Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

[David S.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

With all due respect, I do not think repro KO's are safe. In fact, I would say that originals are probably safer than repro's. Regardless, if you play to drive the car I would sell the repro KO's and mount your new DB radials on a set of steel rims and hubcaps.

-Dave

[Tom H.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

With all due respect, I do not think repro KO's are safe. In fact, I would say that originals are probably safer than repro's. Regardless, if you play to drive the car I would sell the repro KO's and mount your new DB radials on a set of steel rims and hubcaps.

-Dave

Not an argument here, but just wondering in what way the repros are more unsafe than the originals ? Just asking ? I'm here to learn too !

[Peter N.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

All right...everyone got their popcorn?....always happy to provide the evening's entertainment.

It's appropriate to share something my best bud John, wrote me when I discovered this latest wheel incident (he was w/ me in FL when we came real close to losing it the first time)...the "Women are off the table" refers to the fact that after my recent 2nd divorce, I've taken a vow of celibacy!

Hey Pete,
So you're driving a "Very Hot Vette".......BUT, it hurts your back, requires ear plugs, has wheels that may fall off, not to mention it drains your wallet as a gas guzzler..... I'll stop there.....

BUT its a "PANTY TWISTER JOHN"!!!!! .........mmmmm......But wait!, Women are off the table......mmmmm.....

Am I missing something here???

OK, after destroying one side of a machine shop 5 lb. lead hammer, 2 2x4s & a 4x4 getting hit w/ a small sedgehammer (YES, I was frigg'n nervous bout that head going through the fender, note the padding).

As seen in the pics, maybe the spinner moved 1/16"....I am now going to get drunk & curl up in a fetal position in the corner...u can read about me in tomorrows paper....

[Ronald L.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

How many cars originally came with knock offs versus the number out there now?

Get the real steel wheels the car came with, the 66 hub caps have spinner you don't have to kill yourself over to get on & off, nice blue!

[Barry H.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

Pete, I might have missed something in your pics of trying to remove the spinner. It looks as though the aluminum pin is still in place. You must remove the "safety" pins before you remove the spinners, or even to tighten the spinners at a later date. I have been running the repro knock off wheels on my 65 for years & I never use the "safety" pins. I just mark a line from the spinner to the chrome cone with a "sharpie" marking pen after tightening, then check alignment after a ride to see if it moves. Then each week for a month, if no movement I just check when ever I check the air pressure. Good luck!
Barry Holmes

[Philip C.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

Hi Pete, if your wheel came loose twice I would remove it from the car and inspect the holes in the wheel that the adapter pins insert into, if these holes are oblong the wheel wont stay tight. Phil 8063

[Roger P.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

Hi Peter,
I had the same issue last year with my right rear knock-off. It scared the hell out of me when I was driving on the highway and started to feel my car "getting loose" at 65 MPH. I keep one of those $ 250- spinner tightening tools in the car and tightened the spinner with all my force. The darn thing got loose on me two other times and I was ready to leave the car in the driveway! I had no confidence in driving it any more . I posted my issue on the TDB and was told to get rid of the "tool" and buy the "*****-Thumper" lead hammer. Once you have the spinner tightened by hand on the hub and tapped tight with the lead hammer, beat the %@#& out of it with several HARD blows (with the wheels on the ground). I use a silver Sharpie to make a small line from the hub to the spinner on all four wheels and check the alignment before almost every drive. Even though I purchased pins for each wheel, I haven't installed them since they really are useless. Like you, I never want to feel the sensation of my wheel coming loose ever again! One year and about 1,000 miles later, my spinners haven't moved at all . Check the threaded hubs and make sure all spinners tighten toward the back of the car. If you see the Sharpie mark move after a drive or two, then you most likely have a bad hub or spinner. I love my knock-offs, but safety comes first. If necessary, I would buy the KO's that bolt-on since they look the same, but have the safety of lug nuts that tighten with a wrench vs. a hammer.

Good luck,
Roger

[Peter N.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

Good morning everyone....thanks to some friends who intervened & got me into a local friendly Electric Shock Therapy center, I've survived the night.

I'd like to clear up some things that might be unclear to some of u folks.

1. The pin was already wedged in tight when the hub cap fell off. It couldn't be pulled out or hammered in. See photos. I tried to hammer the spinner back (tighter) to line up the pin holes w/o success, ie, the spinner wouldn't tighten or loosen. All 4 spinners show the "OFF" arrow pointed to the front of the car.

2. A 5 lb. lead hammer from McMaster-Carr was used in the attempt to loosen the spinner (they also have heavier ones). 1/2 of the head is now destroyed.The Thumper is only 1 lb heavier, but it's on the way to me, as I want to try everything suggested.

3. This car is as close to new as is possible for an old car. It was a trailer queen & show car. It's now going to be my weekly driver.I did not want these used "pin" repos. I expected used bolt on type that the dealer mentioned. However when I flew to FL to complete the sale, he had these on. I have the OEM KOs & they r stored with the bias ply tires that were originally on the car.

4. This right front wheel is the only one that is determined to bury me in a twisted pile of fiberglass by flying off. My attempt now is to remove the wheel & post pics of what I find underneath, so u folks can help me determine what is wrong.

5. The name "Quick Falloff Wheel Option" is perfect!...But... it only wants to fly off, not come off normally.

6. Some good advice is posted here : http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...e-kos-off.html

If nothing else helps, I may have to do something like Jim Lockwood devised.

A local NCRS member has emailed me w/ some ideas. Per his suggestion, I'm going to take some short drives & check to see if I can get the pin to to destroy itself so the spinner can turn. I live in a one-horse mountain town so there's lots of places to drive slowly. Before starting out, I'm going to try & get a small drill bit into what's left of the pin in an attempt to break it apart.

c ya soon.....

[Gary C.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

Peter,

The most secure option IMHO to use since they're repro wheels is to drill & tap the spinner for a set screw or drill & tap the hub and install the set screw from the inside, then put on the cap.

After taping, tighten spinners as tight as you can. Drive 6 blocks, beat the spinner, drive a mile, beat the spinner, drive 5 miles, beat the spinner. Repeat as often as you want until you feel the wheels are secure. The install the set screw.

Gary
....

[David G.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

These knockoff wheel questions are always very interesting with lots of varying opinions. (Kind of like brake fluid questions.)
I have use lots of knockoffs in the last 40 years, both KH and Westerns.
I have never had one loosen. Like Dick, I wouldn't dream of using the original lead hammer. I use a oak block of wood and a small sledge hammer. I do use the pins on the repros, but I replace the aluminum pins with short lengths of stainless steel welding rod that I cut to proper length. I have never found one of the pins to be tight after use, because the wheels have remained tight.
For me, brute force is the answer.

Dave Gray

[Dick W.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

T
For me, brute force is the answer.

Dave Gray

Never, never force anything, just use bigger hammers. The 11.5# deadblow I have has a urethane face so that I do not need to use a block of wood. The wood will cushion the hammer blow somewhat, depending on what the wood is. Pine is useless, oak or hickory are very hard and work OK

[Tim S.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

Peter,

I feel for you. 20+ years ago, I had a 65 with Western K.O.'s. Lost the left front twice! After 2 vists to the bodyshop (after a frame on resto), I seemed to have it licked.

About 6 years ago, I purchased the 65 I have now. This car and another 65 I had recently, had original K.O.'s. While I was scared of them originally, I have come to a procedure like others here have touched on.

1. Make certain the adapters are on the correct side and fastened to the rotor properly. This includes the long nuts.
2. Check the spinners and the adapters for any burrs in the threads.
3. I lubricate the adapter threads with a fastner lubricant made by ARP.
4. I BEAT the spinner on with a dead blow hammer while the vehicle is off of it's weight (jacked up).
5. I take a marker and mark the position of the spinner in relation to the cone to later check for slippage.
6. I test drive the car for about 10 minutes. This includes a little parking lot time doing figure eights.
7. I take the car back home, BEAT it some more.
8. I BEAT it again in the morning after everything has cooled and or settled.
9. I'll check it again (BEAT it) after about 100 road miles.

Recently, I had to check the brakes on my car. I thought I was going to have a heart attack trying to get the spinners off! They were set. I have become comfortable with this as a routine. Keep one thing in mind, the wheel torque is only as good as the wheels themselvs. If the machining of any of the components is not spot on, no amount of beating is going to overcome all of the forces a wheel encounters in the duty of service.

Best of luck. I've walked your shoes!

Tim

[David S.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

Not an argument here, but just wondering in what way the repros are more unsafe than the originals ? Just asking ? I'm here to learn too !

I've heard there are several small deviations on repro KO hub when comparing to OEM. Original KO's will not come loose as often or at all vs the repro's that constantly have problems. As for what those deviations are, I'm not sure. We have original KO's with our Duntov 66 and even so we strictly use them for judging purposes. A nice set of steel rims and radials are so much safer for driving.

Best,
Dave

[William C.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

At his point. as the pin is both out of position and wedged tight, a small hole drilled thru the pin might make crushing it to facilitate removal might help.

[Wayne G.]

Re: Why does this wheel keep coming off ?

I have a '66 coupe with it's original knockoff wheels. I've had the car for 35 years and about 40K miles of driving. All with the knockoffs on a variety of tires. The knock off wheel installation process is quite precise and critical. The glovebox card with the knockoff installation instructions gives you the correct way to install and tighten the wheels.
Here is my installation procedure for what it's worth: If you have removed the adaptors for any reason make sure and install them on the correct side of the car. Rotate the wheel so that the long lug nuts are in the deep wheel holes. Use anti-seize compound on the adaptor threads. Turn the spinner on by hand while the car is on a jack stand. Snug the spinner then HIT the spinner with a lead hammer as heavy as the original a couple of times. Pull out the jack stand and HIT the spinner very hard about 7 HARD blows as per the glove box card. I use a teflon pad to help protect the spinners chrome. You can feel the spinner set as the last blow moves the whole wheel. Drive the car a few miles and HIT the spinner a couple of times for insurance.

I think that pin deal is not such a good idea. You better look closely at the last photo of the pin wedged in your wheel. It appears in the photo that the adaptor is cracked.

Good Luck,
Wayne