Steel Wheels ( Kelsey Hayes 15x5 )

[Marc W.]

Does anyone know:
1.What years Kelsey Hayes manufactured and sold their 15x5 steel weided wheels?
2.What years Kelsey Hayes manufactured and sold their 15x5 steel riveted wheels?
What caused the company to change from making the wheels one way or the other?
Thanks

[Chris H.]

(Message Deleted by Poster)

Message Deleted by Poster

[Roy B.]

Re: Steel Wheels ( Kelsey Hayes 15x5 )

Tubeless tires changed from riveted to welded

[Joe M.]

Re: 62 C1 rear wire harness replacement

April 61 car with welded wheels dated 4 61

[Marc W.]

Re: Steel Wheels ( Kelsey Hayes 15x5 )

What year did tubeless tires enter the market?
Thanks

[Chris H.]

C1 wheels

No one really knows! Because the date code is on the tire side it is difficult to confirm. But the dates are there so it is possible. Per the far below chart and some info from others they made riveted and welded wheel concurrently over the years, perhaps in two different KH plants.

I am trying to find out. Below is part of a chart I have put together so far. I have asked all C1 owners to send me data on their wheels. All I have received so far are 56/57, which I believe is where the data shows both kinds were used. 56/57 look like transition years.

1953 R^
1954 R^
1955 R^
1956& R^
1956&" W^
1957& R^
1957& W(D)^
1958 W(D)^
1959 W(D)^
1960 W(D)^
1961 W(D)^
1962 W(D)^

^ JGM judged
D drawing
& Actual data from owners
" Dale Pearman - Welded released later in model year

I do have some vehicle data but cannot confirm that they are all original wheels:

build
date

Mar-56 Welded
Apr-56 Welded
Apr-56 welded
Apr-56 welded
Jul-56 riveted
Sep-56 welded
Nov-56 welded
Nov-56 riveted
Jan-57 riveted
Jan-57 welded
Mar-57 welded
Mar-57 riveted
Mar-57 welded
Apr-57 welded
May-57 welded
May-57 welded
May-57 welded
Jun-57 riveted
Jul-57 riveted
Aug-57 riveted

[Roy B.]

Re: Steel Wheels ( Kelsey Hayes 15x5 )

1955 add ! And I found many 55 Corvettes and Car that used welded wheels because of it, my 55 had and is welded wheels , 56 I believe was the first year for welded wheels , riveted wheels caused air to leak out. As you see they show a 55 having them from a add in 1955.

[Roy B.]

Re: Steel Wheels ( Kelsey Hayes 15x5 )

It was the same gal in 1955 again in this add in another 55 , notice the KH dealer accessory wire wheel I have on my 55 Corvette.Cant see it all but they are wire wheels.

[Mike E.]

Re: Steel Wheels ( Kelsey Hayes 15x5 )

So how come the 15x5 1/2 wheel from 57 through 62 were riveted when they used tubeless tires? I think that the answer may or may not be connected to tubeless tires, because in 63 they went to a new outer rim design to better seat the tubeless tire on the rim. Pre-63 didn't have the extra circumferential indentation to accomplish that.

[Roy B.]

Re: Steel Wheels ( Kelsey Hayes 15x5 )

It was recommended to use tubes even if tubeless tires were used on riveted wheels, same with the the 50's wire wheel they all used a tube plus a liner which my wire wheels have. Even today wire wheels use a tube .

[Chris H.]

Re: Steel Wheels ( Kelsey Hayes 15x5 )

The "safety hump" was added to help keep the tire on the rim under low air pressure situations.

I wish I would have kept my book from work on rim profiles and such from 15 years ago. It list all the different rim profiles and when they were used.

Per Pearman there were two KH plants in '56, one using riveting technology and one using welding:

https://www.ncrs.org/forum/archive8.cgi?review=33641

[Mike E.]

Re: Steel Wheels ( Kelsey Hayes 15x5 )

What does "it was recommended" mean? GM produced a number of wide wheel cars, every one of which had riveted wheels, and every one of which had tubeless tires, and absolutely none of which had tubes. Nor did the owner's manual say anything about those 57-62 wide wheel cars needing/using tubes in the tubeless tires.
All of the Corvettes that raced at Sebring in 62 were wide wheel cars; they did not have tubes in the tires--there was a great concern about overheating them and blowing tires if there were tubes in them.
I still need more than "it was recommended" to be convinced that there was an undeniable link between welded wheels and tubeless tires. Are you telling me that 55-56 Chevrolets were delivered with tubes because some of the wheels were riveted?

[Roy B.]

Re: Steel Wheels ( Kelsey Hayes 15x5 ) MIKE

OK I said recommended not from GM but "people" because there was trouble with leakage on many riveted wheels . I think your miss-understanding what I said. I think welded wheel came in because of it. I'm not a wheel expert , others are and we still argue what was what! There ant that many early C1's having the original wheels still on the Corvette. I hope NCRS don't start ask people to remove their tires looking for dates!