Aftermarket rims/tires

[Don B.]

Has anyone used Vintage Wheel Works V40 or V45 rims on their mid-year vette?? My info is that a 1/4" spacer must be used with either of these two rims of either the 15" or 16" models. I recently measured a wheel mounting stud to be about 1" long. Given the thickness of the rim (unknown) and the spacer, can I assume that there are adequate threads to make a safe assembly??
TNX, Don

[John H.]

Re: Aftermarket rims/tires

Don -

Midyear lug studs are 1.750" long from the underside of the head to the end of the stud; you need the thickness of the lug nut plus two threads of thread engagement for safe operation, and spacers aren't a great idea.

[Tom S.]

Re: Aftermarket rims/tires

I think what you are refering to is Wheels. Only the part that the tire mounts to is a rim. Old ,Old cars and big trucks use rims and clamps. Newer vehicles use wheels..And even most big trucks use wheels today, very few use rims anymore..

[Don B.]

Re: Aftermarket rims/tires

John -
The stock wheel assemblies from my '64 have studs that protrude a little bit more than 3/4" beyond the drum. The '64 now has vette disk brakes from a '70s model (probably a '76). I measured the studs on our '77 to be about 1" long and assume that is the case for the studs on the '64 which is at a remote location currently being rebuilt. As for any stud being 1.75" long, I didn't see it on either assembly I measured. I'm only looking for that length of stud that protrudes from the braking system for mouunting wheels, not the entire length of the individual stud not installed. If I had studs protruding 1.75" from the brakes, there would be no problem with any mounting arrangement including the use of spacers.
Don

[Don B.]

Re: Aftermarket rims/tires

Tom -
I've always taken a wheel to mean a tire/rim assembly - ie, a tire mounted on a rim is a wheel. I think I remember the rims to which you refer as having a split band. The split band formed the retaining lip that held the tire on the rim once the band was in place and the tire inflated. I can't remember the technical name for that type of rim, however. There were also split rims which were literally two (nearly identical) rim halves which were used back to back with the tire in the middle. These had separate mounting bolts/nuts to hold the rim pieces together when not mounted on a vehicle on the applications I've seen.
Don

[Chris D.]

Re: Stud Length

Don,

Drum brake C2's used shorter studs, 3980406, that are 1 3/8" long. The cast iron web of the brake discs on later cars is thicker than the sheet steel web on the drums so longer studs were in order. Not quite 1/4" difference in the stack-up. As I haven't mounted a disc on a short studded hub, I can't say if you have sufficient engagement with even the stock wheel. The real question to ask is how much stud is exposed with the wheel and lug nut installed. You want to see at least one, or better two, complete threads showing beyond the nut. Perhaps others on the board will know if this combination is trouble. I would at least have your remote assembler check. It's not that big a deal to install longer studs if needed.

Chris

[Don B.]

Re: Stud Length

Hi Chris -

I guess then that I simply need to know how many threads should engage a nut so that 2 or 3 complete thteads are exposed on a stud when the wheels are mounted. I'll use the stock set up to determine this number. All I need to do is count the number of turns of the nuts to get my number. Although the nuts to be used on the aftermarket rims are closed, turns counting will provide me with the info I seek to verify safety. Ie, if 10 turns were required on the original set up to have 2 or 3 exposed threads, then the same number of turns should provide a similar safety margin on the aftermarket wheels using 'closed' nuts. (This assumes that the 'closed' nuts don't bottom out on the studs before actually clamping the wheel to the hub.)

TNX, Don

[Tom S.]

Re: Stud Length

Don
I have been in the auto/ truck parts business since 1967. I was a firestone accuride wheel and rim dealer for almost 20 years.A wheel is mounted on a hub.In the case of a rim it is mounted on a wheel that is attached to a hub.In most cases today most if not all cars have wheels. I do not know of any running rims.Some large trucks still run rims, normally special order, but in most cases now they run what is called hub piloted wheels.In this case the hub fits quite tight to the wheel and this helps to maintain a true running pattern.I do not know everything there is to know about wheels and rims, but in this case you can take what I tell you to the bank! Tom

[Don B.]

Re: Stud Length

Tom -
Thanks for the education. Not having been in the wheel/rim/tire trade myself, I believe you. I'll have to look for pictures so that I'll have a mental image of the difference between rim and wheel.
Don