[ROVERNET - UK] Wheels - Lots of info...

[Kent Kinard]

Hi Fletcher et al.,
Even I'm beginning to get confused on this.  I like the 
comment that "parts on cars take precedent", so this is 
what I have or have had in the way of parts.

I have hubs with 1/2 " studs and 4 3/4" bolt circle.

I have had, but cannot now locate, at least one steel 
wheel with welded center which matches these hubs.

I can find no evidence from catalogue or OEM data that 
indicates that Motor Wheel ever made a steel Magnum 500 in 
anything other than 4 1/2 and 4 3/4 inch bolt circles. 
 Studs and nuts may have varied, but all the Rover Magnum 
500 I have seen were welded centers and large studs.

Assumption:  If Motor Wheel had made a Magnum 500 with a 
5" circle, Rover would have bought them and saved the 
expense of machining the hubs for an odd (other than 5") 
bolt patern.  Magstar production was such that the centers 
could simply be machined to a particular bolt patern, thus 
Rover ordered them to fit the stock 5" bolt patern hubs. 
 5" Magnum 500 would have required a special stamping 
which would have driven the price of the wheels up 
considerably.   From the small volume of Magnum 500 and 
the short time they were available, it would seem they 
were a sort of stop-gap.  The decision to offer styled 
wheels evidently came from sales and probably from North 
America and the styled wheels were a popular option. 
 Magnum 500 and Magstar were never offered outside North 
America.  I think Vern's research tends to point in this 
direction.

All the Rover RO-stlyes I have ever seen or owned (I have 
about 20 wheels in stock now) had a 5" bolt circle and 
were rivetted construction.  I have never looked closely 
at RO-styles for any other vehicle (MG, etc.) and my 
reference should have been to Rover wheels only.   I would 
like to see  a set of RO stamped Rover wheels with welded 
construction.  They may exist.  I just haven't seen any. 
 I would like to see a Magnum 500 with a 5" bolt circle. 
 They may exist.  Ford did offer the Magnum 500 at the 
same time that some Mustangs had a 5" bolt circle.  I 
doubt they were offered in combination. I just haven't 
seen any.

There is a slight difference in the relationship between 
rim and center on the welded wheel vis a vis the rivetted 
wheel.  I seem to remember the welded wheel having a 
deeper "dish."

Bottom line:  If your wheels fit your hubs and you are 
happy, then I am happy.  If you are ordering used or new 
wheels, make sure they fit the hubs you have before you 
pay.

And never, never send anything out of the US by way of 
USPS.   Peter Mitchell's bonnet badge is lost somewhere 
between Texas and Western Australia.  If I have seemed 
testy, I appologise.