More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

[Cecil L.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

In 1975, I bought a 62 Corvette that had custom wheels on it. I bought a new set of 080 replacement wheels from the local Chevy dealer. They were so tight on the front hubs, I had to file a little material around the inside of the opening. I still have those wheels somewhere.

[David L.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

Cecil,
I believe the 080 wheels were original equipment on 1966 Chevrolet Police cars.
Dave

[Cecil L.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

Cecil,
I believe the 080 wheels were original equipment on 1966 Chevrolet Police cars.
Dave

My point was that the 080 wheel was too tight to fit over the 62 spindle without a hammer or reaming, yet it was listed in the Corvette Parts Catalog as the replacement wheel for 57-62 wide wheel option and 63-64 Corvette (except knock-offs).
Checking my 74 dated Pass Parts Catalog for 1946-1964 shows the 3838080 as the second design Police wheel for 62-64 , 15x5.5K with a 7/16 offset. The first design Police wheel shows as 3834956, a riveted 15x5K with a 9/16 offset which was also listed in the Corvette Parts Catalog as the replacement wheel for 54-62 Corvette. It doesn't show the hole diameter for either wheel.

[David L.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

Cecil,

I know what your point was. I was just adding addition information.

According to my 1963 Chev. Parts Catalog (Oct. 62) the 3748348 wheel (15" X 5 1/2") was used on the 57-62 Corvette & 62 Police (2nd Design). I have the hub hole diameter shown as 2.91" in my notes but I am not 100% sure. The 63 parts catalog does not specify that these wheels were optional (RPO 276) but it should have as it also lists the 3714744 wheel (15" X 5") for 54-62 Pass., Corvette & 54-62 Police (1st design).

According to Chevrolet Parts History the 3748348 wheel was replaced with the 3839814 wheel (15" X 5 1/2", 2.91" hub hole) in August 1965 which was then replaced by the 3838080 wheel (15" X 5 1/2", 2.83" hub hole) in May 1966. Apparently the engineers at Chevrolet back in 1966 never checked to see how well the 3838080 wheel with the smaller hub hole would fit on 1962 and older Corvettes.

Dave

[Chris H.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

The below is revision bock data on the 15 x 5 steel wheel used on late 56-62 from the Chevrolet 3723561 wheel drawing that was redrawn w/o change on 5/7/62. No previous revisions are shown.

3723561 2.91 (large valve hole/rust proofed)

3794464 2.783/2.786 added 5/62 (small valve hole/rust proofed)
3794465 2.783/2.786 added 5/62 (small valve hole/black primer for KH service)

3834956 2.783/2.786 added 9/18/62 (small valve hole/black primer)

3724824 2.91 added 10/9/67 (large valve hole/rust proofed, replaced 3723561)


3723561 is the correct wheel for 56-62 vette. Do not know what later wheels were used for other than service.

[David L.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

UPDATE on the 1963 Wheel dated "6 63" on Ebay:

The seller emailed me that the hub hole size in the wheel on Ebay auction # 300521945793 measures about 2 7/8" (2.88"+/-, but probably 2.91") so this wheel is GM # 3839814 which I previously assumed because it also has the small hole (about 1/8") in one of the "nubs" (or "bumps"). This is a service wheel made in June 1963 with a Kelsey-Hayes sticker.

[Joe L.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

This wheel center hole dimension interests me. It seems that all of the wheels used on Chevrolets through 1982 (except 63-67 aluminum) used a hole size of either 2.783 or 2.91. If, indeed, the wheels are not hub-centric, then why these 2 rather precise dimensions for the center hole? Why not just make it an even 3" hole, or even a 3-1/2" hole, and "cover all bases".

The thing I cannot understand is the 2.91" hole size. I think the hub size for most, if not all, Chevrolets was 2.78". So, why the 2.91" center hole dimension?

[Pancho T.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

UPDATE on the 1963 Wheel dated "6 63" on Ebay:

The seller emailed me that the hub hole size in the wheel on Ebay auction # 300521945793 measures about 2 7/8" (2.88"+/-, but probably 2.91") so this wheel is GM # 3839814 which I previously assumed because it also has the small hole (about 1/8") in one of the "nubs" (or "bumps"). This is a service wheel made in June 1963 with a Kelsey-Hayes sticker.

almost looks like the date is 6 83

[David L.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

almost looks like the date is 6 83

The wheel is stamped "6 63". This type of wheel was NOT made in 1983. This "6 63" wheel also has a Kelsey-Hayes logo.

In 1983 Kelsey-Hayes wheels did not exist. Wheels made by Kelsey had date codes stamped near the valve hole. If this wheel was made in 1983 by Kelsey it would be stamped "K-1-83" as well as a month. day of month, and 2-letter wheel code.

I have studied wheel codes since 1980.

Dave

[Pancho T.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

I know all of that.I was just saying that it looked like a an 83.I am more interested in the small hole on one of the nubs on the front of the wheel.I have several of these wheels currently.I have a few with '64 dates and they do not have the small hole.Any ideas?

[David L.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

I know all of that.I was just saying that it looked like a an 83.I am more interested in the small hole on one of the nubs on the front of the wheel.I have several of these wheels currently.I have a few with '64 dates and they do not have the small hole.Any ideas?

Pancho.

Does a wheel roll? Of course I know exactly what wheels you have. The wheels you have are GM # 3839814 as shown in my 1964 Chevrolet parts Catalog (effective Oct. 1963) assuming they are 15 X 5 1/2 K with a 2.91" hub hole and a small hole (about 1/8" or so) in one of the "nub" (or "bumps").

Read this ENTIRE THREAD carefully starting from the beginning.

There are many 1964 Corvette owners in the NCRS that do not believe that the 3839814 wheels were ever installed on 1964 Corvettes on the assembly line. The 3839814 wheel (K-H # 49494) made in June 1963 by Kelsey-Hayes that is currently on Ebay was apparently sold "over the counter" at a tire store because it has a K-H sticker instead of a GM sticker. The 1963 Corvette wheel (GM # 3834127, 2.78" hub hole) that was sold "over the counter" by Chevrolet dealers and also installed on 1963 Corvettes on the assembly line was replaced by the 3839814 wheel (2.91" hub hole) in October 1963 as per Chevrolet Parts History. Apparently the 3834127 wheel continued to be installed on 1964 Corvettes on the assembly line. I find it hard to believe that there were enough 3834127 wheels left for the entire 1964 Corvette production when Kelsey-Hayes was making the 3839814 wheel at least as early June 1963. It would be interesting to find out which wheel was installed on 1964 Corvettes during the last few months of production and what the date codes were.

Dave

[Pancho T.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

My 1963 Chevrolet Parts Catalog lists GM # 3825686 (in Gr. 5.803) as the steel wheel for the 63 Corvette & 63 Police car. According to Chevrolet Parts History the part number changes were follows:
"3825686 MIX 3834127 1-63"
"3834127 USE 3839814 10-63"
"3839814 USE 3838080 5-66"

I once owned the following used 1963 and 1964 Corvette wheels stamped "15 X 5 1/2 K" along with the following date codes: "1 63" (6 of them), "2 63", "1 64", "2 64", "5 64", "6 64" (or maybe "9 64"???), and believe or not "6 59" (stamping error???). I also one owned a NOS 3839814 wheel dated "3 65".

By the way, has anyone ever seen a 63-64 Corvette wheel dated "6 59"? I saw one at the Carlisle auto show many years ago so I know there are at least 2 of them in this world, stamping error I presume.

NOTE: the "15 X 5 1/2 K" wheel dated "6 59" was a 63-64 Corvette wheel, NOT a 1959 Corvette wheel.

My question is as follows: are the "early" 63 wheels (GM # 3825686) made in the Fall of 1962 EXACTLY THE SAME as the "late" 63 wheels (GM # 3834127) made starting approximately Jan. 1963? I ask this because of the term "MIX" used in the Chevrolet Parts History. I know that Joe Lucia knows something about the terms "MIX" and "USE" and I hope to get his comments.

All my former 3834127 wheels (dated from "1 63" to "5 64") had a 2.78" hub hole diameter. The 3839814 wheels (dated "6 64" or "9 64"??? and "3 65") had a 2.91" hub hole diameter (about 0.13" or about 1/8" larger) as well as a small hole about 1/8" in dia.in one of the "nubs" on the front face of the wheel. From what I understand the 3839814 wheel may have never been installed on the 1964 Corvette assembly line even though the 3839814 wheel appears in my 1964 Chevrolet Parts Catalog (effective Oct. 1963). I guess there were enough of the 3834127 wheels left over to use during the entire 1964 Corvette production. I guess if you bought a 1964 Corvette wheel "over the counter" during the 1964 production it would be the 3839814 wheel.

I also once owned a NOS 3838080 wheel which I believe to be original equipment on 1966 Chevrolet Police cars. The 3838080 rim profile is somewhat similar (but not exactly the same) as the rim profile on a 65-66 Corvette steel wheel (GM # 3869156) which can accommodate disc brakes.

here is another with the 6 59 date stamp

[David L.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

Pancho,

As mentioned previously I once owned a 63-64 Corvette 15 X 5 1/2 K steel wheel that was also stamped
"6 59". It was NOT a 1959 Corvette wheel. I sold it to a 63 Corvette owner in Cherry Hill, NJ, with 3 other original correctly dated 63 Corvette steel wheels as all 4 wheels were physically identical.
Enclosed are 2 photos of my tracing of the "6 59" stamping. Now I know of at least three 63-64 Corvette 15 X 5 1/2 K steel wheels that were stamped "6 59".
It has to be a stamping error.

Dave

[Pancho T.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

Dave

something else different is the line under the 6 portion of the month date.I have not seen that on any of my other wheels.I currently have the following '63-'64 wheels
Jan '63 3 wheels (by the way this the set the 6 59 wheel came from)
March 1
April 1
June 1
July 1

Jan '64 1
March 2

? 6-59 1

Pancho

[David L.]

Re: More about 63-64 Corvette steel wheels

Pancho,

The line under the number "6" (June) is there so as not to be confused with the number "9" (September).
My tracing of the number "6" also have a line underneath.

My replacement wheel (GM 3839814) mentioned previously with the 2.91" hub hole was stamped
either "6 64" or "9 64". Since there was no line under the month part of the date code the code must have been "9 64" or Sept. 1964.

Dave