RPO 276 wheels

[Gino B.]

I need to refinish a set of 1962 RPO 276 wide wheels. What is the correct type of black finish for the back of the rim, gloss black or semi-gloss black? What brand of paint will match the factory look the best? And what side of the rims were the weights mounted on?

[John H.]

Re: RPO 276 wheels

Gino -

The wheels were dip-primed black, then the front face was sprayed with gloss wheel enamel; the back side of the wheel would be a semi-gloss black. Weights were on the outside of the rim, the same as the 5" production wheel.

[John H.]

Re: RPO 276 wheels

Gino -

The wheels were dip-primed black, then the front face was sprayed with gloss wheel enamel; the back side of the wheel would be a semi-gloss black. Weights were on the outside of the rim, the same as the 5" production wheel.

[Loren L.]

Beginning with the '58 AIM

it is called out in the wheels and tire section "All wheels and tire assemblies are to be checked for static unbalance. Add weights to INSIDE of wheel at rim edge to obtain a maximum unbalance condition of five (5) ounce inches.". (Emphasis supplied)

[Loren L.]

Beginning with the '58 AIM

it is called out in the wheels and tire section "All wheels and tire assemblies are to be checked for static unbalance. Add weights to INSIDE of wheel at rim edge to obtain a maximum unbalance condition of five (5) ounce inches.". (Emphasis supplied)

[Chuck L.]

Re: RPO 276 wheels

John, I see there is some disagreement on wheel weights being inside or outside the 62 Vette wheel. Having spent 25 years in GM assembly plants, notably in the Chassis Dept. during '60, 61, & 62, I know there were 9 Buick, Olds, and Pontiac models whose wheels at the Fairfax plant were sprayed with a color coded dot by the tire balance machine, then faithfully had weights hammered over such dots on the outside surface, sometimes by yours truly. I seriously doubt this process would have been changed by Chevy just for Corvettes.

[Chuck L.]

Re: RPO 276 wheels

John, I see there is some disagreement on wheel weights being inside or outside the 62 Vette wheel. Having spent 25 years in GM assembly plants, notably in the Chassis Dept. during '60, 61, & 62, I know there were 9 Buick, Olds, and Pontiac models whose wheels at the Fairfax plant were sprayed with a color coded dot by the tire balance machine, then faithfully had weights hammered over such dots on the outside surface, sometimes by yours truly. I seriously doubt this process would have been changed by Chevy just for Corvettes.

[John H.]

Re: RPO 276 wheels

Yup, spent 37 years in assembly plants myself, and wheel/tire assemblies came out of the balancer stage of the tire machine in the wheel room on the conveyor face side up, just as they were oriented on the automatic balancing machine mandrel, so the balance weight operator could see the different-colored wax drops from the balancer on the tire that told him what size weight to use and where to put it. I don't dispute the note in the '58 and later A.I.M., but I doubt that anyone really took the trouble to turn RPO 276 wheels upside down to put the weights on. There are several photos in Noland's book of RPO 276 cars with the weights on the outside of the rim.

[John H.]

Re: RPO 276 wheels

Yup, spent 37 years in assembly plants myself, and wheel/tire assemblies came out of the balancer stage of the tire machine in the wheel room on the conveyor face side up, just as they were oriented on the automatic balancing machine mandrel, so the balance weight operator could see the different-colored wax drops from the balancer on the tire that told him what size weight to use and where to put it. I don't dispute the note in the '58 and later A.I.M., but I doubt that anyone really took the trouble to turn RPO 276 wheels upside down to put the weights on. There are several photos in Noland's book of RPO 276 cars with the weights on the outside of the rim.

[Gino B.]

Re: RPO 276 wheels

Thanks for all the information.

[Gino B.]

Re: RPO 276 wheels

Thanks for all the information.