C2: Repro KO saftey pins

[Dan Pepper]

What kind and what size to fit repro Western KO? The wheels didn't come with any, and have no instructionsl Are these the rolled-type pins you can find at the hardware store? Just tap 'em in and pull them out with pliars when you want to remove the wheel?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[Mike M.]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

seems to me the pins supplied with he repro k/os were soft aluminum but i don't see where a steel pin wouldn't be just as effective. there isn't anything special about them, ie they aren't tapered. piece of coat hanger or welding rod may be large enough to suffice. just leave enough protruding so you can put a pair of vice grips on the end to extract the pins when you want to remove a wheel. lubricate pins also. good luck, mike

[Wayne W.]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

They make them out of soft material so that when you leave you car at the tire store the bozos will not totally destroy your wheels.

[Michael H.]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

Hey Dan -

I suggest you not rely on the pins to keep the spinners locked on. There is an article on the Corvette Restorer CD ROM about adding a set screw to the hub. I did this and it really works well. If you can't find the article send me an e-mail (mghaluska@aol.com) and I'll reply with instructions and photo.

[Mike McKown]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

I suggest the same thing. Do not rely on the pins keeping the wheels on. If those spinners are going to unwind, the aluminum pins will not stop them. They will strip off. If the wheels are TIGHT on the five pins (no radial play) and you KTS out of the spinner, they will not come loose. I know a lot of people, that know a lot of people that have had them come loose. I do not know anyone that has had them come loose. If you are going to rely on a pin or set screw to keep the spinners on, you will be rewarded with the wheels flying off at some point.

[Joe C.]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

Dan:

The retainer pins should be aluminum, or any other soft metal. The reason for this is that if (when) the spinners begin to back out under load, that they will deform the pins, which will then thus hold the spinners in place. It is basically a sacrificial process, but it does serve the purpose. Every time I need to remove my knockoffs, I first have to release the pressure from the retainer pins by ENTHUSIASTICALLY backing off on the spinner before pulling the pin.

[Mike McKown]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

My point was, if you "enthusiastically" BTS out of the spinnner when you put it on, you don't need the pins. If the five pins through the wheel are not a snug fit and the spinner threads are not lubricated when you POUND IT ON, the wheels will be in the corn field. The aluminum pins supplied as "safety's" will not prevent the spinner from coming loose if the pins are loose and allow the wheel to work radially (is this a word) back and forth depending on acceleration and deceleration.

Mike

[Joe C.]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

Mike:

I see your point. I can tell you, though, that I do NOT believe in lubing the knockoff threads------I think that a little friction on the threads will be more of a safety margin.
It would require an excessive amount of shear force to sever properly installed safety pins on the repro knockoffs.
I remember that when I first got my '65 with KO's, I took it on a local trip without the pins installed, because I assumed that the pins were worthless, like many folks today think of seatbelts. I lost the right rear wheel at 50 MPH. Since then, I have used the pins as per Western Wheel instructions----------no problema.

Joe

[Mike M.]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

interesting approaches to the western wheel repo. only had one set in my years of collecting vets and i never had any problems with them as i took them off and sold them. I do still have 9 midyears with K/Os 9 (that would be 36 original K/O wheels as the Dipstick can't multiply) and nearly all 9 vets are driven or have been driven long distances.the only wheel i ever lost was on a car i had the spinners replated. when i installed them(years ago), i elected to Lubricate them. BIG MISTAKE. I don't resort to Loctite, i simply seat the unlubricated spinner while the wheel/tire is off the ground, then drop the wheel to mother earth and pound the living hell out of the spinners with a 5# maul that has leather pucks(replacable) on its heads.Ya rally gotta whale on em if ya want to keep them out of the cabbage patch.K/Os forever.mike

[Mike McKown]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

And I agree/disagree with this approach. You can say the lube will allow the spinner to back off or you can say the lube will allow the spinner to go on tighter and put more clamp force on the wheel with the same beat the sh-- out of it. Your call. The lube will prevent the threads from galling and causing removal problems. My opinion is, if the threads are slick, the clamp force will be that much greater with the same "whack" on the spinner.

[Mike Yager]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

Mike:

I never noticed that article on The Restorer CD and have just read it. What a great idea! This seems even better than the pins and pretty much fool-proof. I am going to do this to my wheels.

One question since its not clear in the article. Do you drill and tap the adapter first, tighten the spinner and then mark where to drill and tap the spinner?

You wonder why the repro wheel manufacturers have not done this.

[Michael H.]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

Hey Mike -

All you need to do is drill and tap the adapter. You tighten the allen screw against the threads and friction holds the spinner in place. The damage (if any) to the threads on the spinner is superficial and they still spin off when you remove the allen screw. Just remember to keep an allen wrench in the glove compartment or tape it to the hammer.

[John H.]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

I put pin-drive Halibrand KO's on my Grand Sport (same basic design as the Corvette wheel, except the spinners have longer ears, easier to beat on - see link below); used anti-seize on the threads and the conical spinner/wheel seating surface to avoid thread galling and increase developed clamping force, never had one loosen, and I ran Hell out of it. I DID safety-wire one spinner ear to a hole drilled in the wheel spider on each wheel with some slack in the spun wire for a quick visual check, never lost the slack in any wire. I'd beat Hell out of them with a 4# plastic-coated shot-filled dead-blow hammer when I installed them, never had one loosen.

[Mike Yager]

Re: C2: Repro KO saftey pins

Thanks Mike. That makes sense. After my last post, thinking about it some more, I was wondering how you would drill into the spinner without damaging it.

I will definitely do this. I have an older set of repro K/O wheels that do not have an adapter that uses the safety pins.

BTW. I recently purchased a lead hammer from Cobra Country - www.cobracountry.com. This is absolutely the best K/O hammer I have seen. It will be able to take years of use and comes in a 6 pound size. You can really bang the heck out of the spinners with it!