63 wheel width

[Michael G.]

I'm trying to determine if a set of steel wheels that I have are for a 63. Anyone know what width should they be and where I measure it?

Thanks

[Timothy B.]

Re: 63 wheel width

Michael,

The width should be 5 1/2" measured in between the bead sealing surfaces. If you do a archive search there are some good pics for you to compare the wheels too.

[Wayne M.]

Re: 63 wheel width

I'm trying to determine if a set of steel wheels that I have are for a 63. Anyone know what width should they be and where I measure it? ....

Here's one link with good pics from Tracy Crisler. There are others as well.

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...heels&uid=5001

[Dan A.]

Re: 63 wheel width

As others have said, it is measured from sealing bead area to sealing bead area.

[David L.]

Re: 63 wheel width

63-E64 Corvette steel wheels (GM # 3825686, disc. Jan. 1963, and GM # 3834127, disc. Oct. 1963, in the Chevrolet parts catalogs) are stamped "15 X 15 1/2 K" along with the month and year (example: "2" and "63" for Feb. 1963) on the rim part that is covered up by the tire. "GM" is stamped somewhere on the front face on one of the "bumps". The hub hole measures 2 25/32" in diameter and the offset is 7/16". I have found no physical difference between the 3825686 and 3834127 wheels. I think it was simply a part number change. The term "MIX" (which means "part transferred") is used in Chevrolet Parts History with this particular part number change. The term "USE" is much more common in Chevrolert Parts History and means "part substituted".

64 Corvette steel wheels (GM # 3839814, disc. May 1966) are similar but the hub hole diameter measures 2 29/32" and there is a small hole (drilled or punched) in one of the "bumps" on the front face. I do not know the purpose of this small hole. I believe that "early" 64 Corvettes used the 3834127 wheel.

The GM 3838080 wheels are replacement wheels (15 X 15 1/2 K) for the 57-64 Corvettes as of May 1966 and have a different rim cross section. I believe the 3838080 wheel is original equipment for 66 Police cars.

65-66 Corvette wheels (GM # 3869156, 15 X 15 1/2 JK, 7/16" offsett) are designed for disk brakes and can also be used on 63-64 Corvettes.

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 wheel width

Thanks for the replies.

The wheels have tires on them, so I can't look at the dates with out deflating them. I've done my best to measure the width with the tires on (not easy) and I think that they are 5 1/2" wide. I'll deflate them if we can't figure out what they are.

They have the 63 profile, but do not have the "bumps" on either side of the valve stem. They have 4 bumps, located at 45 degrees to the stem and equidistant around the rim. Anybody know what they are?

Thanks

[Tracy C.]

Re: 63 wheel width

Those 4 bumps are on all 56 - 62 wheels (although there are other differences between these years). These wheels will not have bumps at the valve stem but they do have a profile similar to the 63/4 wheels. You will find them to be 5" wide...not 5 1/2".

tc

[Dan A.]

Re: 63 wheel width

Can you post a picture of the face and the back of the wheel?

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 wheel width

Thanks, I'll take some pics tomorrow, maybe we can identify the year.

[David L.]

Re: 63 wheel width

Mike,

With tires on the wheels it is a little difficult to determine the actual wheel width. You can measure the "gross" width of the wheel by using 2 narrow BUT VERY STRAIGHT pieces of wood strips each about 16" long or so. Place one wood strip on each side of the wheel and measure the distance between the wood strips through the hub hole. Make sure the strips do not touch the tire. If the gross width measures about 6.0" then the wheel width is 5.0". If the gross width measures about 6.5" (or 6 9/16") then the wheel width is 5.5".

What is the hub hole diameter, 2 25/32", 2 29/32" or something else?

Is there a "GM" stamping on one of the 4 "bumps"?

The 65-66 Corvette 15 X 5 1/2" JK wheels do NOT have these 4 "bumps" which are used to hold on small hub caps. Based on what you have stated previously you do not have 65-66 Corvette wheels.

My guess is that you have the very common 15" X 5" wheels. Original 63 Corvette wheels are very hard to find. It was even difficult to find them at swap meets back in the 1980's but not impossible like it is today.

Enclosed is a sketch (to scale) that I made back in the 1980's of the cross section of a 63 Corvette wheel (dated Feb. 1963).

Dave

[Chris H.]

Re: 63 wheel width

mike, take a look at my questions asked on the late thead with pics. Is it welded, dogboes, double hump.

[David L.]

Re: 63 wheel width

I have had many original 63 & 64 Corvette wheels in the past 30 years. Even though the 3834127 wheel was replaced by the 3839814 wheel in Oct. 1963 I have had 3834127 wheels (2 25/32" hub hole) with the following different date codes according to my notes:
"1 63"
"1 64"
"2 64"
"6 59" (I believe the "59" was a stamping error as this wheel was identical to the "1 63", "1 64", and "2 64"" wheels)
The digits of the 15 X 15 1/2 stamping on these wheels measures about 1/8" high.


I have had the following "late" 64 Corvette wheels, GM # 3839814, (2 29/32" hub hole) with the small hole drilled in one of the 5 "bumps":
"6 64" (or "9 64" ?????)
The digits of the 15 X 15 1/2 staming on the wheels measure about 3/16" high.
"3 65" (NOS wheel with gm sticker 3839814)

It's hard to determine if a month is "6" (June) or "9" (Sept.) since the date code was stamped randomly at various angles with respect to the 15 X 5 1/2 stamping.

[John F.]

Re: 63 wheel width

Michael, PM sent!
John F

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 wheel width

The wheels are 15 x 5. There is no "GM" stamped on any of the bumps. There are no bumps adjacent to the valve stem. The hub hole appears to about 2 25/32" The pic below is of the welded area. I can take more if you tell me what you want to see. In general, they look like they welded wheels in Tom Parsons' pics in the "Welded Wheel" thread that is active here. I'm guessing 56-62.

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks

[Chris H.]

Re: 63 wheel width

It is a late 56- early 60 wheel. Most likely PN 3726531. (Not all 3726531's had dogbones).