Classic/Antique Car Repair/1959TR3A Wire Wheels

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Expert: Paul Wilczynski - 8/6/2009


Question
QUESTION: I saw your response to the 57 TR3 about the oliy substance on the wire wheel. I have a 59 and my drivers rear wheel loosens while diving and almost falls off the car. it is loosening at the 4 bolts that hold the spindle to the drum. I have changed the hub, all the bolts and finally the rear axle. After changing the axle this ceased for about 1 year (maybe 500 miles). I can now not drive more than 5 miles (last trip) without pulling over,jacking it up, removing the wheel and tightening the nuts. I also see grease only on this wheel. I have no idea what to do or try. I was considering putting on regular rims, but i don't know if that has anything to do with it.

ANSWER: Have you tried red Loctite?How about drilling and safety wiring them? Surely this is easier than replacing all four wheels with bolt-ons...

--Paul

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I did try loctite (not sure if it was red). Someone else suggested I drill and safety wire. I just fear there is a major problem that is causing this and would really like to figure out why this is happening.

Answer
Well, it sounds like you've replaced all the proper parts. If you are not feeling any undue vibration at speed right after the bolts have been tightened (before they've had a chance to loosen up), I'd say do the safety wiring and drive carefully for a few hundred miles, checking things occasionally. If it feels OK after this, I'd say you're OK.

Older cars have systems designed, built and tested by fallible humans. Sometimes these quirks turn up on individual cars and you've just got to use a bit of deductive reasoning and a lot of patience.

Try this and see if it doesn't work. There may be nothing serious wrong.

--Paul

Classic/Antique Car Repair

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Paul Wilczynski

Expertise

Most questions involving vintage car restoration, mechanical and body, paint and upholstery. Parts sourcing. Extensive experience in wood-bodied station wagons, British and French cars of the '40s through '70s. Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, Citroen Maserati, VW Beetle, 1955-65 Chevrolet (especially Nomad station wagons), Corvair.

Experience

Wide-ranging and long-term. I owned a restoration shop in the 1970s, continue to dabble in vintage exotics. At one time, had a seven-car collection of contemporary exotics which I had restored and maintained myself. When I was 18 years old, I designed a woodie kit for the VW Beetle, which I developed into a product which was featured on television and in over 100 magazines and 25 books at last count. I still own and drive one of my creations. I owned a design and fabrication consultancy from 1982-2002, specializing in show car fabrication for manufacturers including Ford, Mazda, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, etc. Since 2003, I have been a department manager in Industrial Design, and a full-time instructor in automotive design and fabrication at the university level. My students go on to design automobiles as staff designers for major auto manufacturers worldwide.

Organizations
Western Automotive Journalists, Industrial Design Society of America.

Publications
Long list of magazines and books, including Playboy, VW Trends, VW Greats, Hot VWs, and European automotive magazines.

Education/Credentials
I teach design and fabrication at university level. My education is in Industrial Design, University of Illinois (1966-1970).

Awards and Honors
Many awards for restorations in local concours and shows.

Past/Present Clients
Mazda, Ford, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Mercedes, Porsche.

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