KNOCK OFFS

[IH2LOSE]

I was so afraid of them when I purchased my car I had to pull them off and inspect every thing and put them back on.

Knowledge is good

 

[thunder]

I was so afraid of them when I purchased my car I had to pull them off and inspect every thing and put them back on.

Knowledge is good

i have driven the car about 100 miles so far without knowing all this.knowledge is power.

 

[Viet Nam Vett]

i have driven the car about 100 miles so far without knowing all this.knowledge is power.

Yes it is.. And the key here is Saftey..!!! The KO's are the single most important item after your brakes. Glad you have received the propper info here.

 

[thunder]

Yes it is.. And the key here is Saftey..!!! The KO's are the single most important item after your brakes. Glad you have received the propper info here.

thanks again for that pdf file viet.corvette america's instructions are they the same for original knockoffs as well?

 

[Viet Nam Vett]

thanks again for that pdf file viet.corvette america's instructions are they the same for original knockoffs as well?

Can't answer that one.. John Z And SWC Duke and Others are the experts as they were around and worked for the General at that time. Maybe someone else could take a stab at your question. Or Jonn Z or Duke Might Jump In.

Also use he search function on this forum and you will find this topic has come up before. You can Gleam some info from That also. Anytime you have aquestion.. check the search area. Chances are you'll find your answer their as it's already been asked and answered.

The PDF File is or was posted on Long Island Corvettes web site under Instructions. I don't know if it's still their or not.

I use steel roll pins milled down slightly to fit in the Hubs. As posted by others..some don't use the pins. I also mark ..with a paint marker the cone and the Spinner and check them every so oftem to make sure the spinner hasn't moved.

My thoughts are that the General designed the KO system and they new what they were doing when they put it all together. I'm not an engineer so I don't second guess there design.

There are after market KO Bolt on wheels that don't use the the beat on spinner ..but use a bolt on wheel that looks just like the KO's.

It's ok to try and improve on some items on your Corvette ..but when it comes to saftey.. I won't try and second guess and engineer.

You can make the final decision based on the posts on this topic in regards to Pin Or Not Pin... But for me... The Pin Is In.

 

[soppeng]

Thunder, if you've got original KO's, they won't have the pins unless someone added them. The seven blows is only when re-installing the KO's after removal. You shoudn't have to routinely do this. Mark the cone and spinner as indicated previously with a Sharpie and monitor.

Someone suggested the KO wrench. While some seem to have success with the wrench, I didn't. One came with my car. I didn't feel it did as good a job as the hammer. One the bright side, if you buy one, you may be able to sell it on ebay for more than a new one costs as I did.

Enjoy your car.

 

[thunder]

Thunder, if you've got original KO's, they won't have the pins unless someone added them. The seven blows is only when re-installing the KO's after removal. You shoudn't have to routinely do this. Mark the cone and spinner as indicated previously with a Sharpie and monitor.

Someone suggested the KO wrench. While some seem to have success with the wrench, I didn't. One came with my car. I didn't feel it did as good a job as the hammer. One the bright side, if you buy one, you may be able to sell it on ebay for more than a new one costs as I did.

Enjoy your car.

so you do not have to whack them every other time you drive the car.just when the wheels are removed during service?lol about the wrench story!

 

[vintagecorvette]

Don't waste your $$$$ on the wrench. It is not worth it. I personally install all my wheels (I had a tire shop ding a fin one time). I check my wheels everytime i head out for a long trip or after a few 1000 miles have been put on the car.

oWEN

 

[thunder]

Don't waste your $$$$ on the wrench. It is not worth it. I personally install all my wheels (I had a tire shop ding a fin one time). I check my wheels everytime i head out for a long trip or after a few 1000 miles have been put on the car.

oWEN

owen you said you check your wheels.just a visible inspection ?or a few whacks with a lead hammer before you head out?

 

[ThomC]

Thunder,

I have repro KOs on my 65 too. Followed the advice from the forum...
- make sure the spinners are going on in the correct orientation
- use anti-seize
- whack the crap out of them
- put sharpie markers on the spinners & cones and visually check
them often
- and finally... a piece of advice from JohnZ that I haven't needed
yet, but will remember always: NEVER allow anyone else (like a tire
shop) to install your KOs - they don't have a clue about them,
and don't know there's a RIGHT way, and a WRONG way to install
them.

They've been on the car for a year - and the spinners have not moved.

Thom

 

[thunder]

Thunder,

I have repro KOs on my 65 too. Followed the advice from the forum...
- make sure the spinners are going on in the correct orientation
- use anti-seize
- whack the crap out of them
- put sharpie markers on the spinners & cones and visually check
them often
- and finally... a piece of advice from JohnZ that I haven't needed
yet, but will remember always: NEVER allow anyone else (like a tire
shop) to install your KOs - they don't have a clue about them,
and don't know there's a RIGHT way, and a WRONG way to install
them.

They've been on the car for a year - and the spinners have not moved.

Thom

thanks for the advise thom.so if you need tires you take them off the car and bring them to the tire store for new rubber.

 

[JohnZ]

thanks for the advise thom.so if you need tires you take them off the car and bring them to the tire store for new rubber.

Not necessarily - but if the shop won't let you stand there and make sure they get them on right, go to another shop. Note in the wheel photo below that there are ten holes in the wheel; the five small ones are for the steel drive pins on the hub adapter to fit in, and the five large ones are clearance holes to accommodate the lug nuts that hold the adapter to the hub. If you mis-index the wheel 1/10th of a turn, it won't seat on the hub, the spinner will only catch a couple of threads on the adapter, and the wheel WILL come off. NOBODY in a tire shop knows this.

The other small photo is the mating hub adapter, if you haven't seen one. The five drive pins go in the small holes in the wheel, and the holes are for the lug nut studs on the hub and the lug nuts that hold it on. The one in the photo is a reproduction and has the slots for the safety pins, that match slots in the spinner; originals (and some early reproductions) don't have the slots in either part.

The third photo shows the K-H and D-49985 cast into the back of an original GM wheel; if your wheels don't have this or have "Western Wheel" cast into the back side, they're reproductions.

 

[thunder]

Not necessarily - but if the shop won't let you stand there and make sure they get them on right, go to another shop. Note in the wheel photo below that there are ten holes in the wheel; the five small ones are for the steel drive pins on the hub adapter to fit in, and the five large ones are clearance holes to accommodate the lug nuts that hold the adapter to the hub. If you mis-index the wheel 1/10th of a turn, it won't seat on the hub, the spinner will only catch a couple of threads on the adapter, and the wheel WILL come off. NOBODY in a tire shop knows this.

The other small photo is the mating hub adapter, if you haven't seen one. The five drive pins go in the small holes in the wheel, and the holes are for the lug nut studs on the hub and the lug nuts that hold it on. The one in the photo is a reproduction and has the slots for the safety pins, that match slots in the spinner; originals (and some early reproductions) don't have the slots in either part.

The third photo shows the K-H and D-49985 cast into the back of an original GM wheel; if your wheels don't have this or have "Western Wheel" cast into the back side, they're reproductions.

wow 1/10th of a turn!.thanks for the photos john that really spelled it out.
i will check the back to see what i have.not a job for the average kid in highschool working a summer job at the local tire store.

 

[Tossin]

not a job for the average kid in highschool working a summer job at the local tire store.

Heh, I'm not sure there's any job on a Corvette that the average high schooler working a summer job should do. I'm not sure I'd even trust them with washing my car. :L

At any rate, welcome to the CAC!

 

[Knob_tool]

I bought the wrench with the plastic insert also and generally found it useless. I think KO's are one of those emotional issues. I NEVER drove anywhere without making sure they that they were tight. It basically became on obsession and I just took off both sets because I didn't find the bother worth the appearance. Some guys just really love them, so I understand.

One of VNV's buddies bought my set from the '66 and I still have the '65s, mounted with four great bias ply goldlines. They're for sale. I want a fortune.

Relax and I think you'll be fine with just some common sense. It IS worthwhile to make sure that you have the hubs on the correct sides, though. Ask me why I know :eyerole

 

[thunder]

I bought the wrench with the plastic insert also and generally found it useless. I think KO's are one of those emotional issues. I NEVER drove anywhere without making sure they that they were tight. It basically became on obsession and I just took off both sets because I didn't find the bother worth the appearance. Some guys just really love them, so I understand.

One of VNV's buddies bought my set from the '66 and I still have the '65s, mounted with four great bias ply goldlines. They're for sale. I want a fortune.

Relax and I think you'll be fine with just some common sense. It IS worthwhile to make sure that you have the hubs on the correct sides, though. Ask me why I know :eyerole

so if you take off the ko assy.your left with studs to mount a tire with lug nuts? (ko's tighten to the rear of the car so one side is left and the other right)right?????

 

[Kid_Again]

so if you take off the ko assy.your left with studs to mount a tire with lug nuts? (ko's tighten to the rear of the car so one side is left and the other right)right?????

...that's what I did with both of my cars, just took the old stuff off and mounted either aluminum or steel wheels, the studs were the same length as the factory studs....i've never installed a new set of KO's and I thought that the studs for those are a different length...not sure....since both of my cars were never owned by the same group of individuals (one group made up entirely of idiots, the other group clearly just a bunch of morons, each group displaying their own unique brand of mechanical incompetence), i assumed that they just used the factory studs

hope this helps

 

[VETTE1966]

kNOCK OFF REPLY

I have had knock offs on my 1996 for 6+ years and not a problem. They are Repros with pins. I have marked the placement of the tighest position that has the pin in with some red paint to make sure I always get back there. I check them before every other drive or so and as long as the are installed correctly with the spinners on the correct side of the car (VITAL), you should be OK. I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND you get a copy of the March 2006 Corvette Enthusiast Magazine. There is a very good article on the care and feeding of these wheels. GET IT AND ENJOY!

 

[jntdysf]

Check out the Muther Thumper:

http://http://performanceunlimited.com/cobravalley_tools/hammer.html

 

[JohnZ]

i've never installed a new set of KO's and I thought that the studs for those are a different length...not sure....

Lug studs were the same on all cars - KO's didn't take unique front hub assemblies or rear trailing arms.