Actually, on the one edge, the drive pins would still be engaged. I checked.

The drawings were exaggerated to emphasize the interaction so it would be easier to see and understand. The same happens the moment the contact drops to one point.

 

I think your theory is probably right and would explain what seems to be a failure process that progresses exponentially with respect to time. Lots of folks have found a knock off that was very slightly loose and took care of it before it progressed very far. But from the stories I've heard of owners who have lost a wheel, it apparently progressed to the point of the wheel leaving the vehicle so rapidly that they had little or no warning it was happening. So apparently a spinner that isn't torqued properly slowly loosens but then the process begins to accelerate to the point that the spinner is rapidly spun off the adaptor.

 

Yes, that is exactly what happened to me, twice, before I found out that he adapters had been installed switched side for side. No problem since putting them on the correct sides.

 

Lets pick up this conversation again when the next post comes up of someones wheel falling off. Hopefully it will not involve injury or death. In the mean time re think the arguments and logic or conduct some experiments to satisfy yourself which is right.

 

Aaargh!!! Enough already! I am going to weld the spinners on my wheels to the adaptors. And just to be doubly sure, I'll weld the drive pin holes up solid!! Now By God, I dare one of them to fall off!! (But I'm going to be sure and start at the left end and weld with a right handed bead on the, the, uuuh-- passenger side, I think..

 

20 years ago when I had 2 wheels fall off, I did just that to prove to myself that the car had been delivered with the adapters on backwards. At the time, I went to great lengths to prove it and sought out documentation to enlighten myself. So far everyone posting in this thread except for you and MikeM have been saying the same thing, that the manufacturer designed the wheel for the right hand threads on the left hand side or driver's side and the left hand threads on the right or passenger side. I have posted the installation information from Corvette America who manufactured my set of wheels and their installation documentation says the same thing. I have presented the physics as it applies to the application, not a generic explination of the interaction of a concentric drive/driven scenario. Are multiple manufacturers and everyone else here wrong and you two the only ones right? I don't think so.

 

We'll agree to disagree I guess. You might read Lotus Engineering in which Collin Chapman appears to agree with Mike and Myself. Funny thing is I wasn't aware of that till doing some research late into this thread to see if I was perhaps missing something. It seems to be a controversial subject on many forums. Just keep them tight and we'll leave it at that. Be well friend.

 

That works for me

 

My wheels have been backwards for 4-5 years. On purpose. I haven't suffered your luck. I haven't had any problem after 4-5 thousand miles. I put them on tight. I didn't put the pins in them. I don't even check them.



I don't believe anyone argued which side was designed which way. But,
you missed one guy. He posted that thread direction isn't a factor in wheels loosening initially. Twice. I guess you missed it. So, you have three that say that thread direction doesn't matter and two that say it does and a whole bunch of onlookers to this thread that can only relate to little more than what the directions say to do.

Maybe one of these days, somebody will produce a document from the engineer that designed the drive system for the K/H KO wheels that will explain his logic behind the design.

Polling results on a forum of this nature won't really result in anything more than more polls. I'd say give it about three months and it'll be talked about again.

 

Ken, as I said earlier, I've owned my car for 42+ years and I had a spinner fall off once. The cause was the wheel was installed wrong.

I had driven the car probably 150 miles after the garage put the wheel on and I started to notice some handling characteristics that weren't normal for my car (it was a front wheel). As I drove slowly down my street I was hanging out the driver's door trying to see if I could observe any normalities when I did see the spinner fall off. I hit the brakes before the wheel came off the spindle.

With the wheels properly installed I have never had an issue with my knock-off wheels in over 40 years of owning my Corvette. As you can see in my avitar, I have also run it in low-speed/slalom events with no issues.

 

Your a little off on you count of people who have posted that the driver's side is to be right handed, etc. What about the manufacturers, GM, KH, and Corvette America who have deemed that they should go on that way. Are they wrong just because you say so?

PS I went back and read each post and counted. Seven (7) people posted that the driver's side should be right handed (including one who changed his mind) and two posted that they should be left hand.

 

I never said anyone was wrong. Just that I believe it doesn't make any difference which way you put them on. I also said if you put good wheels on properly and tight, you won't have any problem. I also said if the wheel can help wind the spinner off, the wheel has to be just about off anyway.

I also said at the front end of this thread that I was already "exhausted" (just thinking about the coming conversations). Get my drift?

 

As the wheel rolls forward if its mounted correctly the knock-off will theoretically tighten not loosen

 

Oh Boy, here we go again,,,,

 

The only part that is acted on by rotational forces that would loosen the spinner is the spinner itself. If the argument that the spinner need to tighten clockwise on the driver's side of the car to keep it from coming off goin forward, then why does it not come off when you hit the brakes hard?

Mike is absolutely correct. If the wheel is properly indexed to the hub and the spinner is correctly tightened, it makes no difference which way the spinner tightens. If the wheel is not indexed correctly, or the spinner is not tightened properly, then it also makes no difference which way it is tightened, as it will still come off!

If the argument that the small mass of the spinner can apply sufficient rotational force to the spinner to loosen it, then the spinner was not tight to begin with. There is no way in hell that the spinner's mass could generate enough rotational torque to overcome the friction of properly tightened wheels, but if it could, the spinners would fly off every time you locked up the brakes!

The key to this whole argument, that several people still seem to not grasp, is that on a properly indexed wheel. there is no relative motion between the wheel and the spinner that would act to loosen it. The only force that acts on the spinner is the acceleration or de-acceleration of the spinner in causing rotational force. This force is very small and is not sufficient to rotate any spinner that is tightened.

Regards, John McGraw

 

With knock-offs there is left and rights and your instructed to use them correctly 'OR they might become a problem...those who would treat left and rights as common and could go on either position are wrong from a liability point of view ...you hit something with a wheel incorrectly mounted your in for either negligent or even possible criminal consequences....and tear up a otherwise good Corvette at the same time...Do as you like, but there is a right way and a wrong way..I suggest do it right.......

 

I absolutely agree with keeping things tight and properly indexed. No argument there. My point has never been around the centrifugal moment or inertia, of the spinner causing it to tighten or loosen. It has to do with once the spinner has loosened and the contact surface has reduced to a single point instead of the entire perimeter (please review my drawings). That is when the directrion of installation comes into play. That will determine if the spinner is driven off or is kept on. As to what might cause the spinner to come loose, there are many possibilities including play between the wheel and adapter drive pins, vibration, vandalism, etc.

 

I really appreciate everyones insite and help - I've learned a lot about these wheels - frankly I only have a little better comfort - but not much - the reason is these wheels were on the car for the year and a half that I've owned it - and who knows how long before that. They were marked with yellow chalk that I watched for shift. So I don't know how they suddenly loosened and I had no warning at all - it just fell off. Not to mention it freaked the begeebees out of me when it happened.

The damage can be fixed easily - its matching the paint - its got a very very expensive paint job on it - the insurance adjuster was here this morning and was concerned about where to blend the clear coat -

So - am I going to keep the knock offs? Nope - they are going to be a gonner - five bolts sound much better to me than one. I don't plan to sell the car so I don't care about value. The bolt ons look the same to me and don't think I'll be doing any track racing anytime soon that I'll be needed quick change wheels...

Just my thoughts -

Ken J.

 

" I really appreciate everyones insite and help - I've learned a lot about these wheels - frankly I only have a little better comfort - but not much - the reason is these wheels were on the car for the year and a half that I've owned it - and who knows how long before that. They were marked with yellow chalk that I watched for shift. So I don't know how they suddenly loosened and I had no warning at all - it just fell off. Not to mention it freaked the begeebees out of me when it happened."

Hi Ken
My guess is that they were put on WRONG. They dont just fall off..Trust me when I say that GM spent ALOT of time and money making sure the original knock off were safe to use for your Corvette..

They in my opinion are a good design...But like everything in life..They need to be respected and put on correctly to be effective..Im not afraid of my Knock offs on my car...been there for YEARS...Still in good shape and expect many more jappy miles motoring down the road..

I would guess that why it fell off either someone (played) with the spinner possibly mechanic or somebody..more than likely didnt tighten it correctly..See my other blog on this subject..

Good luck in whatever you do!!

 

Thank you so much again - don't suppose I'll ever really know.

Ken J.