The wheels page

I fully appreciate that with this page, we are potentially stepping into a minefield of knowledge, counter-knowledge and supposed fact. At the outset, I would like to state my thanks - again - to the Falcon GT Club of Australia, and its members, who have a great source of information about the subject. I have taken this information and tried to gather it together as best as I can. If anyone has any further information that they could share and help with, please get in touch with us.

GT wheels

XR GT’s had a 5.5 inch rim which was manufactured by Rubery,Owen and Kelmsley (ROK Australia). They had a fully polished stainless steel hubcap which came from the 1966 Mercury Comet Cyclone GT in the U.S. Special chrome wheel nuts were used that protrude through the hubcap. Wheel diameter was 14 inches.

XR GT wheel markings

XT GT’s had a 6 inch rim made by R.O.K. (Australia), and ROK is stamped on one of the three hubcap lugs. There is an additional smaller hole between two of the wheel nut holes. XT GT’s also had the same hubcap as the XR GT but had different length wheel nuts to compensate for the 1/2 inch wider rim. These hubcaps and wheel nuts were also used on the later XW and XY GS range. Wheel diameter was 14 inches.

XT Front

And in detail off the wheel

XT Rear

And in detail off the wheel

Note that the front wheel has a peaked centre to allow for the wheel bearing grease cap.

XW GT’s from 1969 to approximately 2/70 had Kelsey Hayes (Canada) riveted, 6 inch wide, 12 slot wheels of 14 inches diameter. From 2/70 onwards, XW GT’s had riveted, 6 inch wide, 5 slot Kelsey Hayes (Canada) wheels of 14 inches diameter. Hubcaps for both wheels were plain, flat dishes. The Canadian riveted wheels have a reputation for having pressing splits where the hub sticks through the rim.

XW 12 slots

The rivets

The stamped markings

Where the stampings are

Another set of stampings from another wheel

XW 5 slots

This is the Kelsey manufactuing stamp on the inside of Kelsey Hayes rims, but note that the size stamped is 14 x 7JJ. These are five slot rims, but 7inch width was never offered on Australian GTs. These are U.S. rims for Torino or Mustangs. The 14 x 6 was used on the Mercury Cyclone GT.

Here are the 14 x 6 Kelsey Hayes markings.

XY GT’s only had riveted, 6 inch wide, 5 slot wheels of 14 inches diameter, but optional were the Sports Road wheel made by R.O.H. (Australia) which were 6 inches wide and 14 inches in diameter. Hubcaps were plain, flat dishes.

XY 5 slots

A rear view showing the rivets.

XA GT’s had 6 inch wide, welded, 12 slot wheels made by R.O.H. (Australia) which were 14 inches in diameter. Early XA cars had the same plain, flat dished hubcaps as the XW and XY, but later XA’s had a smaller centre cap with a raised, red lettered GT symbol and chromed wheel nuts that protruded through the cap. Optional on the XA were the Sports road wheel made by R.O.H. (Australia) and 6 inches wide and 14 inches in diameter. Also optional were the Daytona, most commonly known as the Bathurst, wheel made by Globe Products of South Australia available as 7 inch wide and 15 inches in diameter.

Early XA 12 slots with dished centre cap

Late XA and all XB 12 slots with GT centre cap

XA/XB GT centre cap

Here are the markings for a 1972 ROH 6x14 1 slot wheel.

XA 12 slot wheels had a ‘small’ hub centre of approx 62mm diameter, later 12 slot wheels, as used on 1974 upwards XB’s had a ‘large’ hub centre of approx 70mm.

XB GT’s had the same R.O.H. manufactured, 6 inch wide, 14 inch diameter 12 slots as fitted to the later XA’s. They also offered the optional R.O.H. Sports Road wheels, 6 inch wide, 14 inch diameter, and the optional Globe Products Daytona/Bathurst wheels, 7 inch wide, 15 inch diameter.

Trim rings

All of the GT 5 slot and 12 slot wheels, no matter of whose manufacture, came fitted from the factory by Ford with brushed trim rings, shown here.

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The Sports Road wheel

In all of the Ford sales literature the wheel was described as ‘6-inch Mag. type sports road wheels’.

And referred to as ‘Mag-type sports road wheel’ in the second XA sales brochure.

This is the wheel as advertised by R.O.H. themselves.

And here is the wheel in all its colourful glory.

Note the original ER70H14 Dunlop Aquajet redline tyre.

The Sports Road wheel was only offered from Ford in 6 x 14 inch size.

The Sports Road wheel were Option 52 on the option sheet, and were either a factory ordered option, or could be installed by the dealer.

The Sports Road wheels had alloy centres and steel rims and were heavier than the steel wheels they were an option to replace.

The Sports Road wheel had the same chromed centre cap with a spun alloy centre and five screw fixing method as the Bathurst Globe alloy wheels. Originally, the fixing screws were Phillips headed.

The Sports Road wheel wheel nuts are not the same as those used for the Bathurst Globe wheel. The Sports wheel nut has a flat top - as opposed to the slightly pointed top to the Globe wheel nut - and, more importantly, they do not have a washer, but instead have a taper which fits into the rim without a washer. This is the same wheel nut that was used later on the XC GXL Falcon’s mag wheels.

The Sports Road wheel was made in Australia by R.O.H. and is not the same as the wheel fitted to the U.S. 1969/70 Shelby Mustang which was all alloy with more prominent, wider spokes.

The Sports Road wheel continued to be offered as an option through the XB Falcon even though Ford swapped from a small centre hub hole of 2.5 inches, to a larger hub centre hole of 2.75inches. The later version had a ‘step down’ to cater for the larger hub.

The Sports Road wheel has its date of manufacture and part number stamped on the inside edge of the rim. The tyre has to be removed to see this.

The Sports Road wheel was not just an option fitted to GT’s, but could fitted right across the model range, including utes and panel vans.

It would appear that a high proportion of the Falcons that came to the U.K. when new were fitted with the Sports Option wheel. I can only assume that this was done to project a more upmarket image for these cars, situated as they were at the top of the range offered by Ford U.K.

As examples, here is the XB GT that I owned in the U.K. back in 1982.

And here is a close up of the wheel.

And John’s six cylinder, three speed manual XB Falcon 500, as bought.

And a close up of a wheel from the car.

Interesting that both U.K. wheels above have had their rough cast alloy section painted black, as opposed to grey.

However, in the case of the infamous Scottish GTs

They are still grey, although, they have been outside a long time.

And here is what they should look like when cared for, beautiful rough cast alloy and polished steel rims.

Note the recessed nut to accomodate the taper, and the flat ‘top’ to the nut.

Mentioned above was the sometime comparison and confusion of the Australian Sports wheel with the 69/70 Shelby five spoke wheel. Here is a photo of the all alloy Shelby wheel.

Apart from being 15 x 7inch in size, there are noticable differences in the shape of the wheel.

Okay, it may not be a Shelby wheel, but it surely is an American Racing Torque Thrust ‘D’ ?

Well, no. Torque Thrusts are an all alloy wheel. The shape of the spokes is different with the Sports Wheel being wider at the rim with straight spokes, whereas Torque Thrusts have a curve if you were to look at a cross section of the wheel and the centre disk of the Sports Wheel has a pronounced square edge to it whereas the centre disk on the Torque Thrusts curves inward.

Also mentioned above is the Sports Road Wheel changed to allow for the switch from small centre hubs to large centre hubs which happened in mid (most probably, July) 1975 I am indebted to Mark, the Falcon GT Club of Australia historian, for pointing this out and for providing the following illustrative photos.

This is the early small hub wheel. Note that the hub section is straight where it runs from the flat that the centre cap screws onto the hub to the flat, centre disk that the wheel nuts bolt through.

The later large centre hub wheels have a noticable ‘step’ in this area where extra metal was added to the hub - best seen when comparing the relationship between the ‘shelves’ for the centre cap screws and the start of the spokes - and the presence of the ‘step’ itself, as seen here.

Here is a beautifully realised cross-section of an early Sports Road Wheel.

This shows the realationship between the small hub and the centre cap, but also illustrates the division between the alloy centre section of the wheel, the steel rim, and how they join together.

As a further illustration of the small hub/large hub inter-relationship, here are large hub sports wheels on a small hub front spindle and rear axle.

Here is the rear of the Sports Road wheel, showing the rather intricate construction of the centre and spokes. This is a large hub wheel.

Arrowed are these markings.

Whatever they mean.

Also seen on the rear of large hub Sports wheels are these stampings on the edge of one of the five spokes - some form of date code perhaps ?

Here is a close up of the centre of the wheel, showing the step to allow for the larger hub.

And another close-up.

And compare with the rear of the small centre wheel, below.