swing of a lead hammer and if it unintentionally breaks loose, lean on the bar a little more or swing a little harder next time! Besides, unless you have other chores for a couple hundred dollar torque wrench and attachment, who really needs to spend the money when the "old fashion" way works fine.

Here's the spinner tool I use:
http://www.gt40s.com/forum/race-track/12720-trick-ko-tool.html

Then again, I drove off the other day after torqueing the center locks at 360# on a Porsche with the proper tools and by the end of the driveway realized I completely forgot to torque one wheel. So it's ultimately up to the "nut" operating the tools to get it right!

 

[Chris E]

Richard
I was talking to Nick, sorry, I don't know his surname, at a show last week.
He built one if Mick Sollis's first chassis and I asked him how he torqued his spinners as he has VERY deep dish wheels sndit looks like you couldn't swing a hammer in there. He and Mick have made a tool to tighten them.
It may be worth a call to Mick at SGT.

 

[Keith]

As a historical footnote to this interesting thread, take a browse through this thread from 2 years ago. At face value, you might find little to connect except, the story also encompasses the fate of one GT40P 111 (which surfaced in a container during the Olympics building), and now Gelscoe restored as the glorious Linden Green Roadster..

And the reason that GTP 111 came to be in that hardly august location is that it was crashed during the '64 Targa Florio and subsequently written off by FAV.

The reason for the crash: A spinner came unthreaded resulting in the wheel coming off. It took a policeman to threaten a spectator who had purloined the offending item for a souvenir, to regain the spinner, remount the wheel and continue, only for it alas to come off again. Perhaps it was on the wrong side or the driver foolishly (!) failed to include a lump hammer in the kit and hadn't read the rules on tightening!

Anyway, an interesting read:

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/all-gt40/39740-chassis-identification.html

 

[Frank Catt]

My Homemade

 

[Frank Catt]

Other side!

 

[RichardH]

Hi Frank
What do you torque the spinners to?

 

[Tim Kay]

Just hits it with a hammer! :lol:

 

[Frank Catt]

Richard, personally I am a hammer man !

 

[RichardH]

Has anyone had a spinner removal tool made by lionel roberts?
I believe the cost is very reasonable