Topic: Spare tire wheel type

[slk25]

I need some opinions about my spare tire wheel.
At the Amherst show, the first time in seven shows, I was marked off for
"Wrong spare tire wheel, incorrect balancing weight, incorrect hold down nut(improper finish)"
Here is a photo of the stamping  on my rim.
Is this incorrect for a concourse driven 1966 Dearborn hardtop with a C code engine?

[CharlesTurner]

Going to need some better pics... although it kind of looks like a '68 style plain wheel.

[J_Speegle]

Yes a better picture would help. Easiest way to tell that its not right would be the number of "nubs" that are designed into the rim to hole the poverty/dog dish sort of hubcap to the rim on later Mustangs and other applications

[slk25]

Jeff and Charles,
Thank you for your information.
Here is a bigger view of the entire rim.

[J_Speegle]

Your current incorrect wheel with four bumps for the small hubcap




Upper left general example of the pre 68 wheel. Bottom right a 68-up wheel



All are dated in multiple places (center and rim) but sure that just the design gave it away

[slk25]

Thanks for the example Jeff.
That explains the point on the sheet.

[196667Bob]

Jeff, of course, is correct about the 3 nubs for the "dog dish" style wheel covers. However, if you get a wheel like the 1968 wheel he pictured, it will be incorrect for your 66. The raised center ring where the holes for the wheel studs are (circled in yellow on the first picture attached), only appears on 1968 and later years. The correct type wheel for 1967 and earlier years, is shown in the next picture.

In addition, if you want to be absolutely correct; your wheel should be dated no later than the month of your build date, and could be a month or two earlier. Besides being stamped with the FoMoCo Oval, wheels were stamped with year, month and manufacturer of the wheels. Wheels were supplied most often by the Motor City Wheel Corporation, but also, although not as often, by Kelsey-Hayes. From what I have seen, the K-H  wheels were stamped on the inside bead of the wheel, or on the inside part that is covered by the tire. All of the Motor City wheels that I have seen are stamped on one of the center raised portions of the wheel (third picture). Stamping seems to take the most common form as "x"M"z", where "x"= the year (a single number), M = Motor City Wheel Corp, and "z" = the month (a single alpha letter). Thus, in the first example I pictured (from my January 31, 1967 build 67 Convertible), the "7MA" translates to January, 1967. While this is, from what I have seen, the most common configuration of the stamping, I have also observed it with "number - M - alpha" (the fourth and fifth pictures - "8MF? = June 1968). In addition, I have also seen them stamped with the month first and the year last (pictures six and seven ? ?HM4? = August of 1964).

The years are the actuaJ years, not Model years. Thus, if your 66 was built prior to January 1of 1966, the wheels should be stamped with a ?5?
Another thing to be aware of is the width (inside bead to inside bead) of the wheel. All 1966 V8 Mustangs with steel wheels had 5? wide wheels.

Finally, the good news ; MCA Concourse Judging Rules for 1964-1/2 through 1966, note that spare wheels and tires should be ?Proper type and size for Model year?. Wording for the wheels and tires on the car is similar. It doesn?t seem like they go into detail on the date coding. As for the width of the wheel, once a tire is on, it?s pretty hard to tell, unless you have a very large caliper or set of dividers.

Hope this helps clarify things.

Bob

[Bossbill]

Jeff, of course, is correct about the 3 nubs for the "dog dish" style wheel covers. However, if you get a wheel like the 1968 wheel he pictured, it will be incorrect for your 66. The raised center ring where the holes for the wheel studs are (circled in yellow on the first picture attached), only appears on 1968 and later years. The correct type wheel for 1967 and earlier years, is shown in the next picture.

The 67 Mustang competition suspension cars, including Shelby hubcap cars, got the exact wheel pictured (pic 1) with the 3 nubs and raised center ring. The center ring style with some detail changes from your pic are also used on other Ford full size cars in 67 (and earlier).

[196667Bob]

Bill : Oh "wheely"? It doesn't surprise me on a car with the competition suspension, as I have never seen one :in person". However, I have never seen that type of wheel with the raised center on a 67 or earlier Mustang, or on any early 60's Ford with 14" wheels, and definitely not on any pre- 1960 Ford. Makes me wonder now if it was possibly a "Plant thing", or maybe a K-H wheel ? Are the ones you are talking about date-stamped with an "M" ?

Always something new to learn.

bob

[Bossbill]

This pic:

is showing, I believe, a 67 15x6 K/H Comp wheel. It is similar and often mistaken for the T-bird and Lincoln wheel. In fact, T-birds only started using 15" in, I believe, 64 in a 5.5" width.

These are stamped with a 2 digit year, a month (single or double digit), a Ford logo and a K/W stamp on the raised sections between the lugs.

[J_Speegle]

Was going to post a picture of a 67 Mustang Comp wheel and 14" examples as well as 67 TBird rimes but realized we are expanding out of the 1966 focus. 

Sure we can find another thread to expand on or start another.  Other threads have already covered things like manufacturing differences between Motor and Kelsey Hayes wheels


One generic (as far as year specific) thread
https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=13468.msg83649#msg83649

[196667Bob]

This pic:

is showing, I believe, a 67 15x6 K/H Comp wheel. It is similar and often mistaken for the T-bird and Lincoln wheel. In fact, T-birds only started using 15" in, I believe, 64 in a 5.5" width.

These are stamped with a 2 digit year, a month (single or double digit), a Ford logo and a K/W stamp on the raised sections between the lugs.

Bill : Did you mean a K/H stamp in your post, and not K/W ? If so. this may be the answer to the :raised ring". However, this then leads to the question "did K-H only supply the 15' wheels, oe did they also supply the standard 14" wheels" ?

Bob

[J_Speegle]

Bill : Did you mean a K/H stamp in your post, and not K/W ? If so. this may be the answer to the :raised ring". However, this then leads to the question "did K-H only supply the 15' wheels, oe did they also supply the standard 14" wheels" ?

Bob

During 66 production? I'ld have to go through some pictures as I don't recall. For other years yes they made and supplied 14" standard steel rimes

[J_Speegle]

Jeff, of course, is correct about the 3 nubs for the "dog dish" style wheel covers. However, if you get a wheel like the 1968 wheel he pictured, it will be incorrect for your 66. The raised center ring where the holes for the wheel studs are (circled in yellow on the first picture attached), only appears on 1968 and later years. The correct type wheel for 1967 and earlier years, is shown in the next picture.

There are a number of examples of 65-67 wheels with the raised area around the center hub like the 67 mentioned

Here is a 65 example





Bill already posted a 67

[slk25]

Thank you Gentlemen for all your insight.
Obviously this will not be fixed before I leave for Evans Georgia this week.
It looks like a winter project searching for a 14 inch rim with three nubs and date codes of 5ML, 5MM or 6MN.