XKE Wheel Truing

You might want to consider replacing old chrome spokes w/ ss. Chrome is brittle and typically cracks which causes stress risers and corrosion of underlying steel. Dayton will make new ones using your old ones as templates.

Truing is fairly simple provided rims aren't bent. Helps if you have access to a couple dial gages.

Use a gage to find hub w/ least run out. With wheel on hub go around several times and tighten evenly until they all have a uniform ping when tapped w/ screwdriver. Set up gages in axial and radial orientations. Tighten where it's out and loosen on opposite side at 180 deg. A few whacks w/ a dead blow hammer will help redistribute the tension. Some pitch variation is OK, but if any sound really dead or taught, you'll need to play with it a bit to even out the tension.

Tape over the ends and baby powder inside of rims before installing tubes. Dayton sells a special tape, or you can use Gorilla tape.

You might want to consider replacing old chrome spokes w/ stainless steel. Chrome is brittle and typically cracks which causes stress risers and corrosion of underlying steel. Dayton will make new spokes using your old ones as templates.

Truing is fairly simple provided the rims are not bent. It helps if you have access to a couple of dial gages.

Use a gage to find the hub with least run out. With wheel on the hub go around several times and tighten until they all have a uniform ping when tapped with a screwdriver. Set up the gages in axial and radial orientations. Tighten where it's out and loosen on the opposite side at 180 deg. Ok if they don't all have exactly same pitch when done but if any sound dead or really taught you'll need to play with it a bit to even out the tension. A few good whacks with a dead blow mallet as you go will help redistribute the stress.

I had similar concerns a few years back....I would have substantial intermittent shake on the front end at speeds over 50...turns out the wheels were balanced okay, but upon examination, it turns out some of the wheels were more "out" of true than the others. Depending on the rotation location of the left and right fronts which changes constantly, at times they would "line up" in concert and cause a lot of shake....sometimes not. Basically on my car, the wheel true issues on the front left and right would work against each other and cause the problem. What to do?

All spokes were tight - just the wheels a little out of true as described. Looked at all of them on a wheel machine and rated them from best to worst - took the two worst and put them on the rear...the two best on the front...Completely solved any noticeable shake that I can feel...and I have driven it to 85-90mph (as recently as last night) - solid as a rock and straight as an arrow -

Doesn't directly answer your question, but if you do have this issue I can tell you I was pretty pleased (and surprised) with my results and haven't considered doing anything else since

Dix, Take a wooden paint sturring stick from the hardware store. Go around the wheel in the center and you will hear a pitch, It should be the same all the ways around. A solid tinny thud.You will know right away if one is loose or dead, it will be a weak sound. IMHO, and Im not a big fan so tighten but don't go crazy, if your wheels are old and you still run tubes, you really have issues on top of issues that could occur.
I went to tubeless offset 6 inch 25 years ago, they never needed a thing and have been in perfect condition and never leak air with over 70,000 miles on them from Dayton wire wheel.
Good luck, hope this helps.
GTJOEY1314

I did my Dunlops w/ s.s. spokes Dayton made using my old ones as templates. Chrome on old ones was cracked and flaking- dangerous to drive them this way.

Truing them is fairly simple provided rims are not bent. Helps if u have access to a couple dial gages. Use the gages to find hub that runs most true.

Loosen all the spoke nuts first and clean lubricate threads as needed. Install wheel on hub and go around several times tightening until all spokes a have a nice uniform ping. Set up gages on rim in radial and axial orientation. Tighten where it's out and back off on the opposite side @180deg. A few whacks with a dead blow hammer will help redistribute tension.

OK if all spokes don't have exactly same pitch when done. But if any sound really dead or taught, you'll need to play with it to spread the load more evenly.

You may have to check it again after a thousand miles.

I did my original Dunlops w/ s.s. spokes Dayton made using my old ones as templates. Chrome on originals was cracked and flaking- dangerous to drive them in this condition.

Truing them is fairly simple, assuming rims are not bent. It helps if u have access to a couple of dial gages. Check hub run out first and adjust bearing clearance if needed. Use whichever hub runs most true. Install wheel on hub.

Go around several times and tighten them all until they have a nice uniform ping when you tap w/ a screwdriver. Then set up gages one on the side of the rim (axial) and one the perimeter (radial). Measure the run out in both directions and then bring it into round by tightening where it's out and loosening on the opposite side @ 180deg. A few good whacks now and then with a rubber dead blow hammer will help redistribute the tension.

It's OK if after adjustment they don't all have the exact same pitch. However if any sound really dead or really taught, you'll need to play with it to get better load distribution.

You may have to do them again after driving them for a few hundred miles.