New Rims and Tires

[RJS]

I finally got it done.

New (used) rims and tires. I went with adaptors so I could buy standard 4X100 rims. The rims are 15X6, and tires are 205/55. Yes the tires are slightly larger than stock (3% according to the internet), but I have a 3:45 rear end instead of the stock 3:08, so the speedo is actually getting closer to correct, and not further away.

I really like the new look, but I have developed a little wobble at about 35 mph (just some of the time). I will go through and tighten everything up again to make sure it is not something simple. Hopefully it is not anything expensive, because I have blown my budget on the car for a while.

The old tires were the cheapest the previous owner could find, and had no grip with a very small contact patch to the pavement. The wobble might have always been there, but now you can actually feel it with tires that have some grip.

It took me a while to figure out, but the rims remind me of "phone dial" rims from the porsche 928.

I left the old pic from my profile to see the before and after.

Like all the parts I have changed on my car, I amy keeping the original rims in case someday someone wants to take it back to stock.

Rob

[colonel bogey]

Hi Rob,

Now those are cool wheels,i like those a lot.[8D]
Have you had the wheels balanced before fitting,could be something simple like that?

All the best
Greg.




'76 TR7 FHC Auto Java Green
"Colonel Bogey"

[Odd]

Looks good,
but personally those rims <b>shout</b> 'Front Wheel Drive' to me.
A 'flat' outer face - and not the depth of the RWD rims from the time...
But to each his own... Taste is a diverse thing.

[welshsteve]

The rims do look nice mate[:)]
Cheers Steve

If it's got tits or tyres then it's gonna cost ya!

[john 215]

Hi Rob,
Looking good fella [8D]
Cheers John.

LIVE LIFE A QUARTER OF A MILE AT A TIME!
1979 3.5 FHC(STATUS PENDING!!)

1982 2.0 DHC Soon to be a 4.6 fire breather!!
Read My Blog http://www.waringstowntr7s.co.uk/blogs/ ... hp/John215

[paul w]

Very kewl,and not the usual.Top marks Rob.

See ya. Paul

[FI Spyder]

Not too bad. Something that will give a diverse range of opinions, most important what YOU think of it.

TR7 front suspension is particularly suseptible to shimmy due to wheels/tires being unbalanced or out of round. Wheel balance on a sensitive wheel balancer may be neccessary. I have a sneaking suspicion that even if the wheels are balanced you may get shimmy and only a new/different set of tires will get rid of it. Any one have thoughts on this as shimmy seems to be a problem on some cars?

TR7 Spider - 1978 Spifire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra

[Beans]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by FI Spyder</i>

...Any one have thoughts on this as shimmy seems to be a problem on some cars?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Ussualy down to a combination of one or more of the suspension and steering parts being worn more or less.
Also check alignment and as mentioned balance the wheels very carefully. Problem usually bigger with alloys as the outer balancing weights are stuck to the inside of the spokes and not on the outside of the rim where they are more effective.

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
1981 TR7 DHC (not very well known yet, but back on the road)
Also a 1980 TR7 DHC, 1980 TR7 DHC FI, 1981 TR7 FHC
http://tr7beans.blogspot.com/</i></font id="blue"></center>

[moestr7v8]

Really great looking wheels for a great looking car.
I want a set of these!!!!!!!!!![:D]

Regards Moe

1981 3.5 V8 DHC
1981 2.00 FHC

[Hasbeen]

As Beans says, any worn bits in the front end will allow even the
slightest unbalance to be magnified to the bl@@dy annoying stage.

However there is another problem with alloys. Our factory alloys
center on the hub. The studs are just to hold the wheel on the car.
To do this the hole in the center of the wheel must be accurately
machined. Some are not, & some have this center whole damaged,
& the wheel is off center a little.

Many after market wheels make no attempt to center on the hub. They
just have a large center hole, that cleares the hub, completely.
These rely entirely on the studs for centering.

The studs can only center the wheel if you have conical wheel nuts,
& matching wheels.
The tubular nuts, used with most alloys, CAN NOT EVER do this job,
as they must have some clearance in the stud holes, & allow some
movement there.

When I had a 7, with wheels like this, I had a machine shop make a
spacer to fit inside the wheel to match the hub. This was OK, but
not great.
Our 8 has Symonds brand wheels, with conical nuts, & its balance is
OK, but to be spot on, requires an ON CAR dynamic balance.

The 7 has reasonably well machined, hub centering, Performance brand
wheels. Even with a careful off car balance the steering is just OK.

With a careful ON CAR dynamic balance, the 7s steering wheel is
totally free of any shimmy. Take a front wheel off, & put it back
on, & it CAN be OK, or bl@@dy awful.

To overcome this I have marked one stud on each front hub, & its
wheel, adjacent to that stud. The wheel always stays on that side.
Whenever the wheels are fitted, the marked stud with the wheels
marked stud hole are positioned at 12 o'clock,
and all nuts tightened to finger tight, & then nipped up. The
balance is always reasonable, but every 3 or 4 times I have a wheel
off, they have to be redone on car to be spot on.

Padantic old bugger, yes definately

Silly old goat, definately not.
I only have these cars to experience the pleasure of driving them.
There is no pleasure, for me, if the bl@@dy steering wheel is
gyrating around like my youngest daughter, performing her
interpretation of dancing, when I drive them.

Hasbeen

[silverseven]

Wow Hasbeen, this is a fantastic post!!!
(though as many of these cars exhibit a common shake/vibration at certain speeds, both FISpyder and Beans are also very probably right in thinking you may have a suspension issue too)


about the only thing I could possibly add, is perhaps try rotating the tires, front to back and see if it improves or changes the vibration.


Btw, are those Mazda Precidia MX3 rims???


Ron.

[Hasbeen]

No Ron, the ones on the 7, [the orange/red car in my photos] are an
after market wheel, made by Performance wheels, marketed in Oz for
7s about 10 to 15 years ago.
They came in 6" & 7" by 13" & were popular with both rally, & racing
TR7 owners back them. They are properly machined for 7s. Mine are
6", & came on my spares car, which was a rally car that died.

They were a gold anodised finish which was pretty far gone. I spent
a day each sanding, back to metal, & then polishing them. I feel
they suit the age of the car qiute well.

The ones on the 8, [blue car in my photos] are Symonds wheels. They
are 7" by 15". They are an imported wheel, & some must be brought in
with blank centers. To get them to suit a 7, you order them, & pay
full price with the order. One to two months later you get them,
nicely machined & polished to suit the 7, or 8. They should be
nicely done, they are over $600 each now.

Hasbeen

[Ferris]

I like them, especially against a dark car. They look good.

I sure like your front yard too...how cool would it be to never have to push a lawnmower!

[/img]
------------------------
Kevin Anderson
1980 TR7 DHC
1974.5 MGB GT
1990 Jaguar XJ40

[tr8]

If your wheel nuts are not conical, try installing the wheel by putting on two conical nuts on two diagonal studs, tight enough to hold the wheel in place (centered), but not too tight to damage the edges of the holes in the wheels.The wheel should be centered now. Then install the other two shouldered nuts and tighten. Remove the conical nuts and install the other two shouldered ones.

Paul

[RJS]

Thanks for the MANY great responses. I am going to try out as many as possible this weekend (after I change the water pump on my wifes minivan).

Great eye Ron. Yes the rims are from a MX3 (used off ebay). They are Enkei brand. They are not in as good of shape as the ebay seller orinally said, but I still would have bought them, so I can't complain much.

That is a normal Arizona front yard. I do have some grass in the back that I have to mow all year long (but it's not too much).

Rob