Artillery Wheels - loose spokes How do you tighten?

[Jerry Alexander]

I have recently noticed that some of the spokes on the wheels of my '29 Chevrolet AC International are loose. How do you tighten them up?  I have not had this happen on my '15 Metz which also has wooden wheels. Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.

 

I thank you in advance.

[keiser31]

Soaking in water would help.

[Terry Bond]

Most wood spoked wheels are Hickory, far too dense to soak much water up unless you leave it submerged for a few months.   Loose spokes are commonly assumed to be just shrinking wood, but it may be loose felloes, a broken felloe bolt, or maybe even loose hub bolts.  Loose spokes are often the result of another problem, so that should be the focus.  

I've heard some model T folks using shims, but IMHO the best bet for loose spokes is to make a new wheel or if you can, replace the bad spokes with new ones. Safety first!

Terry 

[mrspeedyt]

as my '23 buick sits in a garage in kingman arizona...  loose spokes from the dry environment are a real problem. so far all i've done is tighten the hubs. if and when i drive this car some more i'll need to consider more action. 

[Larry Schramm]

I agree with Terry.  New wheels.  Safety is of utmost importance and you would not want to have break while driving, especially when turning a corner.

[mrpushbutton]

Ed Linn, EDL Services in Troy MI can source re-making your wheels in new Hickory. He has many satisfied clients.

[Guest]

Jerry, I remember my father telling me this was a semi-regular occurrence with his (and probably everyone else's) wooden spoked wheels back in the day. He said the fix was to simply put the garden hose on them for a while and the problem was solved. I can't imagine everyone in the '30's & '40's buying new wheels every time they loosened up. I do not own a wooden spoked wheel car so I can't speak from experience, but it's certainly worth a try before going to the expense of building four new wheels.

Good luck!

Greg

[JFranklin]

Before I tried water, I would mix up some linseed oil and turpintine very thin and soak in that as it will penetrate and swell the wood, but more importantly it will harden the porous fibers and not just evaporate. New wheels are a good idea also.

[C Carl]

2 hours ago, mrpushbutton said:

Ed Linn, EDL Services in Troy MI can source re-making your wheels in new Hickory. He has many satisfied clients.

 

Contact Ed as soon as you read this. You DO need a wheelwright to make new wheels. I sure don't know who is closest to where you are in Western Illinois , I am in Washington State. By the way , as I was going through your postings to try to find your location (always a good idea to give one's location when sourcing services) , I noticed that you are about to enter old age according to current standards !

HAPPY UPCOMING BIRTHDAY , JERRY ! Respoke those wheels and enjoy driving that '29 Chevrolet on its 100th birthday ! I will include pics of the new and old (I I still have the old wheels , they are totally sound , but I had a spare set of 4 wheels with hubs and drums so I had them rebuilt in order to preserve the original wheels in storage) , wheels from my 1927 Cadillac. We copied the original pinstriping as well as we could. Safety first. These old things are dangerous enough even without tempting fate !    Enjoying my old age ,   - Carl 

 

P.S.  Braking puts the highest loads on your spokes.

 

 

[Larry Schramm]

Look up Stutzman Wheel in Baltic, Ohio.  They have made wheels for me and the Model T guys like them too.  I currently have a pair there now.  You need to call and leave a message.  They will call you back.

[ArticiferTom]

Soaking with raw linseed oil if wood is not painted . Paint seals the linseed from getting in and the raw will not dry hard like boiled does . But it swells and puts the oils back in .

[Terry Bond]

Let us know how things work out.  This topic comes up all the time on the Model T club forum and there are a lot of old "home remedies" that are often suggested, but in the end, new spokes or complete wheels end up being the best solution.  Be safe out there.

Terry

[motoringicons]

New wheels are really the only answer. Trying to fix wood that is approaching 100 years old just isn't going to successfully work-and it will NEVER be safe. Once the wood starts shrinking, it is on its way out. I would certainly contact Stutzman's in Ohio or Calimers in Pennsylvania. I am not sure if the Graber family is still making wheels in California.

[C Carl]

Coker is also making wood spoke wheels. But you will probably have to shop around as most wheelwrights have a waiting list. Our local wheelwright is in Sowthwest Washington , too far from you. Make a reservation ASAP. This TRUELY is the only solution for a car which is driven.  - Carl 

[Larry Schramm]

As a reference point that I do what I say, I am redoing the '08 Buick that I have and the wheels appear to be tight, but I am going to have them re-spoked with new fellows because it is over 100 year old wood.  It is not worth a few dollars to compromise your and your passengers safety. 

 

I will probably drop them off in the next month or so and expect to get them back in the spring.  As C Carl said, a good wheelwright has a long waiting list.

[nickelroadster]

You can use a product called "Chairlock".  It is made to tighten up the wood in loose chairs.  I believe you could find it on the net.  Some woodworking supply houses also stock it.  Worked like a charm for me.

[13CADDY]

anyone have a pro or con about Schutzman wheels--need a set for my 13 Cadillac--Tom

[Spinneyhill]

If your spokes have been moving for long, they are likely worn as well as shrunk so tightening with one of the systems mentioned is likely to be touch and go as to whether it will work.

[Mark Shaw]

13 hours ago, nickelroadster said:

You can use a product called "Chairlock".  It is made to tighten up the wood in loose chairs.  I believe you could find it on the net.  Some woodworking supply houses also stock it.  Worked like a charm for me.

 

My father used a similar product called "WoodSwell" in our 1913 Model 31 Buick to tighten the spokes in the metal fellows.  He drilled holes in the center of each spoke, added a few drops of WoodSwell, and filled the holes with linseed oil.  Then he hammered 22 cal shell casings into the holes to seal them.  He did this over 20 years ago and they are still nice and tight.  However, prior to doing this,  it is important to make sure the spokes are not cracked or dry rotted in any way.  Buicks have much larger spokes than Model T Fords or other smaller cars.  I would not try this on wheels with smaller spokes or on wheels with wood fellows.