The MGA With An Attitude
When you take your Wire Wheels to have tires fitted, choose an installer who has experience with them. The following diagram shows the proper way to balance Wire Wheels. It is imperative that the hubs are located on the balancing machine in exactly the same manner as located on the car and factory jigs. If the correct method is not used, then the wheel will appear untrue or require large amounts of weights to balance, and when mounted on the car may be out of balance.
Daton Wire Wheels hubs made after 1990 are fully machined so an internal alignment cone can be used on the outer end. For details see http://www.daytonwirewheels.com/pdf/balancinginstructionsforspline.pdf 
Addendum September 5, 2013: MG Owners Club is now selling a pair of molded plastic adaprters for balancing wire wheels. This includes a pair of thin metal sleeves to adapt the adapters to work with most currently used spin balancers. www.mgocspares.co.uk |
If the local tire shop does not have the proper external locknut, an adapter can be fabricated. Procure an octagonal knockoff nut with the proper mating female cone surface. Bore a hole exactly through the center of the knockoff large enough to accept the standard male cone of the balancer equipment. Place the adapter on the wheel hub, and then fixture the assembly in the balancer machine in the normal manner using two male cones. 
