Wheels

[Ric S.]

Greetings all. A newbee question. I see the same style wheel or rim on many Cobras, "knock-offs" I believe is the term. Is that because of the lug pattern or is the right thing to do? Thanks to all.

[pgermond]

Yes, knock-offs. It is the right thing to do.... IMHO

[souzape]

Ric- briefly a "knock-off" is any wheel on a rudge spline or pin drive system that use a large (single) winged nut to hold the wheel on. Some of the cars in this forum have real knock off wheels and some have lug nut wheels with a non-funtional wing nut. Personally, due to a bad experience with an Austin Healey with real wire wheels and knock-offs years ago, I don't really care for functional knock-offs on a street car. There are, however, lots of ways to make them relatively safe. Real knock-offs require some kind of hub adaptor to attach them to the spindle and that usually adds some extra expense. The original Cobras used real knock-offs.... Dunlop rudge spline wire wheels with a two eared knock-off on the 289 cars and several different types of cast wheels with a 6 pin drive system and three eared knock-off on the 427 cars. Some of the 289 comp cars used kidney bean Halibrands or "FIA" cast/forged wheels with three eared knock-offs. I'm old enough to remember Cobras when they were new and I don't recall seeing any with lug nuts and disc wheels. Five spoke American mags with a two eared knock-off where apparently offered as a factory or delaer installed option (They were splined and not pin drives). Some some but not many with that set up.

Phil Souza