['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by JEC3039

OPH - thanks for the input. Hadn't considered an error being made on the part of the MW employees, but coincidentally I'm a 24-year veteran of Kelsey-Hayes (1970-1994) and our line setters occasionally got the stamping inserts installed incorrectly, too.

To put this to bed, would you happen to know the offset of the real KU wheels? My set of "KT" wheels measure positive 7/8" (at KH we called that inset, since the west coast aftermarket guys at that time used "positive" and "negative" backwards as compared to the OE standards of Detroit, so discussions involving "offset" often got very confusing - referring to it as inset and outset was pretty clear).

Thanks -
JEC

JEC, Good to hear from someone who worked @ Kelsey-Hayes!! That is awesome, am betting some of K-H production was also effected by the Fall of '70 GM UAW strike.

On the 14x6 wheel back space measurements, last evening out in the shop measured a bunch of original 14x6 Pontiac wheels for backspace. There are other differences in dimension, ESP with early wheels that were only for drum usage, but measurements I made were only for what is back space.

In comparing the 14x6 KU to the '72 A-body 14x6 KT, following results...

Backspace from drum/disc mtg area to the very back edge of the wheel:

KU 4.0"

KT 4.25"

in other words, the KU's had 1/4 of an inch more positive offset, resulting track would be 1/2" wider with the KU's versus the KT's & exact same size tire.

Am going to start a topic in the '70-72 Pontiac A-body Tech section with measurements from clean examples of 14x6 Rally wheels & steel wheel used by Pontiac from '67 the late 70's. It should be somewhat revealing.