24 replies to this topic

[thebullet]

They came as standard on my 1983 Mini Sprite, I sold the spare wheel in the boot with Dunlop tyre when I started using it.

[OneSteveM]

Nooby here, and a bit late to this topic, but i hope I can add a little light on Exacton wheels.

From 1969 to 1974 I was an apprentice draughtsman at Aluminium Bronze, and was involved in some aspects of the wheel's production. Though, being an apprentice, this was generally in the capacity of cheap labour.

At the time of leaving the company there were two styles of wheel in production. The simple spoked wheel, and the one where the airflow apertures were highlighted by machining. These being a development of the first as the spokes only were very similar to wheels produced by Dunlop at the time, and A.B. wanted to differentiate a little.

In about 1973 a number of alternate designs were also put forward by the designer and I had the unfortunate task of proffering an opinion on "what you young people would like" (sadly, I can't recall his name, but my memory is of him as an irascible old sod who used to regale me with his opinions as he gave me a lift home in his Vauxhall Victor). From the catalogues produced earlier, none of my suggestions made it to market.

If I may clarify the differences between the Exacton wheels and the Dunlop.

The ribs (spokes) on the Dunlop wheels are thicker than the Exacton by about a milimetre, and radiate out from a centre point. The brake vent holds are also triangular.

The ribs on the Exacton wheels are slightly offset from the centrepoint (although, as I recall, at the top they're equidistant around the rim), so giving greater clearance to the nut/washer (provided by the company). The brake vent apertures are also "oval". Incidentally, the nut/washer was machined in-house and chromed by a subsidiary.

Exacton also made after-market aluminium rocker covers, but I can't recall for which models. I think the Mini was one, and the 1100 series the other.

Cheers,
Steve

[Guess-Works.com]

p/n for later wheel nuts... GAW115, which according to Somerford are superseded by GAW115A which they sell...

http://www.somerford...oducts_id=12069

Edited by Guess-Works.com, 14 November 2012 - 05:52 PM.

[mrbridger]

Nice info Steve, I bought this book a while ago.

Its not the most riveting read but there are some pictures of staff which might interest you!



I think this must have been the brew machine

[OneSteveM]

Nice info Steve, I bought this book a while ago.

Its not the most riveting read but there are some pictures of staff which might interest you!



I think this must have been the brew machine

The metal being cast by the guys isn't aluminium but aluminium bronze, the guy holding the two handles will have tilted the die to allow the metal to flow into the die better. My memory isn't good enough to recall names, but I do recognise them from spending time in the foundry as part of my apprenticeship.

The big coffee maker was a device to measure the exact composition of an alloy for quality purposes by 'arcing' a spark on it and measuring the light emitted (I think).

Is there a photo of the drawing office in there? I'd love a reminder photo of my time there.

[mrbridger]

No photos of a drawing office just things like this:

[jaydee]

Regarding Andy's wheel nuts, Cooper wheel nuts have a cone washer not flat, i've seen those nuts though, dont remember if on revolution or superlite wheels.
Exacton are becoming rarer and rarer everyday, becoming 'force racing split rims'

[yeti21586]

I've got standards and splittys

[OneSteveM]

They were obviously ashamed of us guys in the drawing office

Cheers.

[chri500]

a question on the mini special wheels does anyone know if they can be hard anodised ? or what spec the alloy is at least ?

cheers
chris