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G3WO New wheel rims advice please

I am starting the rebuild of my 1939 Matchless G3WO. I am going to need new rims and therefore I wonder if anyone can point me in the best direction for new rims and someone to relace my wheels?

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

Hi Andrew..I use Brickwood Rim Company. They supply rims made by the Devon Rim Company which I think are the best on the market. They can supply spokes, build your wheels etc. and will supply the rims unplated..Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

Andrew. If you intend to chop out the hubs and prepare them before having the wheels rebuilt. Make sure you measure any offsets accurately, so that you can give the spec to the builder......They sometimes get it wrong, and it's a bugger once they are painted with the tyres fitted and all. DAMHIK Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

thanks Ian and Ron, great intel as always. Can you tell me please, whether there is a specific type of rim I would need to order? Are these wheels a sort of Heavy Duty pattern, or will they know what to buy in?

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

I think they are standard WM1 rims. But just let your wheel builder have one of the old rims as pattern. He'll know about spoke nipple hole angles etc. But as I said earlier. give him the offset measurements so that the wheels will sit in the centre of your forks and not off to one side. Of course make sure they are centred before you strip them off the bike. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

Is that right Ron?..The M20 uses a WM2 on the front and a WM3 on the rear. WM1 rims are very narrow..Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

Well I wasn't sure about the WM size. But the parts list states 2 1/2" wide. I looked at the spec on the technical page and the nearest is WM1 at 2.4". I can read the 'Dunlop made in England' stamp on mine but I haven't found the size yet. It's also why I suggested to Andrew that he uses the old rims as patterns.
Incidental Henk, the rim size data comes up very small for me??? Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

WM is the rim pattern (Internal form) and they are measured where the tyre bead sits, not across the outside...So a WM1 is 1.6" a WM2 1.85" and a WM3 2.15".
WM1 rims are made to accept either a 2.75 or 3.00 tyre width, WM2 and WM3 to accept either a 3.25 or 3.50 tyre width. I don't know what was standard on the Matchless but the rim size can be selected to suit your intended tyre width from the info above....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

I agree with those internal rim measurements. The G3 and G3L parts lists and workshop manuals both give the same part number and size for the rims. Unfortunately they only give the size as 19"x2 1/2". I wonder what they mean by that. The tyre size for both wheels is 3.25. Also I just noticed that the rims are not considered interchangeable, as the rear rim has bigger spoke nipple holes. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

Oh err , I think I follow all that! By the way, anyone got a spare G3WO workshop manual and parts catologue? thx

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

G3WO was pre REME days, so neither spares list nor maintenance manual has that much info nor illustrations.

But if you need repros, try www.robvanmeel.nl

Rob

email (option): rvanmeel@wanadoo.nl

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

thanks Rob, I ve been e mailed a few copies of various parts books, thankyou to those that have sent them I am very grateful. I am going to set about measuring the offset on the wheels, i assume its a straight edge across the rim and then measure the hub location and draw it up?

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

Hi Andrew..Take off the brake plates, put a straightedge across the outer edge of the brake drum and measure the distance to the outer face of the rim edge...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: G3WO New wheel rims advice please

perfect, thanks Ian. Dont want to be driving down the road sideways like an old mini

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

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