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Mark; Terry is correct, replace with modern tapered bearings, no good reason not to and these steer the car, think safety. I've done this upgrade twice. The first time I brought the spindles and wheels with hubs to a restoration shop and they did the whole job. Engineering the job, finding the bearings and seals and the machining to make the front axle ready for the road. Fairly expensive though not outrageous. The second time I brought the spindles and wheels to a local bearing shop and they measured all the parts and matched up the modern tapered bearings from available supply. I had to have a bearing sleeve made to fit the each hub. I also replaced the old with new modern roller bearings in the driveshaft and rear axle as well but that is another story. Just something to think about, Gary

Congratulations, installing tires is the hardest job you can do, in my opinion, Everything from now on will seem easier. Merry Christmas, Gary

Thinking about your Overland, I suggest you make a mechanical repair first, you could do this in under a day. I know it is not high on your list of things to do except get it off your to do list. When I first bought my Buick the offending wheel was re spoked and as you drove along it would click, I could whistle along to the Andy Griffith title song if I could get the speed right and I could whistle. Harold Sharon was alive then and giving free advice He told me to get a length of auto body sheet metal the width of the spokes and wrap it around the hub. I think it was 16ga, didn't take much. Line up the spoke holes, hubs and brake drum and press every thing back into place. The spoke holes now had to be reamed to let the bolts pass through. He told me to use silicone to keep everything tight, not the household silicone but the gasket maker type. This repair forced the spokes tight into the felloe and worked for many years and I suggest you try this first before the repair I just performed. Last recourse is to send the wheel to the professional "wheelwright." None of these repairs I used would affect the installing of new parts. See you later, Gary

Hey Doug; I am not an engineer but my friend is and he repaired his Cadillac wheel using this technique. I believe the spokes and rims must be absolutely tight, without movement, and the springiness or flexibility comes from the choice of hickory wood for the material. The best to you and Cindy for Christmas, Gary

Next step in stopping my wheel from squeaking and possibly catastrophic failure is to glue the spokes to the felloe. As shown in the photo and working from the backside I drilled a 3/16th" holes into the cavity the spoke and felloe share. Also a 1/16th" hole through the rim band into the same mortice to vent any trapped air and to make certain the epoxy fills the voids. I packed the spoke and felloe joint with putty to hold back any compound from leaking out of the joint. My friend calls it dum dum, he is British. The putty I got from a local hardware store was likely the first batch they sold in ten years, who glazes windows today? My friend suggested a product called Polyall 2000 which is thin as water and sets in five minutes. I used Enviro Tech Lite which is like maple syrup and sets overnight instead. I mixed the two part epoxy and used a syringe to slowly filled the space over the next hour. Since the wheel is painted the repair should be invisible and permanent. Just three spokes were loose I filled all twelve anyway. The bonus photo is taken at Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum, a 1904 Ford Model B. First four cylinder Ford and first with the engine under the hood, a large and beautiful touring car. The museum has a collection of alphabet cars, all the models culminating with the "T" Ready to begin. Merry Christmas, Gary

Time and distance caused my rear wheels to be stuck beyond my hub pullers capacity. Luckily for me a friendly mechanic loaned me some stout pulling gear. With that firmly attached the wheel still stubbornly resisted until I got my 10lb sledge to give it a whack. Then it practically jumped off the tapered axle. Relieved nothing was damaged that a lick of paint won't fix. My friend Larry Schramm gave me a pair of hood clamps for my 1915 McLaughlin which were the last parts I was missing to complete the cars restoration. The clamps are soaking in solvent, the nickel tops are threaded to the shaft and will go to platers this winter. Thanks Larry. Regards, Gary

Thanks Doug; A lovely day at Heritage Village. Bev and I are attending the AACA Vintage Tour in Kingston this summer, our car broke down during the last Vintage Tour in Pa so hoping for a more satisfying result this time. We met a NY'er on that tour and he has since bought a Model 31 of his own and yesterday a fellow told me he bought one as well. Soon there will be three of these fine touring cars on the road, maybe together, that would be fun. Regards, Gary

Attended the annual Funk Christmas lunch at Stahls Auto Museum in Chesterfield, Mi today. Had a good time visiting and catching up with friends while viewing the eclectic car collection. Many of the cars are large and fancy but also cars from the movies and memorabilia. The sole Buick was this 2 cyl number and the other picture is a general scene. An artist drawing a rendition of the car Mysterion, the actual car does not exist this is a tribute? Regards, Gary

This Me and My Buick entry I hope will be a catch all concerning pre '16 Buicks. It maybe events my wife, Bev, and I attend similar to DEI's site with '58 Buicks crossed with Matt's detailed repairs with pictures. The initial post is repairing spokes which are loose in a wooden felloe and causes a wheel to squeak. Last time we had the 1913 Buick Model 31 out was the Old Car Festival at Greenfield Village and it was pointed out the right rear wheel had a wobble by someone who was following me in another car. I gave the wheel a shake and though not very loose there was a rust line showing at the hub. Three of my wheels are original wood but this wheel had been re spoked by the previous owner, I shimmed it years ago, now it is loose again. The first picture is the product I am using to fix the problem and the home made hub puller I fabricated. The AACA magazines I pass on to people who are interested or have similar vehicles as the ones featured. I am a member of the AACA and the Snapper's Brass and Gas. The second is the offending wheel on the car, if you look closely it shows the rust coming out of the hub and proves the wheel is due for service. The third is the whole 1913 Buick on duty in Oklahoma in 2017 with similar autos. Regards, Gary Van Dyken

If you want pre war Buicks try Torchy Blane movies, many scenes are in or near a big '37 and '38 Roadmaster police car with side mounts . That series of shows turn up on TCM or maybe YouTube have them for viewing or downloading. Offices, restaurants, candlestick telephones and clothing outfits add interest to the times cars are not featured. Torchy Blane movies were made with everything new and current, as opposed to say the Untouchables where the producers wanted a time period piece. The plots are good too, romantic comedy with some crime solving. Might appeal to the Mrs if she shares your interest in the late thirties America. Gary

You likely already knew this but I was amazed how effective Spray Nine cleaned years of brake dust and road grime from the inside of the wheels my wife's '87 Alfa Romeo spider. I have a local shop which uses chemical tanks to clean parts and racks for manufacturing plants but they will also clean antique auto parts of paint and rust. When I pick the job up the parts are coated in a dense, water based oil to stop immediate re rusting. Spray Nine is the recommended cleaner to strip this coating. I like lacquer thinner for cleaning but didn't like what it would do to the tires, I had cans of Brake Clean but fairly expensive to cover four wheels so I reached for the Spray Nine. Excellent, the grime ran off in rivulets and even shined up the tires. See the before and after photo, I cleaned all 4 wheels in less than an hour. Happy wife happy life, Gary

If you are wanting a big pre war sedan they are easy to get and inexpensive. I was offered a '38 Packard Super 8 and I have a '39 Buick Century in black with side mounts for the same asking price. Regards, Gary

Wanted to buy. one at least or possibly two Baker rims as shown, 34 X 4 tires, 26 rims, 4 mounting lugs at the tire valve. Ship to Michigan, I can pick it up there. Thanks in advance, Gary five one nine 352-806three

It's all about fuel efficiency, the EPA cancelled the CAFE standards which had been in place for decades, Before this decision manufacturers had to produce fuel sipping sedans so they could sell SUVs and trucks and still maintain a Federally mandated fuel efficiency average. No CAFE, no regulations, here you go, how do you like it now? Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen are open for business and will merrily sell the consumer any hot hatchback, wagon or sedan any citizen could possibly desire. BMW, Alfa Romeo or Mercedes if you want more punch from your wheels and do not care about the gas. Regards, Gary

Oshawa, I feel your pain. I live in a city where Navistar/ International trucks were made for 100 years, now closed. After many incentives and guarantees from all governments Navistar decided to built a new factory in Mexico leaving the old factory to the city taxpayers to clean up. Presently it is a vacant lot covered in cement which no one will touch over environmental concerns, I suppose. We are getting a new casino but it is located across the street from the old plant. More than a few eye brows were raised recently when two new snowploughs hit the road in our municpality and they were Mexican Navistar trucks. Life goes on. Gary BTW, my 1915 McLaughlin was built in Oshawa three years before the factory was acquired for GM of Canada.

Good to hear of your country roads. The pre war Buick gives a soft, undulating ride which is comfortable but a handful to contain. The car will go 65 MPH but will take over 20 seconds to get there and the brakes are effective but try to have extra space in front and out back to compensate for modern traffic. Barney: Love the side mount mirrors. Where did they come from and could I buy a pair? Matt: Watched the video, good of you to post it. Though the video showed a few rolling stops and driving across painted islands, is that how they roll in Cleveland? Regards, Gary

Same drive to the platers for me, Toronto, however a if you like the workman it fits the definition of a "pleasure trip". Best of luck, Gary

In Ronnie's original post he says he bought new wires, 7 mm, and they are arcing. Why would new wires be leaking spark? I purchased a set from the same supplier, 8 cyl, 7 mm, cloth covered, and am using them for two four cylinder engines now I question if they are good to use? I need 7mm to fit the caps without alteration, the oak tracer is pretty to look at but black would be fine, too. Thanks, Gary

We have a musical family in our group. In a 1914 Ford they whole family sings songs as they motor along, they learned the lyrics from a large collection of 78's and wax cylinders. They are very good, the daughter attended University in a music program and has since joined an opera. It was a wonderful experience and live music is the best, one evening, sitting a veranda beside a lake, she wowed us with an aria in Italian. Sorry, I do not know how to get music in your car. This posting reminded me of the Doddington family and I wanted to share. Regards, Gary

Thanks for the heads up concerning pre war events in Ontario, I seem to be out of the loop. There is no HASC in my town though I perhaps should join the local A4C's which has a chapter here. I am in a local unaffiliated club but they do not do much anymore with pre war cars. Maybe I should join your region of the AACA just to get the newsletter. Bev and I are looking forward to the Vintage Tour this summer and if you can find a job for us we are willing to help out. Thanks, Gary

The other end of Autumn Buicks is winterizing, wrap the air conditioner and store the outdoor furniture for winter. Regards, Gary

Thanks for taking us all on your journey and congratulations. Enjoyed the trip, Gary

Tail lamp Tuesday. Found this pleasing photo of our 1913 Buick model 31, on tour, before the Old Car Festival in Michigan. Maybe Autumn Buicks because it was September. Regards, Gary

Thank you for the report and photos. I hang out on the Buick forums though this DB thread gets my attention, you DB fellows always have interesting cars, problems and camaraderie. If I could ever find a Victory Six roadster my heart would sing, lovely looking cars. Regards, Gary

I have a complete windshield for a Metz hanging on a nail, original and unrestored, looking for a new home, like the one in the photo. Located in Ontario about an hour east of Detroit. Gary