1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

[Wayne M.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

...The 1963 & 1964 springs have a single "hook". The change (on paper) from the single "hook" spring to the double "hook" spring took placed 10-19-64 as shown in the 1965 AIM (UPC 14, sheet C1) but who knows when the change took place on the assembly line.....

Dave, Ron -- I have a single hook on my early Nov '65 coupe (owned since 1980) but can't vouch for its factory heritage. [see pic]. The '65 TIM&JG claims single hook throughout model year. But the '65 AIM (same page Dave quotes from) has a revision notice 10-19-64 [same date jack changed] claiming that spring retainer drawing was modified to show double hook. Go figure !

As for the wrenches, my other one has a flat head concentric circle of 0.45" dia, and the 'O' is crisp(er) [see pics]. But this also has 3 holes.

[David L.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

Here is a picture of all 3 springs.

It's very possible that the single hook spring asm. could have been used in some (or a lot) of the 1965 production to use up the stock on hand.

Both types of the 3785772 spring asm. used the same spring (GM # 3737506) which measures 4 1/2" in overall length with 54 coils. My original 1966 spring asm. still measues 4 1/2" but my 63-64 spring asm. has streached a bit. I have quite a few original 63-64 spring assemblies in my collection but the springs are either broken or considerably stretched.

[Ronald L.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

Dave & Wayne - thanks for the pictures.

I had two neither I thought was original.

The single loop spring has 74 turns.

The double hook has the 68 turns as you mentioned on the over-the-counter replacement.

And on the wrench, I have to correct the earlier statement. I found the O, as shown they are slightly washed out and the rivet is completely different.

Great study!

[David L.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

Ron & Wayne,

I just came across a used 3898172 lug wrench in my garage that I had bought last May at the Mansfield, MA, swap meet for $2. It has the 3 holes in the handle but instead of the letter "O" forged on the lug head it appears to be the number "65" as best as I can tell. The rivet head measures 0.63" in diameter which is much larger than the rivet head on my 1966 wrench. The 3898172 wrench was used from 1967 to 1982 so there could me many variations and it could be from a different vendor. I do not think that the 3898172 wrench that I just found was made by the Otterburn company because the 4.0"+/- forged end section (with the lughead) does not have the same forging marks (lines) as the NOS 3898172 wrench shown in the pictures on Wayne's post.
Dave

[Wayne M.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

Dave -- here's another thing I just noticed; the smaller flat rivet head [0.46" dia.] has a spiral pattern, ie. not circular rings. You may have to drop a tab of Haight-Ashbury's best to see it . I could re-shoot at extreme close-up if needed.

Hard to tell on the larger [0.62" dia] slightly convex head on the '172' wrench, because of the paint.

Man, this'll make those judges work for their breakfast .

[David L.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

Wayne,

I took a closer look at rivet head on my 66 lug wrench (single hole) and it certainly appears to be a spiral pattern but I really had to study it for awhile with a magnifying glass. You must have good eyes, a very good magnifying glass, or a lot of time on your hands. I'll bet that many of our younger NCRS members will have no clue what you mean by the phase "drop a tab of Haight-Ashbury's best" but I certainly do. Back in the day I preferred cold beer (and still do on occasion) and never got into that funny stuff.

Dave

[John H.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

Wayne,

I took a closer look at rivet head on my 66 lug wrench (single hole) and it certainly appears to be a spiral pattern but I really had to study it for awhile with a magnifying glass.

Dave -

Here's one you'll enjoy - '69 Camaro jacks had date-coded RIVETS.

[Alan D.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

From an original one hole jack handle;

[David L.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

Dave -

Here's one you'll enjoy - '69 Camaro jacks had date-coded RIVETS.

John,

The bumper jacks made by the Universal Tool Co. ("keystone" x-sect tube jacks stamped "UN" on the up-down lever) were date coded (2-digits. year & month) on the rivet head from 1967 to sometime in 1974. After that the date code of the "UN" (just "U" in later years) jacks were stamped near the bottom of the shaft with a 4-digit code. Universal made the jacks for Camaros made in Norwood, Ohio, and many other makes & models.

There were at least 3 other companies that made bumper jacks for all the car manufacturers in the 60's and 70's:

AUSCO (large "A" stamping), "T" shaft and scissor jacks (Corvette, Corvair, Mustang)

Ryerson & Haynes (stamped "RH INC."), "keystone" x-sect. tube jacks and Corvair scissor jacks

Walker Manufacturing Co. in Racine, WI, "square x-sect." tube jacks (the same company that now makes mufflers). This company made the jacks for many west coast cars like the Camaros made in Van Nuys, CA.

The shaft lengths are determined by the model, examples are as follows:
67-most of 70 Camaro jacks are 32 1/4" to 32 5/8" (Universal, RH Inc., and Walker)
L70-73 Camaro jacks are 34 1/2"+/- (Universal and Walker only, Walker jacks are 34" +/-)
67-69, 71-72 Chevelle, 67-72 El Camino jacks are 34 1/2"+/- (4 different manufactures)
68-72 Chevrolet & 70 chevelle jacks are 36 1/2"+/- (4 different manufacturers)

I have about 50 or more "muscle car era" bumper jacks in my collection. Date coding basically started in 1967 for most jacks but I have some Ford jacks (RH Inc.) dated as early as 1965.
I have done a lot of research on bumper jacks during the last 20 years.

Dave

[David L.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

Alan,

Your one hole lug wrench looks the same as my 66 (one hole, "O" for Otterburn) lug wrench.

Dave

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

I have what I believe to be the original no hole lug wrench from my 63 and about 2" before the socket there is a letter A stamped. Is this something that's typical of a original 63 part?

[Alan D.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

Tim - that's a discussion in itself, ie "O" v "A" or none. Believe the 63 did not have any holes and that's what the JG calls for. Rumor has it that the repo handles have the "A"

If one looks at the jack handle print on the lower right is a note -"Manufactures Identification Must Appear on this Part Omission Requires Approval" So the "O" needed to be there unless somebody got approval.

And then there is the Corvair parts question.

So I just went by what the JG expects to see! Some of these differences you can fight about if you find some proof - simpler to just switch not fight.
Just do not throw anything away.

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

Alan, This handle is old looking and I have had it for 30 years.. Now all I need to do is find a nice type one jack...

[David L.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

Do they even make repro 63-64 jack handles? I avoid repro parts like the black plague.

If you have owned the "no hole" lug wrench with the stamped letter "A" for 30 years then I would say it is an original. Back in the 1980's I had a few 63-64 "no hole" lug wrenches but at that time I really did not study them carefully for the stampings of forgings ("A" or "O"). I simply sold them as soon as I got them. I have never seen a 63-64, 65-66, or 67 lug wrench with the stamped letter "A" but that's is not saying much at all. As far as I know all 63-67 Corvette jacks (all 3 types) had the "A" stamping (for AUSCO or Automotive Specialties Co.) so it would seem logical that they might also make the lug wrenches (or jack handles). Hopefully other 63 and 64 Corvette owners with original jack handles will add there 2 cents.

Enclosed is a picture comparing a 63-64 Corvette (or 60-64 Corvair) "no hole" jack handle (heavy rust pitting on the handle) with my nice original re-painted 66 "one hole" jack handle. Both have the forged letter "O" but note that the edges on the 63-64 lug head are more rounded. The rivet head on my 63-64 handle is heavily rust pitted so I do not know if there was a "spiral pattern". I believe the 63-64 Corvette handle actually came from an early Corvair, 1960 to 1964 (same part number 3780737 as the 63-64 Corvette handle in my 63 & 64 Chev. parts catalogs). I guess there may have been some variation in the Otterburn jack handles (GM # 3780737) made from 1960 to 1964.

[John D.]

Re: 1966 lug wrench, 1 or 3 hole??

This may shed some light on the issue........