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Hurst Wheels - Anatomy
I've seen plenty of pictures of cars sporting original Hurst wheels and pictures of them separately, but never any detailed photos of their unique features and construction. These wheels were only offered in the 14X6" size.
Having recently purchased a set of four original Hurst wheels I've taken the opportunity to take some photos of them up close. The set I purchased have never been restored and were still wearing a 45 year-old set of General bias ply tires. Here's a picture of the set before I purchased them, sitting in the previous owners garage. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...tWheels/2D.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...rstWheels6.jpg After removing the trim rings and having the tires dismounted I was pleasantly surprised to see two of the wheels still had the original Hurst warning stickers completely intact. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01604.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01603.jpg Very clean wheels for being nearly half a century old. The plating on the steel rims still looks nice and bright. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01606.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01605.jpg Close up shot of the rivet heads inside the rim. Note there is some sort of sealing washer under the rivet head so modern tubeless tires can be used. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01607.jpg Backside of the forged wheel center, surprisingly almost all of the inside edges of the forging are knife-sharp. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01615.jpg The 'Hurst' logo is forged inside one of the spokes. The Harvey Aluminum logo can be seen as well. The wheel serial number was hand written in permanent ink inside on one of the spokes on every wheel in this set. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01610.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01609.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01608.jpg Note the steel tab welded to the rim so that the forged aluminum center can be fastened using 2 rivets at each spoke. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01611.jpg You can see one of the five spring clips used to retain the trim ring here, it's tucked into a void inside the welded tab. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01628.jpg Trim ring clip. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01626.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01627.jpg Trim ring. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01622.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01621.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01623.jpg There are 5 small holes in the backside edge of the trim ring right next to the spokes where the end of the wire clips nest to retain the ring. The trim rings tuck into a tightly engineered space in between the spoke and steel rim for a smart finished look. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01625.jpg Original center caps with faded paint (the gold turns to green) and pitted chrome. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01617.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01616.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01620.jpg Original Hurst long-shank lug nuts, the ones that Hurst demanded be used or risk voiding the lifetime wheel warranty. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01619.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01618.jpg Serial number stamped on the center of the wheel just under the center cap. What I would guess would be a forging number stamped as well. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01646.jpg http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01647.jpg I measured the backspacing and it is 3.825", the thickness of the center from the wheel mounting face to the top where the center cap goes is 3.585". Weighed one of the wheels on our shipping scale at work: 20.05 pounds for the bare wheel (with valve stem) 23.15 pounds complete with trim ring and flat center cap http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/DSC01648.jpg Very unusual and beautiful wheels, it's really not too hard to see why they are so coveted by hardcore Pontiac enthusiasts. :) |
Great score on those beautiful rims and thanks for taking the time to post the close-ups for reference.
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Nice , good to see all the details of original wheels . Nice score .
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Great pictures. Maybe you can add some pics of the profile of the spider with dimensions of its thickness. I believe those are thick shank wheels.
Thick shank were deemed to be overengineered and the second gen wheels are thin shank and don't need the shouldered lug nut. I haven't done any research to figure out when production changed over. Another refinement to the design is the redesign of the trim ring and wheel eliminating the need for the clips. Somewhere along the line there was also gold anodized wheels, blue anodized wheels, and aluminum trim rings. My memory is sketchy but I think the aluminum ring didnt use the clip. I don't think a thick shank wheel exists that doesn't use clips but interested to know if anyone else has seen the contrary. |
GREAT Photos!
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b-man, Thank You for posting such nice large clear detailed photos of the Awesome HURST Wheels you recently acquired from a fellow forum member!
The red warning stickers are very cool! Your long shoulder lug nuts confirm the wheels are the earlier thick shank design. I also acquired a full matched set in Original Survivor condition complete with the OEM lug nuts (short shoulder) which accommodate my thin shank web design. YES, they are a "Very Impressive" one of a kind wheel from the wonderful era of 60's Muscle Cars! |
Great photos, B-man! That's an awesome set of wheels!:thumbup:
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There were also "webbed" and "non-webbed" style center spiders. ...lots of variations of these wheels... The wheels I have are thick shank, "webbed" wheels, with the push-on style trim rings (no clips). |
GREAT POST
Good reference material, surprised no one thought of this sooner.
Thought this ad fit the theme; http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...T/65HURST4.jpg |
Great pics, thanks for sharing. I never knew the wheels were riveted together like that.
How difficult is attaching the spring clips to the trim ring? Also, thats a nice looking set of, (1969?), tires. I'm sure someone with a trailer queen show car would love to have them. |
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Those look awesome with the vintage white walls and faded centers! WOW!!
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Love the look, especially on '65s - not a better looking wheel available for that car in my opinion.
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Tires have already been sold and shipped out to a guy who is going to use them on an old-style custom. Told him they're best used for display only or a little slow fairground cruising, any highway driving would be risky. |
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For comparison here is the backside of the repro wheel sold by The Parts Place.
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Bart, I hope you don't mind if I contribute to your thread.
I recently did I restoration on my wheels and took some photos along the way. The wheels that I have are slightly different. Mine are "thick shank", "Webbed", and use the "Push-on style" trim rings. There are other small differences that I'll some as I go. Maybe this will help someone who is looking to purchase a set of their own. Here goes - The main difference is the style of trim rings. These rings do not use the spring clips to hold the ring on the wheel. They have tabs that "grip" the wheel, in between the spokes. You can see the crescent shaped marks left on the rim in the photo. They fit pretty tight! I recommend that someone test fit the rings, and make any needed adjustments, before having them rechromed. |
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Next is the style of the center spyder.
In these photos you can see the "webbed" area in the lug nut pocket. The center kinda webs out into the spoke... kinda like the webbing between your thumb and forefinger. |
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The way the center spyder is attached to the rim is also different.
These rims do not have the welded tab that folds over and sandwiches the center. They simply have two big rivets with thick washers under them. Also notice that the centers are milled differently in this area. Which style is better or stronger?? Who the heck knows?!? Me personally, I'm not worried about it. I'm sure both are strong enough for whatever anyone wants to throw at them. |
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You'll also notice that these wheels do not have the "Harvey Aluminum" logo on the inside of the spokes. There is only the "Hurst" logo and other small numbers and markings. Interesting...
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This is actually the second time that I have revived these wheels. The first time was just a quick clean, paint, and polish. This time, I spent a lot more time on them.
Each wheel was stripped and thoroughly washed. I then very lightly bead blasted the lug nut pockets and some areas on the outer rim. Much of the original plating was still intact and I saw no reason to remove it. Each wheel was sprayed with self etching primer and then painted with Argent Silver. Based on personal experience, I also choose to clear coat them. These wheels get dirty in normal use. Dust tends to collect in the lug nut pockets. The painted areas, on the sides of the spokes, also tend to collect finger prints and smudges. I'm hoping the clear coat will make them a little easier to clean. |
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The last thing I'd like to talk about is serial numbers. I hear people say that a matching set would usually have numbers that are very close together or sequential. While that may be true in some or most cases, I don't think that holds true in all cases.
As you can see in my photos, all 4 of my wheels are exactly the same. There is no curb rash, rust, or pitting on any of them. They are in equal condition. They each have the same patina, if you will. You can't tell one from the other, except to look at the serial number. There is no reason to think that these wheels have not spent their entire lives together. However, the serial numbers are not sequential. My numbers are - 018211 018370 018383 018351 (could be 018851. The 3 or 8 is not clear. I think this is the wheel that had "851" stamped on inside of one of the spokes. Maybe it's a carification added by an employee?) Very interesting.... I believe that this is a "matching set" based on the equal condition of the wheels. There were just too few of these wheels made to explain how 4 wheels came together, at a later point time, and be in equal condition. When you factor in the different style combinations, that these wheels were offered in, the odds would get very slim. Maybe I'm wrong... ?? Maybe someone has data to prove otherwise...?? It doesn't really matter. They're still my babies. I'll still love them! :D Eric |
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