Wheelwright

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For other uses, see Wheelwright (disambiguation).

Wheelwright reenactor New Salem, Illinois

Wheelwrights Workshop at the Amberley Working Museum, West Sussex, England

A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. This occupational name eventually became the English surname Wheelwright.

Historically, these tradesmen made wheels for carts and wagons by constructing the hub, the spokes and the rim segments and assembling them all into a unit. Most wheels were made from wood but other materials have been used, such as bone and horn, for decorative or other purposes. The iron tire was pre-fabricated by a blacksmith and it was the final item assembled to make the wheel a unit.

In modern times, a wheelwright refers to someone who repairs wheels on vehicles such as automobiles, buses and trucks. This person also does things such as examine and repair wheel alignment, rims, drums, discs and wire spokes.