Tech Tips

Spoke Wheels vs. Steel Wheels
Can the Equation be Balanced?
Part 1
By Larry Diaz

I don't think the spoke wheel can be surpassed when it comes to the classic British sports car look. I also don't think that a steel or alloy wheel can be surpassed when it comes to durability or ease of maintenance. The equation of classic looks compared to durability and ease of maintenance appears to equal out. But after driving spoke wheel for a number of years I think ease of maintenance and durability of the steel wheel outweighs the classic British sports car look.
After years of bouncing, shimmying, shaking, and rattling down the road (not to mention the occasional flat due to a bad inner tube), I decided to try to put this equation in better balance. I first tried to smooth out the ride. I had my tires balanced numerous times using spin balancers, bubble balancers, computer balancers and just plain hit or miss balancing technique. Nothing helped much. The bubble balance was probably the most effective but still not very good.
Since my tires were starting to dry rot, I thought the first order of business should be to buy new tires. I bought new tires and had them computer balanced. To my horror, they were worse than my old ones. I thought that new spoke wheels might help solve the problem. I ran the idea by Donna, thinking I may run into some resistance, but she had been bouncing, shimmying, shaking, and rattling down the road just as I had and was just as anxious to get the problem solved. She said, "Sure, go ahead if you think it will help." I decided to push my luck and suggest that chrome would certainly look better which she also agreed to. Now everything was on me.
I could not get past the thought of spending in the neighborhood of $900 and ending up with sharper looking wheels but a ride that was just as bad as the old one. I decided to call Bolten and James in Spartanburg, SC. I asked if they had any experience with this type of wheel. They said they did and agreed to evaluate the wheels I had on the car. After the evaluation, I was told that my wheels were not perfect but not that bad. In fact, if I purchased new ones, chances are they would not be any better. They suggested truing the tires on the car and then balancing the wheels while still on the car. I agreed to this procedure and in about an hour and $94 later I had a perfectly smooth ride.
The balance bar on this equation is starting to shift back to level. I still have a way to go and in part two I will address my next goal- going tubeless.