[Staowners] Wheel Wobble and Tyres

[George Simpson - Forums]

Pete - your e-mail about driving through a vibration patch reminded me 
of an article I read in the July/Aug 2007 Alvis O.C. Bulletin about a 
fatal accident due to tyre failure on an MGB. The driver, an skilled 
mechanic and careful and experienced driver, was killed  when the tyre 
burst and the car flipped after hitting a kerb on the M56.  The 
surviving passenger said the driver was not driving particularly fast at 
the time and had just commented that tyre wobble had developed and that 
he was going to 'drive through it'. Subsequent investigation showed that 
the tyre, although hardly used, was 25 years old and had been purchased 
as a set of as-new tyres and wheels at an autojumble.

H.M. Coroner for Manchester has written to the Federation of British 
Historic Vehicle Clubs with details. The British Rubber Manufacturers 
Assoc.  suggests that if a tyre is 6 years old and remains unused, it 
should not be put into service and that tyres have a life expectancy of 
no more than 10 years.

With the low mileage that most of us do with our classics, this advice 
is worth bearing in mind.

All the best

George


starcars8 at comcast.net wrote:
> Kevin, When I installed overdrives to my cars I took them to a speedo 
> specialist here in Portland who have a rolling road and a gauge that 
> measures the actual and indicated road speeds. They then assemble a 
> geared ratio adaptor to even out the difference and install it in the 
> speedo cable. Cost about $120. Seems a lot easier than trying to find 
> a different driven gear.
> Regarding the vibration,how's the wheel balance?? Often times when you 
> can "drive through" a vibration it's a wheel balance or run out 
> problem.You may check the wheels for run out as well as balance. What 
> was the Sunbeam turnout at Bellevue?? Unfortunately  I wasn't able to 
> make this of all years.                   Pete