By Tommy Lee Byrd – Images by the Author
Tires and wheels are the number one way to personalize a car. The Big Three manufacturers started picking up on that during the ’60s. Many cars had multiple wheel options based on the buyer’s tastes and budget. In many cases, the original wheels ended up being tossed to the wayside, in favor of aftermarket wheels like Cragar S/S, American Racing, Fenton, or other popular wheel brands. Long forgotten are the steel wheels that rolled beneath these famous Chevys back in the day.
The reality is that every Chevrolet produced until well into the ’70s came with stamped steel wheels, with the exception of the limited-production Kelsey-Hayes aluminum wheels that were an option on C2 Corvettes. The idea of a styled steel wheel didn’t hit the market until the mid ’60s with other makes leading the charge, but Chevrolet followed suit in 1967 with the introduction of the Rally wheel (sometimes spelled “Rallye”). Wheel designs remained fairly straightforward through the years, but many size and backspacing differences offered precise fitment across all of Chevrolet’s product lines. Today, all of those differences are difficult to recognize, unless you carry a measuring tape to your local swap meets to find the exact fit you want. Most folks opt for aftermarket reproductions, like the ones available from Coker Tire, because the sizes and backspacing are dialed in for popular fitments.
The crew at Coker Tire has spent years researching and developing these products, so we leaned on them for some technical information, as well as stock photography of wheels that closely replicate originals from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. That allowed us to show the wheel designs in great detail and dig into some of the history and optional equipment you could get from the factory. We’ll break down the wheel designs, sizes, and various codes associated with production wheels, and touch on some of the modern reproductions. Follow along with our Chevrolet steel wheel guide and impress your friends with newfound knowledge.
Standard Steel Wheels
Although many stamped steel five-lug wheel designs exist from the late ’40s through the ’80s, the general idea is the same: provide strength and allow the stylish hubcap to add decoration. Steel wheels were standard on everything from Corvairs to Corvettes but Chevrolet kept things fresh with a wide variety of hubcap designs across all its models. The least expensive option was a painted steel wheel with a small center cap and no trim ring. This look is quite popular today with sleepers and COPO clones because it looks so plain.
It’s important to note that all Chevrolet steel wheels were 5 inches wide until 1962, and that’s when station wagons and high-performance cars were equipped with a wider wheel for better stability. As far as wheel diameter is concerned, Chevrolet stepped down from 16-inch wheels to 15s in 1949, and then stepped down again to 14s in 1957. Another change that happened in 1957 was the transition from riveted wheels to welded wheels. The early steel wheel designs featured a stamped centersection that was riveted to the rim, and 1957 was a turning point for welded construction, which helped create an airtight wheel. This led to the use of tubeless tires.
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When it comes to decoding an old standard steel wheel, it can be tough because the early wheels did not have the two-letter stamping near the valve stem like the later ’60s wheels. The most sought-after coded steel wheel is the XT, a 14×7 wheel that was used on COPO cars. Today, you can scrounge around at swap meets, but it’s getting tougher to find a nice set of original steel wheels. Even if they look decent, steel wheels can often have a wobble that isn’t visible until it’s on the balancing machine or on your vehicle. Coker Tire offers a nice reproduction of the original steel wheel, which is called the 62 Series OE wheel. It’s available in 14- and 15-inch diameters and accepts original Chevrolet dog dish–style hubcaps (10.125-inch diameter). The best part about the reproduction wheels is the variety of widths, ranging from 5-inch front runners to 10-inch rears to enhance the stance of your street sleeper.
Hubcaps
Hubcaps were the only way to accessorize wheels and Chevrolet had multiple options. The first was the dog dish cap, which changed nearly every year from 1955 through the early ’70s. Then, there were the full wheel covers, which come in many varieties. Tri-Five Chevy steel wheels and early Corvette wheels had a special rim with small bumps that held the wheel covers in place. Later, the hubcaps got a redesign that allowed them to snap onto a standard rim. Luckily, the lug area of the wheel remained the same for decades, keeping the standard 4.75-inch bolt pattern and bumps to hold a 10.125-inch center cap.
Deluxe hubcaps became an option, giving buyers extra decoration to go along with whitewall tires or other special tire designs. Simulated wire wheel covers were very popular add-on items in the mid ’60s, and the 14-inch versions were fitted to many Novas, Chevelles, and Impalas of the day. One of the most notable deluxe hubcap designs came to the market in 1965 and were made famous by the Chevelle Z16. The “Mag Style” wheel cover (RPO code N96) had the appearance of a five-spoke mag wheel but snapped onto a standard steel wheel. These were most common in 14-inch diameter, and available as an option from 1966-69.
Rally Wheels
With the introduction of the Camaro also came the increased usage of disc brakes across all of Chevrolet’s models. The upgraded brakes required a different wheel contour for proper clearance, and it also needed airflow to cool the rotors, so Chevrolet partnered with its wheel manufacturer Kelsey-Hayes to create the Rally wheel. Kelsey-Hayes had already created styled steel wheels for other makes, and the Chevy design was quite simple with five oval-shaped holes stamped into a contoured center. The wheels were painted silver and then decorated with a stainless steel center cap, and in most cases, finished off with a polished trim ring.
The smallest Rally wheel was the 14×5 designed for use on the ’67 Chevy II, code XA for 3.5-inch backspacing with drum brakes and DA for 3.875-inch backspacing with disc brakes. You can quickly determine the size and backspacing of an original Rally wheel by looking at the two-letter code stamped near the valve stem and then looking up a full listing of Rally wheel codes online. Rally wheels were produced in massive numbers from 1967 through the mid ’70s, and most of them were 14-inch diameter. Based on the number of variations in backspacing, 14×6 seemed to be the sweet spot until the YJ code 14×7 Rally came out on ’69 Camaros and ’70 Novas.
Fifteen-inch Rally wheels were seldom seen during the ’60s. Corvettes used them and then the famous Z/28 Camaro used a special DF code 15×6 Rally with 4.0625-inch backspacing, later followed by the AD code (1968) and YH code (1969) Rally wheels that were used on COPO, ZL1, and Z/28 Camaros. Full size passenger cars, like the Impala and subsequent models used 15-inch wheels from 1967-70.
Corvette Rally Wheels
Corvettes got a special version of the Rally wheel. It had the familiar five oval-shaped holes, but it features a 15-inch diameter and special backspacing to fit the tight confines of the Corvette body. The ’67 Corvette came with a one-year-only DC code Rally, which measured 15×6 with 3.5 inches of backspacing. When the body was redesigned for 1968, Chevrolet stepped up to the AG code 15×7 Rally, another one-year-only wheel with 3.75 inches of backspacing. Finally, Chevrolet settled on the AZ code Corvette Rally, a 15×8 with 4 inches of backspacing, which stayed in production into the ’80s. These wheels offer a deep-dish look, which accepts a wide trim ring.
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The nice thing about Corvette Rally wheels is that you could order them over service counters well into the ’80s, so there are plenty of AZ code wheels floating around. They are a popular upgrade for lots of ’60s and ’70s cars because the 8-inch width really filled up the wheel openings and allowed for fat tire fitment.
Super Sport Wheels
The Super Sport package often had special hubcaps, until the special option package got its own stamped steel wheel in 1969. The YA code and AO code Super Sport wheel is a familiar design, as it takes the Magnum 500-style center, which was used across all of the Big Three manufacturers in various finishes. The Super Sport wheel was only available in 1969 and 1970 and featured a silver paintjob with black lug wells, and it was finished off with a special trim ring and center cap. The wheel was only available in 14×7 sizing with 4.375 inches of backspacing. The wheels were designed for the Chevelle, but they look cool on the Camaro and Nova as well.
The Super Sport wheel changed in 1971, taking on the five-spoke design that had debuted a few months earlier on the ’70-1/2 Camaro Z28. This wheel was painted a darker gray than earlier Rally wheels and had a special trim ring that fit into a flanged area around the rim. The AV code Camaro wheel and AU code Chevelle wheel are very similar, both coming in at 15×7, but there are small differences that differentiate the two.
The Odd One
During the ’70s, Chevrolet produced a Camaro and Nova wheel that is one of the least popular designs of all time. It features six stamped holes and was only available in 14×6 and 14×7. Because of the lack of popularity on high-performance cars, these wheels are hard to find because many of them were hauled off for scrap. Camaro and Nova restorers often search for salvageable wheel cores to restore. This wheel is not currently reproduced, but that may change if demand goes up on ’70s vehicle restorations.
Truck
General Motors stamped out a special Rally wheel for Chevrolet and GMC trucks, starting in the mid ’70s. The design featured rectangular holes stamped into the center. A total of 10 holes were stamped in the six-lug version (for factory 4×4) and 16 holes were stamped in the five-lug version for two-wheel drive trucks. The wheels were made in a variety of sizes and are still available at swap meets and junkyards, although the condition varies based on the climate. With many of the wheels nearing 50 years old, it’s usually best to start with a new wheel, especially since Coker Tire offers original GM Truck Rally wheels in 15×8 and 15×10 sizes, and they already come powdercoated in the original silver finish.
Custom Treatments
Steel wheels are versatile because you can paint them and give them different accessory combinations. The Chevy Rally has several center cap options, including the Derby cap, Disc Brake cap, and Police cap in multiple configurations. With a plain steel wheel, you can go no caps for a down and dirty race car look, Spider caps for a ’60s custom look, Baby Moon caps, factory-style dog dish caps, or full wheel covers. A popular option back in the day was the chrome reverse wheel, which was a standard steel wheel that has been cut apart and flipped for a deep-dish look, and then chrome plated for a splash of shine. Chrome OE wheels are still available to give any cruiser a custom look. Other aftermarket steel wheels are Smoothies, which is a more modern take on the plain steel wheel. You can also get many upsized wheels manufactured in steel or aluminum, ranging from Chevy Rally wheels to Super Sport wheels and everything between.
Sources
Coker Tire
(800) 251-6336
cokertire.com
Click on this issue’s cover to see the enhanced digital version of Guide to Steel Wheels on a Chevy Cruiser or Muscle Car.
