help needed at the Berkshire 4x4

[paulob1]

took the 432 to reading today...for the 4x 4 show...two of the road wheels look as if they are about to loose their rubber...can i change the wheels with a bottle jack...what happens if they let go whilst I am driving her on the road...I have a 30 mile journey back home...should I risk it or change them before I go back...

[sirhc]

The easiest way to change the wheels is with a jacking strut. It is possible to change them with a bottle jack, but you'll need the adaptor which goes in the axle arm. As to what happens if they let go, the rubber could fly off and hit an oncoming vehicle, it could go straight up and hit the vehicle behind, or it might just get stuck in the gap between the 2 wheels. If you have spares with you I'd change them.

[84KB11]

Probably too late with this reply, but for future reference;

 

Other option if the roadwheel has badly delaminated and you have no spares, would be to jack the axle arm up bt a few inches and remove the rubber from the wheel.

It would be safer to drive back without rubber on the wheel, rather than have it come off on route and cause an RTA.

One exception to this would be if it is an idler wheel. If one of these is an issue, swap it for one of the roadwheels.

[sirhc]

One thing to remmber when changing road wheels is that the diameter of the 2 wheels fitted to each hub should be about the same. If they are very different it can cause the bearings to fail.

[paulob1]

thanks for the help guys, they just look really bad...not delaminted yet so will run her for a while longer...need more spare wheels though i guess...