[C2] Knock off wheel question
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 110
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From: Towanda PA
Knock off wheel question
Swallowing hard trying to pull the trigger on a set of 1966 direct bolt on wheels from Corvette America. I currently have regular, hammered on , knockoffs. I KNOW bolt ons are safer but has anybody ever had any real issues with hammer ons ? I've had them since 2007 and 2,200 miles with no issues. Just can't get off the dime. Safety is the only thing that is driving me. My current set is flawless in appearance. Can anybody beat Corvette America price of $2,000 free shipping for bolt ons ? If the first digit was just a 1 I might be able to move. Is there any REAL market for Flawless hammer ons? Somebody needs to slap me. Please ......Help.
Safety Car
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Last edited by Geralds57; Sep 1, 2017 at 09:44 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
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From: Dadeville AL
I put reproduction Western Wheel knockoffs on my car in 1984. It was my daily driver for about ten years. I'd guess I've put about 75,000 miles on those wheels. I whack them hard when I tighten the spinners and I use locking pins to secure them. I make it a practice to check them about ten miles after they've been off and on. One time in the last 30+ years I found one loose. It was entirely operator error. ..... BTW, when I was 16 I got almost a mile in my very first car when a wheel came off. The mechanic who had done the brake job forgot to tighten the lug nuts on that wheel. My point being that its possible to screw up installation of bolt on wheels too.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: northern california
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Based on our sample size of two (2), I have no data to suggest bolt on wheels would have been any safer in our racing application.
Jim
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Cold Harbor, VA
Take a pill and relax over your KO wheels. They are just fine when installed per instructions as yours apparently are, given you've run them for 10 years. How many more years do you need with them on before you trust them? Seriously.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
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Army
Swallowing hard trying to pull the trigger on a set of 1966 direct bolt on wheels from Corvette America. I currently have regular, hammered on , knockoffs. I KNOW bolt ons are safer but has anybody ever had any real issues with hammer ons ? I've had them since 2007 and 2,200 miles with no issues. Just can't get off the dime. Safety is the only thing that is driving me. My current set is flawless in appearance. Can anybody beat Corvette America price of $2,000 free shipping for bolt ons ? If the first digit was just a 1 I might be able to move. Is there any REAL market for Flawless hammer ons? Somebody needs to slap me. Please ......Help.
A friend bought a well-known BB '66 just out of the shop for a top restorer and drove it 20 miles at 60 mph to my house where we discovered this.
Human error ? Hell yeah...and that'll kill you just as quick as mechanical failure.
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Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Central Arkansas
Frankie - you've posted that picture before but I'm still not sure of the point. It's lost it's spinner cap but that's cosmetic and as long as the wheel was hammered on correctly not a big deal. Even if a repro KO and the pin fell out - if it was hammered tight it's not a problem. What am I missing?
To the OP - one caveat is I would never trust anyone else to install a KO on my car.
To the OP - one caveat is I would never trust anyone else to install a KO on my car.
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From: Cape Cod, Mass.
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You made the right decision and saved some money. I've been running real knockoffs ever since I bought my 65, 46 years ago. No issues when installed properly. Put some crayon marks on he rim area aligned with the 3 points of the spinners. You can do a quick visual before each drive so you aren't guessing and hammering needlessly. They simnply don't move when properly installed.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Macedonia Ohio
Swallowing hard trying to pull the trigger on a set of 1966 direct bolt on wheels from Corvette America. I currently have regular, hammered on , knockoffs. I KNOW bolt ons are safer but has anybody ever had any real issues with hammer ons ? I've had them since 2007 and 2,200 miles with no issues. Just can't get off the dime. Safety is the only thing that is driving me. My current set is flawless in appearance. Can anybody beat Corvette America price of $2,000 free shipping for bolt ons ? If the first digit was just a 1 I might be able to move. Is there any REAL market for Flawless hammer ons? Somebody needs to slap me. Please ......Help.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Virginia Beach VA
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Take a sharpie and draw a straight line across the spinner to the cone. I did it in 3 places so you can see at least one of them. Get in the habit of looking at those sharpie marks every time you drive the car. If the spinner starts to move the sharpie marks will let you know.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Greenville, Indiana
I wish some of you guys that are scared off by these "deathtrap" wheels would call me when you get ready to throw them away. I'll take them.
I don't use sharpies, pins or even look at mine. Just a couple of good thumps with six pounds of lead hammer. And I don't mean beat of them either.
I don't use sharpies, pins or even look at mine. Just a couple of good thumps with six pounds of lead hammer. And I don't mean beat of them either.
Last edited by MikeM; Sep 2, 2017 at 10:09 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,414
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From: Emerald Isle NC
Nothing unsafe about properly installed KO wheels.
Use the correct lug nuts on the adaptors. I think this is the place where people create their own problems regarding KOs.
I mark mine as well. Just one tick mark from spinner to cone on each wheel. Haven't had one loosen yet.
Get a Mother Thumper mallet. Save your supplied lightweight mallet for emergencies.
Carter
Use the correct lug nuts on the adaptors. I think this is the place where people create their own problems regarding KOs.
I mark mine as well. Just one tick mark from spinner to cone on each wheel. Haven't had one loosen yet.
Get a Mother Thumper mallet. Save your supplied lightweight mallet for emergencies.
Carter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2014
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Beat spinner with BMFH and mark spinner about every 120 degrees and test drive .Some times spinner will move. Beat spinner and mark and test drive. check again ,if marks line up your good to go. And always check marks before driving.
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From: Central Arkansas
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Greenville, Indiana