A set of wires wheels is the most important part of a period classic car or lowrider. The wire wheel is as appealing now as it has ever been, even though they require more maintenance to clean and look after. But if you listen to our advice, wire wheel cleaning and maintenance are not difficult.
The Physics of Wire Wheels
A wire wheel must deal with many directions of stress at the same time, because of the various ways in which acceleration, cornering, and braking impose loads from different directions between the wheel rim and the hub.
It is important that the spokes are loaded in tension, as any compression will cause the spoke to bend. Sideways forces are controlled by arranging the spokes across the hub in different ways to form rigid triangles. The spokes work in pairs to absorb loads, and fore weight transfer is controlled by these pairs acting in tension. Strength is added by complex patterns of lacing or crossing.
Many designs use right-hand thread on the right side and left-hand thread on the left side of the car in order to avoid rotation loosening as you drive.
Wheel Maintenance
Wire wheels still require more maintenance than conventional wheels, as the spokes and nipples stretch over time, requiring periodic tightening. As they stretch and get tightened, they can throw the wheel out of true, so the trick is to tighten them without messing up the true. This is best done by a pro, or with the wheel mounted on a truing stand. Some experts say that wheels should be tightened and re-trued at 500 miles, and then again about every 20,000 miles.
We recommend conducting regular inspections on your car’s wire wheels every three months or before a long journey. Traditionally, you can check a spokes tension by tapping it with a pencil. A flat sound is indicative of a loose or broken spoke, whereas a sharp uniform ping means you’re good to go.
If you hear a flat sound indicating the spoke is loose, it can be tightened with a proper key, but only if the spoke isn’t rusted up. You want to avoid driving around with damaged or loose spokes as it will place greater strain on the sound ones. You’ll find that the front wheel suffers the most due to the forces of your brakes. Don’t drive your car if you have more than one broken or damaged spoke.
Another maintenance issue surrounds the spoke nipples, as they tend to rust themselves to the spokes and seize. If you feel inclined, a good annual maintenance practice is to spray lubricant/penetrant on each nipple, then turn it a quarter-turn loose and back.
Cleaning is the last maintenance issue. Wire wheels have a lot of surface area and pick up a lot of dirt. Additionally, if the splines are over-lubed, they’ll fling grease out to the spokes and rim, which will in turn catch even more dirt.
At the start of the season, it’s smart to remove the wheels and give them a detailed cleaning right up to the spoke heads front and back. This will allow you to inspect the wheels for loose or broken spokes, and look for stress fractures on the hub or rim.
Cleaning Your Wheels
The best possible way of keeping your wheels in pristine shape is to keep them as clean as possible. Soap and water with some elbow grease work well but you can also use a dedicated wire wheel cleaner. However, many of these products are caustic and damage paint, thus making them suitable for use only on chrome wheels.
If your chrome wheels appear to be tarnished, you can polish them using a good quality non-abrasive chrome cleaner and a soft cloth. Rinse with clean water and wipe dry.
If light rust spotting appears an acid-based chrome cleaner may be used; however, acid-based cleaners should not be used often as they are very strong. Take care to follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding treatment times and rinsing procedures.
Cleaning Tips:
- Wash in indirect sunlight
- Dry the wheels
- Use a brush to get into the nooks and crannies
- For a deep clean, remove wheels from the car
- Do not leave any cleaners /solvents on wheels for more than 3-5 minutes (always follow instructions)
- Clean regularly for easier cleaning
How often you need to clean your wire wheels depends on the distance driven and the road conditions experienced. Due to brake dust and road salt being highly corrosive we strongly recommend thoroughly cleaning the wheels off the vehicle before putting it into storage, for example over the winter. For storage over winter remove the wheels from the vehicle, clean thoroughly, dry completely and apply a light spray of WD40 (or equivalent) to help protect your wheels. If applying WD40 for storage, then the wheel must be thoroughly cleaned before first use to ensure the oil does not compromise the brakes.
Wire Wheel Replacement
New wire wheels ain’t cheap, so any decision to replace them will be based on whether or not the wheels are in good shape. If you experience any sort of rattle in forward or reverse, or worse still, when cornering, then your wheels will need an expert examination, which is dangerous and needs to be fixed. The best maintenance is prevention. However, if you need a new set of wire wheels, know that we have you covered!
