A blog about my the history, acquisition and operation of my 1911 Model 62 Stanley Steamer.
The rear wheels are back from Noah Stutzman with fresh wood and look perfect.
As you may notice the wheel bolts are new. When we disassembled the old wheels we found that the original bolts were in need of replacement. Many had been cross threaded and had heavily rusted shanks.
We had the originals copied because they are a non standard design with a high dome and no square under the head like a normal carriage bolt.
Now off to paint.
I tour my car and inevitable that comes at a cost. During my September touring down in Spokane Washington I ending up on a long downhill gravel road that was basically solid washboard. Due to the design of the suspension on a Stanley and my cars light weight it started hammering the axles up and down until I was able to bring the car to a complete stop. When I got the car back to the hotel I noticed that it did some damage...
As you can see above two of the spokes on the passenger side rear wheel cracked along the grain next to the hub. The wheel was still structurally sound, but it is now only a matter of time before the wheel completely fails. So, this winter we will be re-wooding the rear wheels to beready for next years touring season.
Happy Steaming!
