Austin Aubinoe

Hi,

So I have been off and on trying to fix up my dads corvette. Its in pretty good shape, just not had much done to it in the last 15 years or so. Took all 4 tires off of it yesterday.

One spinner says USA, one is blank (but casting is rough on back), and 2 says taiwan. Is there anyone that makes USA ones? What about the hubs, what are the best? (the front two both have stripped threads)


For gear oil, should I go OEM ACDElco? I have a 5 gallon bucket of coastal conventional 80W90 that I use in pretty much all my Jeep diffs, and the transmission and differentials of are 1950s trucks. Also have some of this:
I use the coastal because its cheap and its got to be better then what they had back then, but I dont mind spending a couple bucks on the ACdelco stuff if you guys strongly think I should. C2 big block is worth a little more then an old pickup after all!

Anyways, changed the oil for the first time in god knows how long with Brad Penn 10W40 and an AC filter (not one of the tiny blue ones). Bleeding the brakes today and getting it ready to trailer down to Corvettes at Carlisle, where I hope to see some other 396 vettes and get some advice on parts.

Cant believe this thing is 50 years old! Thanks

DansYellow66

I would talk to Corvette America about the KO hubs and spinners. Might be a good idea to figure out what your KO wheels are too as there have been several manufacturing runs of repros over the years. Same with spinners and hubs, so the answer a year ago on where they are being sourced may not be the answer today.

On gear oil, get some GL4 from NAPA. They are about the only place you can still find it. It's recommended for older transmissions with brass parts.

Austin Aubinoe

Glad I asked, only reference book I have on hand is a Chiltons. It listed the factory spec gear oil and said it had since be superseded by GL5 Spec. This is a problem is Asin Jeep Manual transmissions as well. I am finding it readily available in conventional 140W and 80W90, Pretty sure the second one is the best choice for both the diff and the trans. Think I will go ahead and order the GM LS additive too.

They are Western Wheels, im guessing from the 1970s. The wheels are in very nice shape. Three of the hubs have thread damage. Three out of the four hubs have the gold finish and one is just black paint. I believe the gold finish would be original to the wheels.



This is the driver front caliper. This hub has the most damage:


This is the passenger front caliper. It unfortunately is leaking. This hub also has thread damage and is the only one that is painted. This wheels inner paint was eaten by the brake fluid.


This is the passenger rear caliper. This is the first one I bled and was a little messy with the catch reservoir. Bled both fittings very easily and flushed all of the old fluid out. Minor damage on hub, out most thread is deformed somehow.


This is the driver rear caliper. This appeared in the best condition, but would not bleed at all. My only guess is there is a pinched line somewhere. The car actually braked ok before this. Thankfully its a rear caliper. This was the only hub with no imperfections.

Austin Aubinoe

So to get to the show friday I think I will get some piston clips and some new O rings and re seal that front caliper.Will just be driving off the trailer to the fairgrounds. EDIT: just ordered some Raybestos seal kits 2 day shipping on amazon. Hopefully that will be the issue. NOT going to touch the rear caliper until after the show. The front caliper bled no problem, so Im certain it just needs new O rings.

BUT I think it would be best to replace the 3 damaged hubs (are they garbage or can they be remachined?), replace the 3 imported spinners, and get 3 fresh calipers.

Does anyone know where I can something like this?http://www.lonestarcaliper.com/p-119...r-pistons.aspx

My calipers have a 1973-1982 Serial number. From what I understand all 1965-1982 calipers are interchangeable, but they had different casting designs.

EDIT: If I cant get "first design" calipers I may just buy CarDone Ultra calipers from Rockauto. $71 each and powdercoated silver. Put some on an E350 last month and they were top notch.


Finally, was greasing everything while I had the car up and noticed that all 4 ball joints were riveted on. Does this mean they are original?

Ironcross

Dayton wires, none better

DansYellow66

There are a few part number changes and minor casting changes on calipers over the years but basically, yes they are interchangeable. The only reason to try to find an early caliper casting is if you are restoring the car for certification/judging. There are a number of major Corvette parts houses that sell rebuilt calipers. I would shop around. I last replaced mine quite awhile ago from this place

http://www.muskegonbrake.com/corvett...aliper-rebuild

But there are several good suppliers around.

Those KOs may not be as old as you are believing seeing that they have hubs for theft prevention pins. I don't remember when the pins came into production - maybe early 80s. They probbly are Western. You should be able to shop around at any major Corvette suppliers and get some replacement hubs and spinners without any problem. It's good to see it has the long lug nuts. Those are a good safety component of knock offs.

65GGvert

You can buy a set of adaptors (what you are calling hubs) and spinners from any of the vendors. I get mine from Volunteer Vette, but Willcox, Corvette America, practically everyone has them. Shop around for things like forum discounts and free shipping. Be sure to put those long lug nuts showing on your old adaptors back on the new adaptors so you can't index the wheel incorrectly when you put it back on.
If you decide to individually buy the adaptors, be sure to match the threads for left and right sides depending on which side they go on and that the spinners and adaptors match each other with left and right hand threads.

Austin Aubinoe

Thanks for the info. I did not realize that Muskegon rebuilt calipers in house, thats the way I want to go. Do you know of a source for the early calipers?

From what I have read in my research is that only factory Kelsey Hays wheels were not drilled for the anti theft pins, all others were.

And I am aware that the adaptors and spinners are easy to get, but they all seem to be imported. Hoping to find some good used at Carlisle this weekend.

65GGvert

These say NOS. They also say no antitheft pins. The original link says made in USA, but you might check with Paragon

https://www.paragoncorvette.com/p-35...daptor-lh.aspx

DansYellow66

I believe the early Western Wheel repro adaptors and knockoffs were not drilled for pins. Of course hubs and knockoffs get changed out and mixed over the years as you are aware from your own car. The history of the KO reproduction wheels is sort of a saga - gets kind of confusing due to all the buy outs over the years. I believe a history of all the KO wheel manufacturers, buy outs and outsourcing was published here a year or two ago. You might be able to find it with a search.

Also, I missed that first picture that appears to show a regular set of lug nuts on the adaptor. Be sure to install the long wheel lug nuts on all of your adaptors. They are a safety measure to help prevent indexing the wheels incorrectly on the hub.

donbayers

My KO's are early Western dated 1982 and do NOT have the pins. Just spin on and off.

donbayers

Oh and BTW use Sta Lube GL-4 85-90 gear oil from NAPA for your Trans. You can use GL-5 for rear end plus the Delco slip additive.

Personally I like Lucas 80/90 heavy duty rear diff gear oil.

Austin Aubinoe

Order the correct oil and additive. Going to put it in the trans and axle.

Very interesting that you have 1982 Wheels with no pins. Whats the deal with the legality of knock offs anyways after 1966? Just not legal to put them on at the factory anymore?

I think I may just get those NOS ones, thats a nice price and I love the gold color. . Forget the pins. My dad told me they kept the wheels tight! Almost better not to have them and check the wheels before each drive. My dad told me he had a wheel come off while driving on the passenger front, which is why that one is a black adaptor. Dont know how the other 2 got so bad! Anyways all will be fixed very soon.

Funny enough the leaking brake caliper stopped leaking. It was really only a small drip anyways. The master had probably not been opened in 4 years, and was still full. Thinking now just leave it as is as all the calipers seem to be functioning. Dont want to pull it apart now because I have never done it before and want to make it to the show friday.

redvetracr

I would use the Coastal gear oil, as to the KO hub adapters they are available here sometimes or on ebay, yours look like someone tried tightening or loosening them with the pins still installed.

Easy Rhino

Austin,

I apologize if this has already been said (got to run) but that hub damage appears to be consistent with damage from loose spinners (not tightened down)(problem #1) and running with pins that were harder than the hubs themselves, which is problem #2.

The pins should be softer than the hubs (e.g. aluminum), and are only a minor safety device. It is imprudent to rely on hard pins to keep your wheels from falling off.

Edit: Also, the damage could be from beating off the spinners with harder than hub pins installed.

LSUvetteguy

I have a set of early Western wheels on my 66 that do not have the pins.

JohnZ

The "winged projections" on the spinners became illegal under the new Federal MVSS (Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) which became effective on September 1, 1966 - that's why the 1967 Corvette had the "bolt-on" RPO N-89 finned aluminum wheels with the "sunburst" caps as an option instead of the previous RPO P-48 "quick take-off" aluminum wheels.

There's only one reason why KO wheels come off - they were incorrectly installed.

donbayers

I was very intimidated about the KOs when I purchased my 66. I asked an experienced local friend to show me how to take off and put on.

First tip is to put on the wheel snug without weight on them. Then put car on ground.

Second is to beat the holly hell out of them with that lead hammer.

Then you use a Sharpie to mark the spinner and hub so you can keep an eye on them.

After you drive a short trip you check them again by beating the holly hell out of it. They should not move. If they do then it's a good thing you checked them.

Last tip is you check often and always have the hammer in the car.

He commented that it's something like 400 ft lbs of torque.

So far mine have not moved a millimeter

MikeM

Why continue to wail away on the spinner when it's already tight? Just curious.

MikeM

The threads on those hubs should be able to be cleaned up and made sable.