Wheels

technical data -

5.1/4" x 16" John Bull tyres on bolt-on steel disc wheels. Later cars were fitted with the same sized Dunlop equivalent tyres.

Tyre pressures are 26 psi (front) and 28 psi (rear).

8'3" wheelbase with 4' track (front and rear) and 35' turning circle.

Front hub bearing (inner) is Timken part #1997X/1922, front hub bearing (outer) is Timken part #07087X/07210X (both single-row straight bore TS series bearings).

maintenance -

Remove hubcaps at periodic intervals and check for signs of wheel cracking (see 'problems' below).

Lubricate every 6,000 miles with (eg.) Marfak 2 H.D.

problems -

The wheels are prone to cracking around the circle, where the metal of the wheel changes direction from the flat part that bolts against the brake drum to the cylindrical part that protrudes outwards from the circular disc section.
Look for a thin rust line in the wheel paint on the radius - any evidence of a crack, or a rust line, might need a full dye penetrant crack check.

Flat tires may not be caused by punctured inner tubes but simply by dirt lodged in the valve stem - wash and blow through with air supply to clear the blockage.

On occasion the hubcap retaining lugs may have become flattened or damaged which may lead to the loss of a hubcap - add weld metal or brazing spelter to the offending retaining stud(s), file it back to shape and repaint it.

removal -

Remove hubcap to access 4x wheel nuts.

Removal of tyre from wheel:
1) Remove valve cap and valve insert (with tweezers).
2) Once fully deflated, lay wheel flat on ground (either side up) and apply downwards force to tyre. This is best achieved by driving another car slowly back and forth over the tyre (being careful to avoid the wheel).
3) Repeat #2, rotating the wheel by 1/4 turns as necessary until the tyre is pressed down off the rim.
4) Reach inside tyre and pull out inner tube.
5) Tyre can now be removed from wheel by inserting several tyre levers (or crowbars) and prising off the wheel.

Removal of hub:
(the following notes are from memory and have not been verified)
The hub and bearing assembly goes onto the spindle - that is followed by a round (washer-like) nut with a ring of holes in it - that is followed by a washer with a keyed internal bore and a pin in it.
The pin fits into one of the holes in the washer-like nut, to prevent it from rotating.
The washer is followed by a castellated nut, with a split pin through it, to prevent it from rotating.
Assuming that you have removed the split pin, the castellated nut and the washer with the pin in it and the keyed centre hole, the washer-shaped nut should unscrew, with the aid of a pair of large 'Mole'-grips.

other notes -

Check that all wheels (including the spare) are the same type - many cars, possibly even as they left the factory, seem to have been supplied with mismatched wheels.
There are two distinct shapes of holes that were punched into the LD10 wheel spider - a narrow slit (believed to be prevalent on the earlier Briggs-bodied cars) or an isosceles triangle (used on later cars). In addition to the two types of hole, there are two differing quantities of hole - wheels may have four holes or five holes.

It may be possible (although it is not recommended) to fit 5.1/2" tyres, but larger sizes (eg. Taxi) will not properly fit the rear wheel arches.

Although Dunlop supplied the later tyres, the wheels were bought from a company called 'Rubery-Owen' - no part numbers are known.

Aside from the John Bull and Dunlop tyres, suitable re-moulds and modern equivalents are Michelin, Firestone, India, Davies, Regent Sovereign, Mabor General, Goodyear and Avon Tourist.

It is recommended to buy new tyres in pairs, fit the new ones to the front, move the worn ones to the rear, and keep the best worn one as spare. The rear tyres do wear faster on the LD10 and it is good policy to wear out the older tyres first.

Payen part number C578 is a suitable rear hub oil seal. The original part is believed to be a Superfect part number NA430.

5.1/4" x 16" tyres were standard on the post war Hillman Minx, the Austin Somerset and on some Ford Populars and Prefects (although the last two also used 17" wheels).

It is possible to replace the LD10 wheels with a set of Morgan 4/4 (1958 on) wheels (Dunlop part #LP810) which take 5.1/2" x 15" tyres and will fit the hubs without adapters or spacers. Whilst no problems have been reported, it should be noted however, that the Morgan is a much lighter car.

If a hubcap is loose on ALL wheels, cut a radius on the end of a short wooden plank, to suit the inside radius of the hubcap. Angle the radius on the plank slightly so that, when placed on its end, the open side of the hubcap can be put over it, with a small gap at the open edge.
With the hubcap mounted on the end of the plank and the plank supported in a vice, use a hide faced mallet to gently tap down the edge of the hubcap to reduce its inner diameter a fraction. Even a tiny reduction will make a big difference, so be sure to check the fit at regular intervals.

Hub bearing equivalent part numbers :

Oil seal equivalent part numbers :

diagrams -

All images are scanned from originals, wherever possible, at 100dpi (unless otherwise noted) and must be scaled when printed to preserve the original size (eg. scale up by 3 times for a 300dpi printer).

Note, however, that due to slight scaling inaccuracies during both the scanning and inevitably the printing, these images should be taken as an approximation for reference only.
In addition, drawings, measurements and notes of materials used are intended as a guide and aid to the restorer, and not necessarily a definitive, or even guaranteed correct, reference.

The 3 different wheel types believed to have been fitted to Briggs series I (far left) and later Briggs and the Barker-bodied LD10 (center and right). The 4 hole variant occurs infrequently and may be a result of later, period, replacements.

A cross-sectional sketch through the wheel.

Front hub oilseal.

Sketch of a wheel stud.

Hub cap - 18 gauge mild steel, chrome plated and painted the body color within the recessed circle.

A wheel nut.

An example wheel spacer for mounting non-standard wheels (should this be necessary for some reason).

links -