After much research of how to safely keep those true knock-off wheels from coming off of my Sting Ray I feel as though I finally found a solution that brings me comfort and makes my drive one free of worry. At the advice of others on this Forum I have looked into which knock-off spinner tools work/don't work, 450ft. lbs torque vs. 6 hard blows, the OEM lead-faced steel hammer vs. The Mother Thumper, safety wire, sharpies as a guide for movement, whack on/whack off on ground/off ground, drive backwards for two miles, etc. All this time I had a roll of yellow masking tape in my kitchen drawer, I applied it in a haphazard manner and felt a lot more safe. Though this is not a proven recommendation it is certainly working for me:



p.s. I finally took the car out to see if it still had four operable forward gears as it until then has only moved under it's own power out of the garage and back in. I realized that this left rear cone (and only the cone) was still loose and I didn't want to hear that rattle on my maiden voyage. A coupla' strips of tape took care of that until I can add some sealer to correctly snug it up later. I forgot about that and then I noticed it this morning. Looked pretty amusing to me, it deserved a photo and that photo deserved a post on this Forum as a joke. And that first paragraph, it's all a joke. I'm hoping that you stayed tuned until the end.

Ray

 

I stayed tuned. The contagion is getting to you I think.

 

In my not-always-humble opinion, that tape will work at least as well as the silly pins.

 

Sounds like a good plan. Just dont use any tape from Harbor Freight.

 

my left rear cone also was loose. Don't know if it was the cone or the wheel. By the way I have had knock off wheels for years, I give them 3 or 4 hits after snugging them by hand. Then hitting them to line up the pins. Never had any come loose yet.

 

Should have posted this on April 1.

 

I loved it. Had me smiling all the way from the beginning.

 

OK, no one has mentioned the living room carpet under the car, so I will...

• I've seen motorcycles in the living room, but that entry door would have to be pretty wide!

 

​​​​​Maybe this would help getting enough torque.

 

My wife said to me: "I'm changing some of the interior design of the house. We have this oriental wool rug that has been passed down in my family for the last 80 years, four generations have held this wonderful piece, but I really can't use it with our new decor."

"It's such a family heirloom, a sentimental keepsake, it deserves to lay somewhere special. How about underneath that old Sting Ray that I've been working on forever, you know, that thing in the garage with the cover over it ?"

"That's a great idea. Or I can just put it in the trash."

 

I don't understand why people just don't use red loctite to keep them from backing off.

 

I recall owning original knockoffs with anxiety. After getting new tires I recall that I had to stop every 100 miles for the first 500 to whack the knockoff ears to make sure they hadn't backed off. Not an ideal design. But they sure look neat.

 

I don't understand all the controversy. The instructions are in the Owner's Manual. I guess some can't or won't read?

 

I don't either. I purchased my set in 1990, been on and off the car a dozen times, never had one come loose. The spinners are looking a little rough but still hold.

 

I have had early western KO's on my car since I bought it in 1988 for my 40th bday. The only problem I ever had was trying to use the factory style hammer. When I heard about the BMT hammer and bought it that solved the problem.
Most problems with tru knock off wheels start with incorrect installation .