<VV> more Tele Column - Wheel info

[Sethracer at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/24/2012 1:34:31 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
vairologist at cox.net writes:

We  located some wood wheels and some "wood"
wheels too.  I am familier  with the grant wheel mounting where the center 
is
flat and has various  holes in it for bolts and the horn contactor.  Does a
GM wheel look  anything like that when it is stripped bare?  Two of them are
Grants  and they measure 13 and 15 inches.  The smaller one is walnut  wood.
 
Grant has made an old style wheel for a long time. The bolt pattern  has 
three bolts to hold the wheel to the adapter. The wheel also has a center  
hole over the shaft and another hole in between two of the mounting holes for  
horn button parts to stick through. That pattern was the standard "Kustom" 
wheel  pattern as far back as the 50s. It was also used by "Superior" brand 
wheels and  probably others. The three-bolt adapter that Clark's sells is 
made for them  by Grant. Grant still makes several wheels with that center 
pattern,  usually real wood with rivets or plastic or foam. Those wheels use a 
snap-over  chrome or black horn button. Today, Grant makes most of their 
wheels in  what they call a "Signature Series" bolt pattern. That pattern uses a 
 larger, 5 bolt pattern to attach the wheel. That setup also offers dozens  
of snap-in horn buttons with logos etc. The GM "Woodish" wheels, including  
the two spoke used on the Corvair (the same wheel was also used on the 
Chevelle)  and dozens of other GM car designs in wood and plastic use 6-bolts 
for  attachment, and have small clearance slots in between the  holes and a  
large center hole, pretty close to the size of the Grant Signature Series  
wheels. The 5-bolt pattern used by Grant - and a few other wheel  importers - 
and the 6-bolt pattern are very close in diameter. (Caution,  commercial 
alert) The steering hub adapters that I produce for the Corvair  have both the 
5-bolt and 6-bolt patterns drilled into them so you can choose  your wheel 
from a large pool, GM wheels or  aftermarket.   
 
Seth Emerson