Morgan

Without wheels, our Morgans would be nothing more than expensive ornaments. Those round wonders are what give a car its ability to be free, but if they’re wrong, neglected or damaged, they can ruin the fun. Plus, a pristine set of wheels can often make the aesthetic of a car complete.

Despite being a fairly crucial part of a vehicle’s ability to function, wheels often tend to be overlooked. The focus tends to go on the tyres rather than the wheels themselves. That’s okay in the first part, because tyres are incredibly important too, as we’ve covered in the past. However, it doesn’t matter how good your tyres are if the wheels they’re mounted to are sub par, and don’t think that because they look fine that they are fine. These round wonders can effortlessly hide a multitude of sins that can not only ruin the ride, but also jeopardise the safety of your beloved Morgan.

You needn’t worry about your wheels failing though, because there is a devoted mass of companies out there that can help repair or replace them, ensuring nothing but smooth running. As for what’s applicable to you, it all depends what condition you car is in. Allow MOG to walk you through the options.

Restoration and Road
If you’re looking to breathe life back into a set of wheels, the first thing you’ll need to do is a thorough visual inspection. Wire wheels are arguably the most common to be seen on Morgans, which is no bad thing as they’re delightful. However, for cars built before 2004 they would have been chrome. While it’s pleasing to the eye, it’s also a hotbed for pitting, which won’t come out no matter how much effort or elbow grease you apply.

“THESE ROUND WONDERS CAN EFFORTLESSLY HIDE A MULTITUDE OF SINS THAT CANNOT ONLY RUIN THE RIDE, BUT ALSO JEOPARDISE THE SAFETY OF YOUR BELOVED MORGAN”

So what are your options? Well, in the case of wire wheels, there are a number of options. You can have them re-spoked, which does exactly what it says on the tin. You can also have them re-rimmed, though this is something that might not be needed on every wheel. This would only really be applicable if a rim has suffered heavy corrosion or damage. Both options are costly though, so it’s well worth speaking to a dealer or the factory to see what the cost would be simply to replace the wheels entirely, as that’s often the most financially viable option.

If you’re in the position of having wheels that are simply looking a little tired, rather than being heavily damaged or corroded, there is always the option to have the wheels stripped and painted, with most people opting for a silver or black finish, the latter serving as a nice nod to the more contemporary cars where black is a popular choice.

If your Morgan has alloy wheels you’ll still need to be thorough with your inspection. While many generally think alloy wheels are hardwearing, the reality is that they are just as prone to damage as any other.

As with the wire wheels, the first thing you need to do is a visual inspection. Look for obvious signs of damage or heavy dents. Also look for any sign of the lacquer peeling away from the metal.

Broken/missing lacquer provides an opportunity for moisture to get at the soft alloy, corroding it and jeopardising its structural integrity in the process. A solid indicator of this happening will be the slow deflation of the tyre as air escapes past the corroded metal. If your wheels are heavily corroded, you’ll have no option but to replace them.

Providing the corrosion isn’t too deep, most alloys can be brought back to life. This is also the case if the wheels have been bent or even cracked due to an unfortunate meeting of rim and curb. There are many specialists out there who can re-shape and weld alloys back into life, though we must stress that you find someone with a proven track record, not simply a workshop with an overzealous bloke glued to the welder. Also, this kind of repair is designed for slight knocks and  dents,  not  collisions  that  have left the wheel in the shape of a kidney bean.

If the alloy wheels simply look tired, you can have them refurbished by a specialist. Williams Morgan, for example, offer this service (as well as the previously mentioned works on wire wheels) for a sensible cost. An alloy wheel refurbishment is a sure-fire way to breathe life back into your wheels without breaking the bank. Plus, the world is your oyster in terms of options when it comes to colours and finishes.

Fast Road/Race
As you know, a lot of Morgan race cars aren’t hugely different from Morgan road cars. As such, the same rules mentioned previously for wire and alloy wheels still apply here. You have to love the cross-compatibility of Morgans!

There are some elements that are more suited to those Morgans of a racy disposition though, a fine case in point being the means by which the wheel is affixed to the car.In the interest of speed and function, many race cars will employ a centre lock system for keeping the wheels in place. It’s basically one large, threaded spindle that goes through the centre of the wheel. The wheel is then held in place by a large, single nut. This means there’s only one nut to remove, not four, and therefore pit stops are a lot quicker. It’s also a traditional means of keeping wheels attached to road cars, having been adopted by many manufacturers over the years, including Morgan.

Your car will either have it or it won’t, primarily because the cost to convert from one to the other is horrendously expensive owing to the fact that bodywork needs to be changed to match the altered track of the vehicle (centre lock will usually mean a wider track). If you do have it, it’s important to make sure the thread on the mounting spindle hasn’t been damaged during years of wheels coming on and off. The same goes for the wheel itself. Check the hole in the middle for excessive damage and wear. If the shape of the hole has been bent or the mounting face damaged, the wheel won’t sit right and that will have a drastic effect on the way the car drives.

Another feature a race car is more likely to have than a road car is a set of split-rim wheels. As the name suggests, split rim wheels are made from several pieces. Normally this will be a drum or rim (the part the tyre mounts to) with a bolted-in centre section or it will consist of a two-piece drum/rim with a centre section (as in the bit that bolts to the car) sandwiched between.

The idea behind them is that it’s easy to replace parts if they’re involved in a ‘racing incident’. They’re more of a styling thing these days though, as monoblock alloys are more common, cheaper and lighter. However, if your car has split rim alloys, you need to be sure they have been built correctly. Not only can incorrect construction result in a ruined ride due to the wheel being out of balance, it can also mean the tyre won’t hold air. It never hurts to have a set rebuilt, especially if you’re planning to compete or even just for fast road use. This is something a specialist would be able to undertake for you. You can do it at home as rebuild kits are common, but we wouldn’t recommend it if you’ve never tackled anything like that before.

Other than what’s been covered, just make sure you look after your wheels. If you’re getting any feedback or rumbling through the steering wheel (normally at a specific speed) it means your wheels are out of balance while they may look perfectly round, wheels need fine tuning with weights to ensure their rotation is smooth. If that’s the case, a good tyre fitter can balance them up for about £5 a wheel.

If you ever have a bump or clout a curb, always get the wheel in question checked out for damage. If there is any, its complete failure will seldom happen at 10mph it’ll happen at speed when the wheel is under the most stress. That’s why you should never take their condition for granted.

Finally and it’s the most simple tip in the book check, check and triple check the wheel nuts are tight. You can get a torque wrench for £20 which, when used in conjunction with the settings described in your car’s handbook, will make sure your wheels stay put!