MGB wires on a Midget

[Rut]

I asked this on another forum and wondered if MGB wire wheels would fit on Midget hubs on a Bugeye. Has anyone done this?
Thanks, Rut

 

[mightymidget]

Depending on splines, since there are two set ups.

I purchased a set of chrome 14" wire wheels off ebay (dayco?) And place one on the rear end of project car. They went on the hub fine, need a bugeye 13" wheel to check thread count on knockoffs to see if that is ok since 14" wheel is wider than 13" stock wire wheel.

Also did not have tire on the wheel nor the rear end mounted in bugeye

 

[nomad]

I had the same idea and borrowed a wheel to try it. Don't believe I ever actually put it on the car because the limiting factor for me was the weight. There is a HUGE difference between the spridget wheel and the MGB. I believe the hubs are the same.

Kurt.

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Yep hub and spline count is the same on all of the MGs and Triumph of the 60s/70s/80s, only when you get to the Jjags, does the spline size change. We had guys put the splined alloy 14" wheels on Midgets, so I'm guessing you could put a MGB wire wheel on a Midget. Everything to do with a spline drive wheel set up is heavy, lightweight and spline drive don't go together.

 

[nomad]

Hap I was going to fit Spitfire wheels to a spridget and did find out that the triumph spit wheel won't work. The hub appears to be the same but the spitfire wheel has a shorter hub, if I remember correctly. Anyway DO NOT fit spit wheels or you will risk having them come off.

Kurt.

 

[HealeyRick]

I've got standard Spridget 4 x 13" wires on my bugeye. I'm not sure that if you fit the wider and larger MGB wheel and tire you're going to have enough room without some fender modifications. There's just not of room in the rear for more tire. The other issue is backspacing and tires rubbing up against the rear springs. I wouldn't go all in until you had a chance to mock up one of the wheels to see how it fits.

 

[Rut]

Thanks everyone for the great replys. I have a set of wire wheels from a 73 Midget, the original Bugeye wheels, a new set of VTO Classic 8s and a set of 4 spoke magnesium wheels from the 60s, all 13". I was looking at the MGB wheels as a possibility of going to 14" to give me a wider variety of tire choices since 13" performance tires are almost extinct. I hadn't considered weight as a factor during this process and didn't think wire wheels would be that much more. I may try one just for grins when I get to that part of the restoration.
Thanks again, Rut