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Can anyone tell me what steel wheel corresponds to GM part#3869156? I found four that are 15 X 5 1/2 with inner markings K181 and outer markings K181827 by the valve stem with the above GM part#. How are the date codes mentioned deciphered? What would be correct steel wheels for my 66 built in Nov 65?
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Re: steel wheel help
Forgot to mention that the mentioned wheels are JK stamped. Aren't 65 and 66 steel wheels marked JR? -
Re: steel wheel help
Marzio - P/N 3869156 is the steel wheel listed for 65-66 Corvette. Original 65-66 Corvette steel wheels are stamped 15X51/2JK on the inside of the rim along with the manufacture month (1-12) and year (64, 65, or 66). If the wheels are P/N 3869156, they are as mentioned for 65-66 Corvette, it's just that those wheels were manufactured after 1968 because of the manufacture date code stamping format and also the stampings by the valve stem hole. The original wheels had no stamped information by the valve stem hole. PeteComment
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Finish on steel wheels (C2)
I have been told the service replacements were black semi-gloss on both sides. In fact, they may have been dipped to apply the paint. I have some that I don't think have been repainted. I think the gloss black on the outside was considered "dealer applied".
I wonder what finish is on the ones you are looking at, esp. if they are NOS. I also wonder how long such wheels were available at the parts counter.
If you want wheels dated to match your car, instead of the service replacements, you will pay 75 to 100 per wheel. I've seen them often on e-bay, but it's unusual to find a set with matching dates...
Tom D.
4889http://MichiganNCRS.org
Michigan Chapter
Tom DingmanComment
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Re: Finish on steel wheels (C2)
Original production line steel wheels from 63-67 were dipped in a dull, semi flat black coating at the wheel manufacturer, KH. When the wheels arrived at the St. Louis plant, they were spray painted the correct color on the face side. All but early 63 (with blackwall tires) and 67, were spray painted gloss black enamel.
If you carefully inspect an original equipment wheel, you will find one area where the paint ran down and dripped off after the dip process. It's quite obvious on wheels that are not rusty on the back side.
Wheels that came in through GM parts/service for at least the last 25 years appear to be spray painted instead of dipped and the black is closer to semi gloss/gloss. I would rate the original black at about a 4 on a 10 scale and the service replacements at about 7 on a 10 scale. I have to assume that KH changed the way they painted wheels some time in the early 70's and this is the source of all the confusion on this.
About a week ago, I remember someone on this forum saying that they had an excellent original spare wheel/tire out of a 66. I don't remember who it was but if that person could photograph the wheel and post the picture, that might end all this confusion.
I can tell you for sure, there was no one painting the face side of wheels on new cars gloss black at the dealers.Comment
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Valve Stem area 65-66 wheels (C2)
Thanks MH.
I agree with your comments, esp. about dealers painting wheels.
I just looked at five wheels dated from 8/64 to 11/65 (inside stamp) and I find no markings by the valve stem holes.
Tom D.http://MichiganNCRS.org
Michigan Chapter
Tom DingmanComment
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Re: Valve Stem area 65-66 wheels (C2)
Production steel wheels were shipped to St. Louis raw (and oiled), thousands of them per rail car; they were subsequently run through the cleaning/phosphate and black dip-prime/flo-coat system, then the face was sprayed with the appropriate high-gloss wheel enamel.
Service wheels were dip-primed black at K-H before shipment for rust protection while in warehouse stocks, and those (pre-primed) wheels were assigned a different Chevrolet part number than the (raw) production wheels; they were shipped on pallets with cardboard separators. The Regional Parts Depots had their own clean/phosphate/dip-prime systems (for sheet metal), and occasionally ordered the raw production wheels from K-H and primed them on-site to reduce cost, as the raw wheels were significantly less expensive than the K-H pre-primed wheels.Comment
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Re: Valve Stem area 65-66 wheels (C2)
Great info John, I wish I could find an original set of those raw steel or even KH dip primed wheels for my 66, especially at those reduced prices! CraigComment
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