Rear drums - set screw interferes with rim

[45Kevin]

For sometime now I have had a wobble in the PS rear wheel.
I've asked local cruiser heads for opinions and got answers that ranged from bent axle to bent axle housing.
Both of those seem unlikely to me and my theory was bent rim.
I have beat my 45 pretty hard so that is a possibility.

You can't feel the wobble and it hasn't appeared to affect the tire.
The wobble is only noticeable if you are following me on the road.

So today I decided I would take the wheel to a local tire shop to confirm what was wrong with it.

Low and behold, look what caused the wobble.

In the pic below you can see where the set screw on the drum, visible at 2 o'clock on the drum, is not allowing the rim to fully seat on the drum. See the imprint of the set screw on the rim at 2 o'clock. You can also see where the rim was seated on the rim, opposite the set screw and where it wasn't.

So I did a few checks. I have a spare FF rear end with the drums on it and the same set screws.
There is also a small inset on the rims, but not 4mm which is the thickness of the set screw head.

I compared the inset with a set of Toyota split rims I have.
They also have an inset which appears slightly larger.

Possibly 4mm in the center but the set screw sits slightly outside the radius of the lugs.

Not being a wheel guru, I have no idea what the set screw does.
I am convinced this situation is not right but I know there are many 40s and 45s out there with these after market rims.
Why does my rim not fit and no one else is having this problem?
What does the set screw do? Can I just not put it back in?
Can I grind the head down to be thin enough not to interfere with the rim?

 

[Pighead]

I think i just did without the set screw.

 

[Mark W]

Everyone has been removing those screws when they put non OEM rims on since about... 1964.


Mark...

 

[45Kevin]

Everyone has been removing those screws when they put non OEM rims on since about... 1964.


Mark...

Thanks for the replies.
So I am not alone with this problem. And I'm surprised it took this long for me to recognize this.
I've been running these rims for 24 years.

What I did was grind down the head to fit in the off-set space afforded by the rim.
I suppose I should look at the DS wheel, probably has the same issue.

 

[firemanj92]

Thanks for the replies.
So I am not alone with this problem. And I'm surprised it took this long for me to recognize this.
I've been running these rims for 24 years.

What I did was grind down the head to fit in the off-set space afforded by the rim.
I suppose I should look at the DS wheel, probably has the same issue.

I recently had the same problem. Didn't notice the bad wandering and shaking with the original wheels, but was probably there. It was really pronounces with FJ.CO wheels (lighter wheels). I don't know how I didn't catch the little screw when I swapped out wheels . I removed the set screw as it's not needed-solved problem.

It's purpose is to hold things in place going as a vehicle goes down the assembly line. Some manufactures use a set screw or snap washer to hold things in place. I remove them from every car I've done brake jobs on front or back-the lug nuts hold the drum/disc in place of the little scrub screw.

 

[charliemeyer007]

I keep mine in with the stock rims. I'd fix them to work with other rims if I had them. Once when I had a bead blow in a deep mud rut, the drum sort of came/fell loose when I was pulling the disabled wheel - PIA getting things clean inside again while in the mud - much nicer when the drum stays in place YMMV