Front wheel wobble

[oliverguy]

I have a 23 roadster who's front drivers side wheel has developed a wobble. I don't recall it being like this last year. Is there a way to figure out what is causing it or should I take the tire off the rim the rim off the wheel etc. the bearings do have some play but this thing is all over the place. What would have caused it ?

[Willie in Houston]

Some model T's have severe shakes of both front wheels. This usually occurs at a slow speed and often after hitting a bump in the road. Stopping or turning the steering wheel to left or right usually stops the shake. It does not occur at faster speeds. Are you sure it is only the drivers side and not both wheels.
If only the drivers side, you might try swapping the two front wheels and see if the problem stays with the wheel. Also jack up the wheel and spin it and see if it turns straight. A slight in and out is probably normal, they are not perfect.
If you do move the left to the right, remember the outside bearing threads are different. (one left hand the the other right hand)

[oliverguy]

Yea I had the wheel off the ground last night. This is pretty bad, it shakes the steering wheel back and forth. Other wheel is fine. I can't tell if it's the tire, wheel or both. I guess I'll take the rim off the wheel tonight and see if the wheel itself wobbles without the tire and rim on.

Originally I thought the tire might not have been seated on the rim correctly.

This is an all orginal car so I hope it's not the wood wheel itself, because it will look stupid with one nice new painted wheel and the rest that look like antique furnature. But safety is more important.

[yachtsmanbill]

Don't discount it as not being a tire problem... altho mine are 21" wire wheels, when I first put them on the car with a fresh blast/paint job, liners and lightly used tires and tubes, 2 of the 4 had a substantial wobble. After 2 summers of riding on them they really appear quite a bit straighter. I really think the tires had taken a "set" and needed to get road heated and run for while to return to being less square... ws

[BUBBAS IGNITION]

Another idea that beat me up once was both wheels would shake from time to time. I mentioned this during a tour and one of the guys said drive it over here and we will fix that! He tightened up both front spindle bolts and the problem went away. Now any time i get the he-be-zebies i tighten up the spindle bolts an it is gone......

[Willie in Houston]

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Bubbas, that is called a crutch. Usually there is a reason for the severe shake.

[redmodelt]

To check you wheel run out, jack the car up and mount a piece of chalk on a jack stand using duct tape. With the chalk in contact with the center of the tire turn the wheel all the way around. You should be able to see what the run out is by looking at the line.
Re spindle bolts, don't get them too tight! If you do, it can put a pinch on the spindles and when you turn it will not want to come back to center because there is too much drag. I did this a few months back, not fun when the car wanted to keep going left or right.
Check your hub bolts, with age and dryness the spokes get loose between the flanges.
If you tighten them, don't get over zealous, just make them tight.

[oliverguy]

Good suggestions. My spindle bolt bushings/ bolt have a tiny little bit of up and down playplay, maybe 1/16" is that a big deal? I'm replacing the bearings, when I took the inside bearing out the cage fell off and all the rollers came off. I guess that's got a lot of play in it. Spindle looks ok. I got the inner race off but am having a hard time removing the outer race. I put another post on asking for tricks how to get that off.
I'll check the hub bolts, didn't look at that. Tire is seated in the rim, had the wheel on only without the rim, still wobbles a little bit.



Thanks for your help guys.

[oliverguy]

Well I replaced the bearings last night. The wobble is less but is still there. I have the wheel on the car without the rim. I tried the chalk taped to a jackstand method to check the run out. At this point it appears that either the steel felloe or the hub itself is bent.

This car is all orginal with nice paint on the spokes and hub. Is there any way to determine what is bent and how to straighten it?

I was thinking about taking the wheel to an amish wheel shop and seeing if they have a press that might be designed to straighten bent steel in wood wheels, without heating which of course will ruin the paint that is on them.

Funny thing is, when I set this wheel on a steel can it sits flush, but something is definitely amiss because it wobbles when put on the spindle.

Thanks

Bryan

[CharlieB]

I believe it sits flush on the rim because the rim isn't bent. It's the hub/spokes that are not centered or are at a slight angle in relation to the rim. Sorry I can't offer any solution though. Here's an after thought: re-mount the wheel with out the tire. Slightly loosen the hub bolts and turn the wheel using that chalk method or a straight edge. When you fing the spot that the rim moves away from the chalk push on the opposite end of the rim to re-align it. Will probably take several tries to get it square. When you're satisfied it's OK re-tighten the hub bolts and check again. Don't know if it will actually work, just my $0.02.

[yachtsmanbill]

I think Charlie is on the right track, but Id like to add that I would remove the 6 flange bolts and replace with new. Youll be surprised how rusted away they may be. The wheel its self can be straightened with you just pushing/pulling against the felloe. (On the up and down axis, duh). Have the new bolts in so you don't have to pound them in after the wheel is true again. Tighten and recheck accordingly.
Same goes for mounting the rim. If you have a Dodge or Chevy split rim it may not fit the wheel really well and can warp it again. The rim lugs need to lay flat against the felloe on the ford wood wheel.
Loose or worn spokes are an entirely different issue. If the wood is extremely dry itll shrink and cause looseness too... ws