l chrome rims for a 66 riviera
- Thread starter chriseck
- Start date
If your referring to the optional chrome ralley wheels, they were available from '66 to '70 on all full size Buicks. They are 6" wide, with a 5x5 bolt pattern, and a 2 1/8" hole in the hub to accept the "cone shaped, ribbed" centre cap, with the 'R' plastic insert.
Finding a good decent set maybe easier said than done, but they are available from time to time. Nobody rechromes the ralley wheels iether, so you may have to accept 'driver quality' for now, and move up to a better set later, when you can. :thumbsup:
Finding a good decent set maybe easier said than done, but they are available from time to time. Nobody rechromes the ralley wheels iether, so you may have to accept 'driver quality' for now, and move up to a better set later, when you can. :thumbsup:
Rivman, thanks for the info, it will help me in learning more about this 66 Riv. Atleast now I know what year rims bolt pattern/width to be looking for. One more ? for you. The tilt steering wheel has alot of side to side play, slop. Have you dealt with this or is there a repair for this problem.I havent taken it apart yet so Im not sure what I will be getting into. Thanks Chris.
norwegian66riv
Active Member
norwegian66riv
Active Member
Here are a image of the rally rims with correct center caps. And yes, they are hard to find. I'm looking after two rims myself to my 66 Riviera.
Chris,
The term "aftermarket" and "originally came on the 66" is sort of in conflict with each other. I will assume you refer to the style wheel that norwegien66 posted. These were factory optional wheels. As posted, the 66-70 year range wheels will work on your car. There is however some variation in the 66 to early 67 wheels you should be aware of. These early wheels had a different dish on the back side that was more angled to conform to the drum geometry. Originally these wheels had cast gray painted inserts vs black. Many changed them to black because it just looks better.
When disc brakes were offered part way through the 67 model year, all wheels from that point on had more of a dished shape on the back to clear the disc brake rotors. Obviously the new wheel fit and functioned the same whether a disc brake car or not.
These wheels can be re-chromed and there are many places that do it for $150 to $250 ea. It is a common misconception for many to think these 15" Buick wheels can't be redone because they are a two piece design with a seam like the Skylark wheels. Since there is no seam on the face of the wheel, they can be rechromed much easier.
On the steering column: Years a go I had a column on a 67 that had a lot of play and there was a bearing inside that was broken apart. I was able to find a replacement column fairly easy.
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not to steal this thread, but . . . there is an awful lot of guys with these Buick wheels that would like to know who rechromes them - myself included ! :thumbsup:
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Stockton Wheel in CA
Paramount Wheels in CA
Wheel Refinishers Inc. in MD and MI
Wheel Techniques in CA
Here are just a few of the major wheel refinishing places that claim ability to do any wheel. My local small town guy, Bills Chrome in Jeannette, PA said he can do them after he saw what they looked like. Pauls Chrome Plating also in PA has a great reputation across the US for restoration and plating services and they can do them as well. Pauls Chrome won't be cheap but they will be 100% perfect with a lifetime warranty. As with any plating shop it would be good to get references or do a good interview with them to get an idea if they meet your standards. My experience has been many shops will immediatley say they can't do them but thats because they "assume" the wheels have a seam on the face as many do. Since our Riv wheels do not have the seam, they should not pose a problem for a "competant" plater. Admittedly my pricing may be a bit out of date as they were 5-6 years old. :clonk: I don't think you'll get much for $150 but $200-$300 is probably more like it.
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The centers look like 1965 but the wheels look like 71-76. The center hole is 2" for the 65 and 71-76 wheels so the centers will interchange. Its slightly larger, like 2-1/8 or so on 66-70 wheels.
If you lay a straight edge on the rim from bead to bead (kind of hard to do with tires on) then measure down to the edge of lug nut hole that will determine for certain if its early or later. I think the 65 wheels are around 2-7/8 and the 71-76 wheels measure over 3". Going from my memory can be dangerous.
I'll verify later on tonight. The 71-76 wheels have more of a visible defined depression around the lug nut holes which I am seeing on your wheels.
Well, yes according to info on the ROA website but I personally have not verified the info.
Ironically I just bought a 66 Riv parts car and 3 of the wheels have a 2" center hole but also measure 3.5" down to the lug hole.
I do know for a fact that 66-70 wheels have a 2-1/8" center hole and 65 and 71 and up wheels have a 2" center hole.
Considering 65 wheels are a bit rare compared to later wheels, it seems unlikely we would both have 65 wheels but it is certainly possible.
I need to dig into this a little deeper to try and verify these dimensions. I'll post back when I can 100% confirm or maybe someone else will chime in and help. I plan to sell the ones I have so also need to 100% verify. 65 wheels bring a lot more money that 71 and later.
Yes, for now a close up of the front and back side of one wheel may help.
Dip,
I'm looking at date codes now. See if there is a code stamped on the back of the wheel, maybe near one of the slots. Possibly in the form of a larger letter with a smaller number inside it. There are also codes visible inside if the tire is removed.
It was raining all evening so I was not able to pull one of my wheels.
Add Note 5/1/09 - I just learned from a reliable source on 71 and UP wheels the center cone extends beyond the plane of the rim edge. for example if you would lay a 71 & up wheel (without a tire) face down on the floor, the cone will rest on the floor before the rim edge touches. On the older wheels, the rim edge would contact the floor and the cone would not touch because it is below the plane.
So with what we know if you have a wheel with a 2" diamter center hole and the cone is below the wheel edge plane, its a 65 wheel. I think this should sum things up.
I would still like to know if you can see a date code. That would be the nail in the coffin.
Jason Z
I'm looking at date codes now. See if there is a code stamped on the back of the wheel, maybe near one of the slots. Possibly in the form of a larger letter with a smaller number inside it. There are also codes visible inside if the tire is removed.
It was raining all evening so I was not able to pull one of my wheels.
Add Note 5/1/09 - I just learned from a reliable source on 71 and UP wheels the center cone extends beyond the plane of the rim edge. for example if you would lay a 71 & up wheel (without a tire) face down on the floor, the cone will rest on the floor before the rim edge touches. On the older wheels, the rim edge would contact the floor and the cone would not touch because it is below the plane.
So with what we know if you have a wheel with a 2" diamter center hole and the cone is below the wheel edge plane, its a 65 wheel. I think this should sum things up.
I would still like to know if you can see a date code. That would be the nail in the coffin.
Jason Z
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