Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with wheel

security for wheel covers?

datacenter refugee — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:33:38 -0800

Wheel covers keep getting stolen. Any way to secure them? My girlfriend drives a 2008 Corolla that keeps losing wheel covers. The first one disappeared while she was on vacation last week (car was not in use). The second went missing last night. Replacing them is not a problem, but I don't want to keep buying them without addressing the root of the problem.

Is there any way to lock these things on? She has the 15" 6-spoke wheel covers pictured here . The wheel covers are snap-on and are not secured by the wheel's lug nuts. I realize that even a lug nut is removable, but something that secured the covers to them would at least be a deterrent. Does anyone know of such a solution? Thanks!

PS she has security nuts on but they only protect the wheel from removal, not the covers :(

Which simple machine is a winch?

slappy_pinchbottom — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:19:15 -0800

SimpleMachinesFilter: which is a winch? Given the categorization of simple machines into these 6 types:

• lever
• inclined plane
• wedge

• screw
• pulley
• wheel and axis

would you classify a winch as a pulley or a wheel and axis type of simple machine? Or is it a combination of simple machines?

Also, would it be correct to say that the difference between the first three types of simple machines and the second three is that the second three multiply torque?

(If there's something screwy [so to speak] about the classification system in the first place, please sound off about that as well.)

Thanks in advance!

Buy a new bike wheel or a new bike?

smeater44 — Fri, 22 May 2009 11:30:33 -0800

Yet another sad bike story in Chicago. Can you help me find a new wheel or a new bike? Awesomeness today as I left my apartment. I stepped outside to find my bike's front wheel missing. Stolen is a better word. I have since been scouring the internet for a replacement to no avail. I called Village Cycle, where I bought the bike. They can replace it for $100 and some change. That just sounds ridiculous to me. The bike only cost $300. It's a silly Trek 820 mountain bike, 26" wheels. So, my question is this: Do you know a place in Chicago that might have a front wheel (used is a-ok with me) for more like $50-$60? And if not, I've sort of been wanting to trade this bike out for a hybrid anyway, this is just a little sooner than I'd wanted...thanks wheel thief. Any recommendations on a place that sells quality, cheap hybrids? As I enjoy using my bike as my primary mode of transportation, I need to do this ASAP. And if it matters, I am a girl. Tend to type like a dude, so, for the record.

BONUS QUESTION: Can anyone explain to me the bike black market in Chicago???? What is going to happen to my front wheel that makes stealing it worth it? Every biker I know in this city has had some piece, if not their entire bike stolen. I've had a bike stolen before, hence I don't buy expensive bikes. I'm just glad this time they only got a wheel. How sad is that?

Where to buy a low friction wheel with external hub and a tiny electric generator?

brenton — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:59:46 -0800

Where can I find a super low-friction wheel with a ring around it and also a little generator? I am making one of those silly home-brew perpetual motion machines with magnets. The magnets will spin the wheel which will generate electricity to light a light bulb. Is it true that you can take a normal motor (like from a desk fan) and run it backwards to turn it into a generator?

As for the wheel, I need something low friction that will spin easily, and I need a ring that will go on the outside of the wheel, separated by about 1 inch. For example a bike tire inside a hula hoop. But I need it to be a closer fit, and preferably much smaller than a bike tire. Something that will look cooler and more professional.

BTW, I know about how perpetual motion or "free energy" isn't physically possible--this is just a toy to impress friends. (Although it might have a practical application as a non-chemical battery!)

Hot 4-Way Mouse Scrolling (FCP edition)

andromache — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:32:54 -0800

What's the best mouse to use with Final Cut Pro 6? I've done the Google and found a few responses, but in this, and most cases, I trust MeFtes more than the Internet body politic generally.

I'm currently using the Mighty Mouse that came with my aluminim iMac. I find it a little lacking, not least because the scroll ball has been behaving erratically after just a few months of use (I've noticed this on three newish Mighty Mice--get it together, Apple. We pay a premium for your fancy, curvilinear products, and we want them to last). I've also tried a Logitech trackball, but it doesn't seem to be quite precise enough for Final Cut business.

Top priority is 4-way scrolling so I can move through the timeline horizontally. Best would be an actual ball, like the Mighty Mouse's, but if that's proprietary, I'll take a good scroll wheel that leans side-to-side. I like clicky scroll wheels, and wireless would be nice. I've got big ole hands (Jesus, remember those tiny circular mice that came with the candy-colored iMacs? That was hell for those of us with Michael Phelps hands).

When a version of this question was posted a few years ago, the concensus was the Logitech MX 1000. Is this still the standard? Is it fully compatible with Macs, and, more specifically, FCP?

What's wrong with my car?

amro — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:33:34 -0800

What is wrong with my car? As you can hopefully see from this photo, there is something large and metal that I believe is a part of the rear axle pressing hard into my rear passenger side tire and making it bulge out rather dramatically. There are more photos here. It's clearly not driveable, and I'm having it towed to a garage in the morning. But I hate looking like a dumb broad when I describe what's going on with my car to a mechanic, and I also fear that, to someone less than scrupulous, I have a big target on my head that says, "I'm a sucker and you can charge me anything!" Unfortunately, I don't yet have a trusted mechanic in my town (although I'm asking around tonight among local friends for recommendations). Therefore, I'm hoping to get at least an idea from you fine folks as to what could have happened. I don't recall going over any large potholes, and I didn't have an accident. The car just began making a loud noise, faster or slower depending upon how quickly the tires were rotating, as I drove home from work today. The noise obviously came from the metal pressing against the rotating tire, but I can't pinpoint anything that might have caused the axle, or whatever is pressing into the tire, to come... undone. Any thoughts from the more mechanically inclined? I'll be checking in and happy to provide any additional information. Oh, and it's a 2006 Saturn Ion, automatic tranmission.

Wheel = Fail

Kiwi — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:07:23 -0800

Why did my bicycle wheel flop about? Well, I ended up getting a racing bike after posting this question - for various reasons (mainly cost), and I'm loving it!

However, the front wheel is radially spoked. This causes some spokes to loosen off on occasion, so I did some research and discovered that Sheldon Brown recommends using threadlocker. So, today I re-trued the wheel, using 1342 from ThreeBond. Bad mistake! I set off for the Dunwich Dynamo tonight, and a minute after some heavy braking, the spokes all loosened, to the extent that the rim started flopping about. No ride tonight then.

So was the great Sheldon wrong? Doeas anyone else have recommendations on how to fix this? I've previously built and trued wheels, with no problems at all. The only difference is they've not been radially spoked and I've always used lube instead of threadlocker.

I can only guess that the braking warmed the rim and spoke nipples, causing the threadlocker to re-liquefy.

Alternative Mouse Driver?

russmail — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:27:49 -0800

Is it possible to add a driver to my XP box which will allow me to use my mouse wheel as a third button but does not require admin priviledges to install? I prefer to use a mouse with a driver which allows the wheel to be used as a third button. In the past I’ve used the MS Intellipoint driver, but I don’t have administrative priviledges and my new employer’s IT dept is cranky about installing anything on my machine.

I have gone through all the correct routes to do this, but I’m getting a resounding “we’ve got bigger fish to fry” response, so I'm wondering if there's a workaround?

How to get scrollwheel-clicking to open links in a new tab in Firefox?

ruwan — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:30:21 -0800

The scrollwheel-click has suddenly stopped working in Firefox. I don't recall making any changes in preferences, but all of a sudden, what used to open up links in new tabs, no longer does so. Instead wheel-clicking on a link does nothing. Any idea how to fix this problem? I feel like I'm browsing with one less finger! (Mac OSX.4.11, Firefox 2.0.0.11, Safari is unaffected by the problem.) I searched google and AskMe, both of which suggested changing settings in about:config, but I was unable to successfully fiddle around with this to get it working.

Advice for most "authentic" controllers for Microsoft Flight Simulator X

monkeyagent — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 12:51:35 -0800

I want to get my father "Microsoft Flight Simulator X" for Christmas and would like advice for which controllers (wheels, yokes, pedals, etc.) to buy for it. I don't know anything about flight controls or flight sims, but I'd like to get him the most authentic setup possbile. I'd like to hear what is typically considered a good set up for a cost of up to about $200 or so (excluding the cost of the game itself). His aeronautic interests are primarily in prop planes, but other configurations would work as well (jets, etc.)

How do I remove a wheel from a car?

OlderThanTOS — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:26:18 -0800

This car is a '97 Toyota and it was was functioning well when parked. It had a flat tire and has been parked in my driveway for three weeks. When I went to change the flat today, I could not get the wheel off. To be clear, the lug nuts all came of relatively easily, but the rim seems to be melded/rusted onto the axle. What do I do? Crowbar? Chisel? Dynamite?

Where can I find an aftermarket 16" wheel cover for a 2005 Totoya Matrix?

dy — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:03:42 -0800

Where can I find an aftermarket 16" wheel cover for a 2005 Totoya Matrix? I lost one of the wheel covers of my 2005 Toyota Matrix the other day while I was driving. I thought it's something easy and cheap to replace. I went to Walmart and Pepboys, and they both carry wheel covers up to a size of 15". Mine is 16" and was told I had to go to dealer for a replacement. Technically, I don't believe a Toyota cover will be any superior to what Walmart is selling - it's all plastic, and Toyato will charge 5x more easily. Is there any place that I can go to for a whatever brand wheel cover, relatively in the Walmart or Pepboys kinda price range for a set of 4? I live in Orange County, CA. So any where in OC or LA will work, or online. Thanks a lot.

What do you call the plastic sheet underneath the front of a car?

boognish — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 08:55:41 -0800

What would an auto parts website call the flexible sheet of plastic bolted underneath the front corners of a car, just in front of the wheel well? It looks easy to replace, but I don't know how to go about getting a replacement.

How can it be that there exists not a single example of a working wheel in nature?

It ain't over yet — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 19:26:13 -0800

How can it be that there exists not a single example of a working wheel in nature, which after all gave us (among other things) the eyeball?

What are the toughest tubes I can get for my (most likely) inappropriate bike tires?

Bengston — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:03:27 -0800

What are the toughest tubes I can get for my (most likely) inappropriate bike tires? Ok, so a couple of weeks ago I decided to turn my nice old Schwinn Sports Tourer into a fixed gear bike. To do this I needed to get a new wheel set and for whatever dumb reason I decided to get another set of 27" wheels instead of switching over to the much more common 700 size. I didn't want to end up with another pair of 1-1/4" tires for the bike so I ordered some 27 x 7/8" FasGrip Slicks from Harris Cyclery. Unfortunately they are nearly impossible to get on the rims and require 2 people to push the last bit of them over the edge. Now, just a couple days after getting the bike all setup, I woke up to find a mysterious flat. Despite my ride home the night previous going off without a hitch, when I went to take the bike to school in the morning I found that the valve on the tube was nearly completely torn off. I don't want to have to buy new fatter tires to protect my tubes and end up sinking even more money into this bike, so I am looking for recommendations for a miracle tube that will be tough enough for me not to worry about.

Tire shop questions

zek — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 00:34:18 -0800

I've got to replace my front tires, so I have some dumb tire shop questions. I've got to replace the tires on my car in the morning due to uneven front tire wear. I'll be dealing with a typical suburban Firestone shop.

1. (Most important) If I want to get the front wheel alignment fixed, how much extra time is normal? Five minutes? Twenty minutes? Fifty minutes? I have no idea how long this takes on top of new tires.

2. Is it ever a good idea to have new tires balanced? Or is this something that is only done to used tires?

3. Are there any tire upsells that I need to avoid?

4. What do you say about the "used" tires some shops sell? Are they ok buys? Or should I get new?

Thanks!

What is that noise?

poweredbybeard — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:52:00 -0800

Bicyclefilter: A pronounced grinding/scraping from my rear wheel. Is this potentially unsafe, or simply embarrassing, to ride? When I say pronounced, I mean passersby chuckle. The wheel sounds really old, really sad and really grumpy. When I spin the wheel freely, the gears wobble a bit, leading me to think the threads on the gears or the axle are close to stripped (?? I can still pedal just fine, so I don't know).

What's the worst that can happen, realistically? The wheel falls apart? Or I just suddenly find I'm pedalling but not moving?

Bicycle Needs Repair, Badly

god particle — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:01:05 -0800

After riding today, a couple things started going wrong with my bike, and I'd like to fix the problems myself, if possible. I ride a somewhat old Trek mountain bike and use it as my main form of transportation. Today I took it on an relatively long ride and started running into some problems.
When I pedal, there is a very loud creaking noise; it can be felt throughout the entire bike. I usually pedal standing up, so I'm thinking this is probably a result of me putting too much pressure on it. However, sometimes the creaking noise comes up even if I am just coasting. Can anyone diagnose exactly what is wrong with it? Could I fix this problem myself, and if so, how?
The second problem is that the back wheel has started to become wobbly. If I lift up the bike, I can shake it back and forth a bit. How do I go about tightening the wheel (or doing whatever needs to be done)?
If possible, please direct me to some online repository of bike repair information so I know where to start in the future.

Need a good web polishing wheel that turns in a horizontal plane.

nickerbocker — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 12:59:23 -0800

Please recommend a good wet polishing wheel that turns in a horizontal plane. My boss has asked me to find one and I have absolutely no experience in the area. I am polishing sectioned circuit boards to examine the middle of the solder joints. Not sure if that changes any decision making as I've already said, I have no experience here. What is a good outlet and model for me to purchase. Since I'm not sure what I need, maybe a more general purpose one would be the best to go with.

If it is helpful at all, the surface against this polishing wheel will be about 4 1/2 x 3/4 " in area.

As Always, Thanks for your input!

Need some wheels.

KevinSkomsvold — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 07:17:55 -0800

Looking for a wheel kit for my ATA case. I found just what I need here but this company no longer sells them. I was thinking of going to home depot and buying 4 wheels to slap on the case but this kit looks more stable. Anyone know of a resource for such a kit? Any DIY'ers who could offer tips? The case is for a Peavey 50-410 Classic. Thanks for any answers you may have!

How to find a reliable bicycle wheelbuilder

mcstayinskool — Mon, 08 May 2006 08:03:54 -0800

How do I go about finding someone, preferably local to Minneapolis, to build a new rear wheel for my bicycle? I have a horrible habit of breaking spokes on my current rear wheel. It tends to happen at the furthest point from home. I break a spoke at a rate of about 1 per 100 miles, which is ridiculous. My riding partner has convinced me that if I had a custom-built rear wheel I would never have this problem again.

I'd like to find someone to build a sturdy, reliable wheel for me. If possible, I'd like to find someone local to Mpls/St Paul. Anyone have pointers? Specific or general recommendations are both welcome.

If it helps, I ride a Marin Sausalito hybridish thing. The wheel has 700c rims and road tires, mountain hub, 7-speed cassette.

Steering wheel tough enough for crowds of kids

andrewzipp — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 06:03:28 -0800

I need to buy a USB steering wheel that is tough enough for an arcade machine. This is for a kiosk I'm making, so this wheel has to withstand kids. No thirty dollar Logitech device is up to the task. Any ideas?

keeping my car's feet in good condition

jclovebrew — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 08:26:10 -0800

What are some good wheel and alignment shops in or around Montclair, NJ? Just recently moved. What shops nearby can I trust to do a good job balancing my tires and aligning my wheels? The right shop will align the wheels according to my specifications, not the factory specifications, and not act like this is some sort of crazy big deal.

It doesn't specifically have to be an alignment shop. A good garage that's also good at alignments would be perfect. On that note, I'm also interested in hearing about good general-purpose garages in the area.

It's a Japanese car by the way.. Subaru, turbo.

I am become Shiskabob, destroyer of tires

phearlez — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 08:48:46 -0800

The car rental company wants money and I don't want to pay. Does it get any simpler? Well, it gets more complicated - I've been told the country in question reimburses for pothole damage and I like the idea of them paying much more than me paying. But is it true? So my Puerto Rican vacation was a fantastic adventure filled with the kind of expensive traumatic moments you expect from a vacation, including not one but two pothole-caused rim bendings and tire rendings.

I'm okay with accepting responsibility here, except on my way to return the car I stopped to gas up and asked if they could simply repair the rim. After an initial yes, the mechanic said "Oh, no, that's an alloy rim. If I try to bang that back out it'll just crack."

Aside - why does a DODGE NEON need snazzy rims? Which the rental company claims costs $270. Give me a break.

Anyway, he went on to say that the Puerto Rico road situation is so horrid that the government will pick up the tab if you document where the incident happened. Yes, I accept that my source is perhaps not the most credible but at the same time this rental company told my friend the previous day that there'd be no charge for her identical incident.

Perhaps it's complicated by my returning the car to a franchise where hers went to the company main location. Perhaps my dent was simply worse (which it was). Maybe it was phase of the moon or I smelled funny. But I'm on the hook for major bucks and she got off scott-free.

To make a long story marginally less painfully long, I'm looking for two things here.

One, is this claim of a reimbursal program baloney? If it's not I don't see why I'm being soaked for $360 for a small non-performance tire & rim. I can find no mention in my googling.

Two, has anyone had any luck haggling with rental firms over this? I don't believe for a second they are actually paying $259 for that rim when TireRack has a variety from $89 and up for me, the non-fleet buyer.

Any and all strategy advice is welcome.

name this broken jeep part

cgk — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 18:54:01 -0800

I have a 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 205k miles on it. A few days ago I noticed some loud squeaking coming from the drivers wheel. Name that part (photos inside). I took a look tonight and found the problem, though I don't know exactly what it is. I notice the squeaking when I am turning and when it is cornering. I am going to take it in ASAP, but would love to know what this is in advance of my visit (and how dangerous it is for me to drive to the garage tomorrow. The broken side looks like this. and the good (passenger) side looks like this: .

Thanks!