Some things have more details associated with them than one might think. In this case, it has taken what seems like forever to get the splined hubs on the axles, the tires on the wheels, and the wheels on the axles. Today, however, it did come together for a bunch of stuff.
I took the MWS wire wheels and Coker Excelsior tires to Fred Belanger at Wheel Repair Service in Auburn, Mass. for mounting and balancing. It took longer - and cost a LOT more - than I planned, but the job was done well. See Fred in the photo of the wheels and tires. The Excelsior Stahl tires are 6.00-6.50/18 in the front, 7.00/18 in the rear. These are a new radial tire made to look like old bias ply tires. Fred prepped the wheels, installed the rim bands, special racing tubes with brass stems, and the tires without scratching the silver powder-coat finish on the wheels. Then he balanced them the old-school way on a bearing-mounted spindle using adhesive weights on the inside of the rim. The wheels and tires weigh about 55 lbs each. The steel splined hubs and drums add another ~40-50 lbs each, so there is a lot of unsprung weight, not even counting the axle itself and part of the spring weight.
I re-assembled the rear axle from the 1928 GB-W sedan and put the rear splined hub and drum assemblies on the NOS axle shafts. I needed about .001-.006" in-out play on the axles, but didn't have enough shims, so I had the local laser-cutting shop make a bunch of new hex-shaped shims from 0.005" steel shim stock. I added six of them to get the right amount of free play, glad I made eight of them. I would have hand-cut them from plastic sheet, but wasn't sure how they would hold up to grease, oil, and heat for 75 more years.
It was an adrenaline high to actually push the wheels onto the splined hubs, wind on the spinners, and see wheels and tires on the chassis, at last. It's still a long way from being a car, but every bit of progress feels good. I think I'm about ready to let the chassis rest on its own wheels for the first time.
I took the MWS wire wheels and Coker Excelsior tires to Fred Belanger at Wheel Repair Service in Auburn, Mass. for mounting and balancing. It took longer - and cost a LOT more - than I planned, but the job was done well. See Fred in the photo of the wheels and tires. The Excelsior Stahl tires are 6.00-6.50/18 in the front, 7.00/18 in the rear. These are a new radial tire made to look like old bias ply tires. Fred prepped the wheels, installed the rim bands, special racing tubes with brass stems, and the tires without scratching the silver powder-coat finish on the wheels. Then he balanced them the old-school way on a bearing-mounted spindle using adhesive weights on the inside of the rim. The wheels and tires weigh about 55 lbs each. The steel splined hubs and drums add another ~40-50 lbs each, so there is a lot of unsprung weight, not even counting the axle itself and part of the spring weight.
I re-assembled the rear axle from the 1928 GB-W sedan and put the rear splined hub and drum assemblies on the NOS axle shafts. I needed about .001-.006" in-out play on the axles, but didn't have enough shims, so I had the local laser-cutting shop make a bunch of new hex-shaped shims from 0.005" steel shim stock. I added six of them to get the right amount of free play, glad I made eight of them. I would have hand-cut them from plastic sheet, but wasn't sure how they would hold up to grease, oil, and heat for 75 more years.
It was an adrenaline high to actually push the wheels onto the splined hubs, wind on the spinners, and see wheels and tires on the chassis, at last. It's still a long way from being a car, but every bit of progress feels good. I think I'm about ready to let the chassis rest on its own wheels for the first time.
for mount and balance...but as you say, it was worth it to have it done professionally. 
BP
We've got to quit saying, 
Comment