follow up on new Superlite Wheels

[Matthew 69-2000]

Reviving a very old thread here. I’m dealing with the exact same issue on my new watanabe wheels. Hub bore of 73.1mm allegedly (going to get some calipers to verify), but I was seeing a deflection left to right while the front wheels were spinning and lugs torqued to spec. Upon further inspection, the wheel was not flush mounted to the hub, causing a slight wobble.

Going to investigate a solution this week. I’ll add some photos and videos to this thread for future reference.

[Matthew 69-2000]

Tore into the front hubs today to get the wheels and hubs removed for machining. I took some measurements and found my hubs to be ~74.85mm at their widest point making them disagree with the watanabe‘s I just bought with a 73mm hub bore. When the wheels are placed on the hub, they sit tightly on the tapered hub body, but don’t make complete contact with the hub face. This is what was causing my wobble with the combo. I’m hoping a quick machine of the fluted edge of the hub will resolve the issue for me.

Sharing some pictures to show what I saw. My calipers were too large to fit flush within the wheel when measuring the hub, so I started on the right side (150mm) and subtracted the value I saw (76mm) to arrive at 74mm for the actual hub bore. There seems to already be a taper in the wheels, but not enough to clear the hub.

[david premo]

DO NOT machine the hubs, machine the wheels. It’s only a little more than a millimeter and aluminum is super easy to machine.

[rwmann]

100% agree.

DO NOT machine the hubs, machine the wheels. It’s only a little more than a millimeter and aluminum is super easy to machine.

[datsun65]

I've been running my Superlite Wheels on my roadster for 14+ years. I had my rims slightly adjusted and no issues after many thousands of miles.

[Matthew 69-2000]

DO NOT machine the hubs, machine the wheels. It’s only a little more than a millimeter and aluminum is super easy to machine.

I've been running my Superlite Wheels on my roadster for 14+ years. I had my rims slightly adjusted and no issues after many thousands of miles.

I was debating this - machine the wheels or the hub. I'm curious the reason not to machine the hub. The widest part where it meets the face is messily cast and has extra material that can be removed. That said, the wheels do as well.

[david premo]

They already pretty thin, clean out the inside of the hub and reach in with a caliper and I don’t think there is an excessive amount of material.

[Matthew 69-2000]

Just got everything buttoned up after machining the hubs. I left a wheel with the machine shop for reference and asked they only remove the minimum amount needed to clear. The hubs now fit perfectly within the wheels and my wobble is gone. I spoke with a few vintage mechanics and datsun mechanics and no one expressed concern or preference in machining the hubs vs. wheels.

Sharing some before and after photos of the final hubs for reference.

Before

A9357309-3A31-42E0-BD29-06932B664AF7.jpeg

After

E35116CA-FBAF-41CD-8FC9-0C3BE6D17A81.jpeg

Painted and Mounted

18471924-27A7-4CFA-BA96-9CABF5B3E3F5.jpeg

[rwmann]

Not to make light of it, but if you ever have a hub crack or fail, that's probably why, whereas there would be no similar issue with machining the rim.

[Matthew 69-2000]

Not to make light of it, but if you ever have a hub crack or fail, that's probably why, whereas there would be no similar issue with machining the rim.

If that day comes, I’ll update this thread. I’d certainly take full responsibility. The shop removed so little material I’m not concerned about a failure as a result of this work.

That said, I did consider picking up an extra pair of hubs to have on hand just in case. At the end of the day, I didn’t see any reason not to machine the hubs based on my research and conversations here.

[Mattk]

Hi Matthew, I just bumped into this thread. I had the same issue with my wheels as well. But I had the rims themselves machined and only where the hub was fat. You probably won’t have a failure so long as you’re not tracking the car. I would be concerned if you were planning on it. Also where they machined the hub; did they round the base of the hub where they took the excess off where it intersects with the mounting face? That would reduce the risk of failure a great deal. Sharp edge and sharp corners are features that can promote stress cracks and fatigue. Just food for thought.

Cheers