Safety Pins for Knock Offs

[Lee T.]

Where can I find information on KO safety pins? I am looking to find out what the diameter of the safety pins are suppose to be.

Also, I am having a problem keeping the safety pins installed. Any tips on correct installation procedures ?

[Donald T.]

Re: Safety Pins for Knock Offs

Lee,

You can just order them from any of the vendors. Personally, I don't use them. Original knock offs weren't even designed to use them. In order to use the pins, you have to torque the spinner to line up the slots rather than fully tightening the spinner. I would much prefer a fully tight spinner for security rather than the pin. I think they just give a false sense of security. Just follow the proper installation procedure and you should be fine without the pins. Just my opinion.

[Lee T.]

Re: Safety Pins for Knock Offs

Where can I get the proper installation procedures? My '65 w/KOs is a recent purchase for me and I have no history using them. I have experience the wheels getting 'loose' already and am really concerned about them coming off while I'm driving the car.

[Donald T.]

Re: Safety Pins for Knock Offs

Where can I get the proper installation procedures? My '65 w/KOs is a recent purchase for me and I have no history using them. I have experience the wheels getting 'loose' already and am really concerned about them coming off while I'm driving the car.

Make sure you have the adapters and spinners installed on the correct side. When looking down, the arrow on the spinner should point to the front. Also, use anti-seize on the threads. I believe the procedure is in the owner's manual, and should also be in the service manual. There is also an instruction card for the glove box that has the procedures as well. Here is the verbiage from the card:

"Tighten the wheel locking nuts every 100 miles for the first 500 miles by striking the wings eight hard blows with the provided lead hammer."

[David D.]

Re: Safety Pins for Knock Offs

Besides what Don says above, when you install the safety pins, give the spinner another hit to 'lock' or put pressure on the safety pins keeping them in place.
David

[Wayne P.]

Re: Safety Pins for Knock Offs

I use the cobra Lead hammer. Havent had a problem yet.

[John H.]

Re: Safety Pins for Knock Offs

Also, I am having a problem keeping the safety pins installed. Any tips on correct installation procedures ?

First recognize that there are ten different ways to index the wheels to the adapters, and five of them are wrong. The five large holes in the wheel are clearance holes for the lug nuts that attach the adapter to the hub, and the five small holes are for the drive pins on the adapter. If you have standard lug nuts, it's possible to index the wheel incorrectly, the spinner will only engage a couple of threads, and the wheel WILL come off. If you have the correct "long" lug nuts, they will prevent mis-indexing the wheel to the adapter.

Forget the factory lead hammer - it's for judging and one-time roadside emergency use; Google "******-Thumper" and get a REAL lead hammer, use a little anti-seize on the spinner threads and the conical mating surface between the wheel and the spinner, and whack hell out of the spinner.

If you use the pins, the decorative cap will keep them from falling out; get the suction-cup tool from LICS to remove the cap. NEVER back off the spinner to align the slots for the pin - if you can't find a pair aligned, continue to tighten the spinner to align a pair of slots.

Edit: The censoring robot apparently doesn't like the word "M u t h e r"