Spare Tire Locks

[Michael G.]

Re: Spare Tire Locks

The weep hole got its name from the guys restoring these things who tend to burst into tears at the thought of trying figure out what are the correct parts for each fifteen-minute period of production...

[Gary B.]

Re: Spare Tire Locks

And they weep after adding up the all the costs of doing a body-off restoration.

Gary

[Timothy B.]

Re: Spare Tire Locks

I have a November, 62 post-very-early-yet-not-quite-late-early-or mid-model-year original part with a weep hole. If anybody cares...or can comprehend this gibberish

Michael,

My car is second week November build also, are you telling me I now need to dig out the 1/4" hole lock and put it back on. :-)

I know I kept that for a reason..

[Michael J.]

[Michael G.]

Re: Spare Tire Locks

Michael,

My car is second week November build also, are you telling me I now need to dig out the 1/4" hole lock and put it back on. :-)

I know I kept that for a reason..

Aye, there's the rub, mine's the fourth week of November, so, virtually all the parts are completely different...

Tim, just get under the car and drill a hole in the one you've got on there now...rub a few tears on the hole to rust it and I'm sure it'll be fine...

[Michael G.]

Re: Spare Tire Locks

And they weep after adding up the all the costs of doing a body-off restoration.

Gary

Its not a good Idea to actually add up those costs; psyche wards all over America are full of would-be Corvette restorers who tried to get a handle on how much of their net worth they had spent on 63 wheels and master cylinders...don't even attempt it

[Richard M.]

Re: Spare Tire Locks

Pete,

Here's a third week of February(F3 on Trim Tag) build spare tire lock. Appears original to me, like many other items on this car.

Rich

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[Gary B.]

Re: Spare Tire Locks

Pete,

Here's a third week of February(F3 on Trim Tag) build spare tire lock. Appears original to me, like many other items on this car.

Rich

Rich,


Those are superb photos. Your photos show exactly what I would expect to find on a Feb '63 car. That particular anti-rattle pad is in the nicest condition that I've ever seen. Thanks for including the rule in the image. I always tell people to purchase the reproduction anti-rattle pad from Long Island Corvette, because I believe they have the reproduction rights from GM. The LIC part (Catalog number 11-17) is shown below. The repro pad differs from the original in that the repro is die cut and therefore lacks the sloped or beveled edge along the side that comes closest to the large hole (see my first photo) that captures the large bolt head when the lock is installed. The other thing that has always seemed not quite right to me about the repro is the large overhang of the pad on two opposite sides when attached to the tire lock. Of course that overhang is controlled by the width of the pad. My second photo shows the measured width of the LIC pad, which is between 1 1/4" and 1 5/16". Whereas your image shows 1 1/8". The previous 5 or 6 original anti-rattle pads I've seen have always been very worn and I just thought the width I had seen on those pads must have been reduced from wear and tear. But your example suggests otherwise. In addition to advising people that they need to add the bevel to the one edge, I think in the future I will also tell them to reduce the width from 1 5/16" to 1 1/8", which will still provide some overhang, but not as much as the unmodified repro.


Thanks for posting the wonderful images!


Gary
LIC Anti-Rattle pad.jpg

LIC width.jpg

[Peter L.]

Re: Spare Tire Locks

Rich - Thanks for the GR8 photos. Now we may know more than we want to but that's what we're all about. I know Gary was pleased to see the photos of the "anti-rattle" pad & I'm sure Wayne will be interested in the configuration of the "lock pin". And of course, another data point on the presence & size of the drain hole related to time is always greatly appreciated. Anyway, if the owner ever has the occasion to take the lock cylinder unit out, it would be interesting to know if the lock cylinder unit is stamped with the KEY NUMBER. Thanks again for adding to the Post. Pete

[Michael J.]

[Richard M.]

Re: Spare Tire Locks

Pete, Gary, et al.....Glad the pics helped. Fun car to learn from.

The lock was very dry and sluggish so I took the tumbler out to clean and lube it while I had it on the bench earlier before dinner. Just got back and just took a few more photos for you. No key number on the side of the tumbler like the doors, glovebox or ign tumblers, but there is a B1 on the end. Is B1 a unique code? B key? But '63 uses only one key for everything, right?

I can get the dial caliper on the housing holes for more accuracy in the morning if it'll help.

BTW, the big spring inside is magnetic, but unsure if low grade stainless steel or plain plated steel.

Rich

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[Wayne M.]

Re: Spare Tire Locks

Pete (and others) -- here's pics of my "Corvair" lock with the bevel on the pin (on the right in the 2nd pic), alongside a straight tip lock. If memory serves, I sold you the latter. Both have 1/4" drain holes. The other (first) pic shows the same Corvair lock and the nut that goes on the spare wheel stud. I think the bevel allows you to push it over the wheel nut to lock, as opposed to using the key to turn and retract the pin to install.

My eBay Corvair-Corvette $40.JPGmy eBay vs Pete Lindahl.jpg

[Gary B.]

Re: Spare Tire Locks

Rich,

All the tire lock cores I have ever seen for 63-66 tire locks have the B1 embossing on the bottom. It has nothing to do with the B letter key that started in '67.

I don't think more measurements will answer any unresolved questions.

In my experience the stamped key code appears on about 10% of 63-66 tire lock cylinders, so the odds were very much against you finding the code there.

Gary