GM Tire Irons (lug wrenches)

[Bryan M.]

Not Corvette specific but, the wealth of knowledge here is tremendous.

Were the typical lug wrenches used on GM cars during the 60's and 70's specific to model type or could the same wrench be shared with several different models? For instance, could a lug wrench out of a 62 straight axle Corvette be the same for a 1st or 2nd gen Camaro?
Thanks,
Bryan

[Joe L.]

Re: GM Tire Irons (lug wrenches)

Not Corvette specific but, the wealth of knowledge here is tremendous.

Were the typical lug wrenches used on GM cars during the 60's and 70's specific to model type or could the same wrench be shared with several different models? For instance, could a lug wrench out of a 62 straight axle Corvette be the same for a 1st or 2nd gen Camaro?
Thanks,
Bryan

Bryan-----


While there were many lug wrenches used over the years, in any given model year or range of model years the lug wrench was the same for most Chevrolet (as well as other GM) passenger cars utilizing a bumper-type jack. 1963-82 Corvettes, of course, used a more-or-less unique wrench.

[David L.]

Re: GM Tire Irons (lug wrenches)

Bryan,

I have collected and studied Chevrolet and other GM lug wrenches since 1990 when I started looking for the correct lug wrench for my 1970 Camaro SS350 long term project.
I now have over 80 lug wrenches that I found in junk yards and swap meets. I also had a few NOS 3909176 lug wrenches (now sold) that were sold over the counter from about Jan. 1967 to December 1971 and they were not always the same as those that I found in 1967-1972 Chevrolets although I did find a few 1969 Chevrolets with the same 3909176 lug wrenches. There are a lot of variations. I can tell you that the original lug wrench in a 1962 Corvette is NOT the same as the one in a 1970 Camaro. There were several companies that made the lug wrenches for GM. Over the years I have had a few 1961-1962 Corvette lug wrenches that were quite unique because of the length, angle, "O" forging on the lug head, and very special end to remove hub caps. I have several original 1970 Camaro lug wrenches and they all are about the same length (1/2" +/- variations) and same angle but some have the "O" forging for Otterburn and some have a "U" forging for the Universal Tool Co. The lug wrench in a 1970 Camaro is NOT the same as a 1970 Chevrolet which is not the same as a 1970 Pontiac LeMans. I have a lot of lug wrenches from 1970 GM models.

According to my Chevrolet parts catalogs and Chevrolet Parts History manuals the lug wrenches sold over the counter are as follows:
3692251 to 3710686 in April 1955 to 3788336 in May 1961 to 3834701 in Oct. 1963 to 3710686 in Jan. 1965 to 3834701 in July 1966 to 3899547 in Feb. 1967 to 3909176 in Jan. 1967 to 3987070 in Dec. 1971 to 326740 in Nov. 1974 to 474473 to 14036400. The Feb. 1967 before the Jan. 1967 is NOT a typo. It is as per Chevrolet Parts History.

To find the correct lug wrench for you car you must find at least 3 or 4 junk yard cars with original jacks and lug wrenches and then "take the average". This is a very difficult task. It took me about 6 or 7 years back in the 1990's to find the correct lug wrench for my 70 Camaro project. I could not do this now since there are no 1950's to 1970's cars left in the junk yards (at least in New England). There is a junk yard in Phoenix, AZ, called Desert Valley Auto Parts that supposedly has 10,000 vehicle with a lot of vintage cars but you will never find me there as apparently rattle snakes like to make there home in some of the cars.

Dave

[Bryan M.]

Re: GM Tire Irons (lug wrenches)

Dave,
Thanks. Sounds like I have a daunting task of finding the correct lug wrench for a 1970 Camaro.

[David L.]

Re: GM Tire Irons (lug wrenches)

Dave,
Thanks. Sounds like I have a daunting task of finding the correct lug wrench for a 1970 Camaro.

Bryan,
If you are looking for an original 1970 Camaro lug wrench I already did your homework.
My 70 Camaro lug wrenches are as follows:

"O" forging on lug head.
short part about 4 inches (end to center of bend)
long part about 17 1/2" (end to center of bend)
diagonal measures 19 3/4" (center of lug head end to center of chisel end)
gray paint

"U" forging on head
same dimensions as above
gray paint

I have been told by other 1970 Camaro owners (Nasty Z28 website) that some were painted gray and some were painted black.

I also have the following:
72 Camaro: 4", 18", 20 1/2" diagonal
73 Camaro: 4", 18", 20 3/4" diagonal

If you want photos, etc., send me a PM.

Dave

[Joe L.]

Re: GM Tire Irons (lug wrenches)

Bryan,

I have collected and studied Chevrolet and other GM lug wrenches since 1990 when I started looking for the correct lug wrench for my 1970 Camaro SS350 long term project.
I now have over 80 lug wrenches that I found in junk yards and swap meets. I also had a few NOS 3909176 lug wrenches (now sold) that were sold over the counter from about Jan. 1967 to December 1971 and they were not always the same as those that I found in 1967-1972 Chevrolets although I did find a few 1969 Chevrolets with the same 3909176 lug wrenches. There are a lot of variations. I can tell you that the original lug wrench in a 1962 Corvette is NOT the same as the one in a 1970 Camaro. There were several companies that made the lug wrenches for GM. Over the years I have had a few 1961-1962 Corvette lug wrenches that were quite unique because of the length, angle, "O" forging on the lug head, and very special end to remove hub caps. I have several original 1970 Camaro lug wrenches and they all are about the same length (1/2" +/- variations) and same angle but some have the "O" forging for Otterburn and some have a "U" forging for the Universal Tool Co. The lug wrench in a 1970 Camaro is NOT the same as a 1970 Chevrolet which is not the same as a 1970 Pontiac LeMans. I have a lot of lug wrenches from 1970 GM models.

According to my Chevrolet parts catalogs and Chevrolet Parts History manuals the lug wrenches sold over the counter are as follows:
3692251 to 3710686 in April 1955 to 3788336 in May 1961 to 3834701 in Oct. 1963 to 3710686 in Jan. 1965 to 3834701 in July 1966 to 3899547 in Feb. 1967 to 3909176 in Jan. 1967 to 3987070 in Dec. 1971 to 326740 in Nov. 1974 to 474473 to 14036400. The Feb. 1967 before the Jan. 1967 is NOT a typo. It is as per Chevrolet Parts History.

To find the correct lug wrench for you car you must find at least 3 or 4 junk yard cars with original jacks and lug wrenches and then "take the average". This is a very difficult task. It took me about 6 or 7 years back in the 1990's to find the correct lug wrench for my 70 Camaro project. I could not do this now since there are no 1950's to 1970's cars left in the junk yards (at least in New England). There is a junk yard in Phoenix, AZ, called Desert Valley Auto Parts that supposedly has 10,000 vehicle with a lot of vintage cars but you will never find me there as apparently rattle snakes like to make there home in some of the cars.

Dave

Dave------


Very puzzling. The only way I can see that there would have been so many different lug wrenches during any particular model year or range of model years is if there were a plethora of different lug wrenches used in PRODUCTION with only a single lug wrench being available in SERVICE (for a given year model or range of year models).

For example, the GM #3909176 was the SERVICE wrench from sometime during the 1967 model year until at least sometime during the 1971 model year, if not into the 1972 model year. GM cataloged it for most passenger car models during those years. Presumably, this would have been the wrench used in PRODUCTION for all those models and years. Of course, as I mentioned above, it might be that different part numbered wrenches were used in PRODUCTION for some of the models. What does not make sense to me is why this would have been necessary. I just don't see this type of lug wrench as being "model-specific".

Some clarification of this should be easy, though. Does anyone out there have AIM's for other non-Corvette Chevrolet models (i.e. Camaro, Chevelle, Chevy II, and full size passenger car) during the 1967-71 period? If so, what part number do they specify for the lug wrench?

By the way, I have no doubt that the lug wrench for a 1962 Corvette would be different than a 1970 Camaro. There were definitely different part numbers used for each of those.

[David L.]

Re: GM Tire Irons (lug wrenches)

Dave------


Very puzzling. The only way I can see that there would have been so many different lug wrenches during any particular model year or range of model years is if there were a plethora of different lug wrenches used in PRODUCTION with only a single lug wrench being available in SERVICE (for a given year model or range of year models).

For example, the GM #3909176 was the SERVICE wrench from sometime during the 1967 model year until at least sometime during the 1971 model year, if not into the 1972 model year. GM cataloged it for most passenger car models during those years. Presumably, this would have been the wrench used in PRODUCTION for all those models and years. Of course, as I mentioned above, it might be that different part numbered wrenches were used in PRODUCTION for some of the models. What does not make sense to me is why this would have been necessary. I just don't see this type of lug wrench as being "model-specific".

Some clarification of this should be easy, though. Does anyone out there have AIM's for other non-Corvette Chevrolet models (i.e. Camaro, Chevelle, Chevy II, and full size passenger car) during the 1967-71 period? If so, what part number do they specify for the lug wrench?

By the way, I have no doubt that the lug wrench for a 1962 Corvette would be different than a 1970 Camaro. There were definitely different part numbers used for each of those.

Joe,

Lug wrenches are indeed very puzzling. I have more then 80 of them in my collection and all are for 3/4" lug nuts. How many in your collection? When I get a chance I will did out all the lug wrenches that I removed from 1970 GM models and post a photo.

The 1970 Camaro AIM lists # 3899546 as "WRENCH CHART" on UPC 14, sheet C1. GM # 3899546 is the part number for the wrench chart, not a specific lug wrench. Wouldn't you think that a wrench chart would have more then one lug wrench listed on it?

Pictured below is a pile of lug wrenches that I have to sort out.

Dave

[Joe L.]

Re: GM Tire Irons (lug wrenches)

Joe,

Lug wrenches are indeed very puzzling. I have more then 80 of them in my collection and all are for 3/4" lug nuts. How many in your collection? When I get a chance I will did out all the lug wrenches that I removed from 1970 GM models and post a photo.

The 1970 Camaro AIM lists # 3899546 as "WRENCH CHART" on UPC 14, sheet C1. GM # 3899546 is the part number for the wrench chart, not a specific lug wrench. Wouldn't you think that a wrench chart would have more then one lug wrench listed on it?

Pictured below is a pile of lug wrenches that I have to sort out.

Dave

Dave------


I have none of this type lug wrench. I never really had any interest in them since they were not used on 63+ Corvettes.

If there was a chart for the lug wrenches, there almost certainly had to be at least 2 lug wrenches listed on that chart. I just cannot figure out why more than one wrench was needed. If it involved some kind of fitment issue, then that means that by providing only one wrench at any given time in SERVICE, there would be applications for which that one wrench would not fit properly in the storage area.

[John H.]

Re: GM Tire Irons (lug wrenches)

1969 Camaro shows the same #3899546 chart for the lug wrench, released in UPC 10.

[Joe L.]

Re: GM Tire Irons (lug wrenches)

1969 Camaro shows the same #3899546 chart for the lug wrench, released in UPC 10.

John------

Just another one of these "charts" that would be so interesting to have now! The same as the "Bill of Materials" listed on so many RPO's.

Somewhere, deep within the GM archives or, possibly, the old hard copy records of part numbers, these documents probably still exist. I wish we had some way of gaining access to them.

[David L.]

Re: GM Tire Irons (lug wrenches)

I have none of this type lug wrench. I never really had any interest in them since they were not used on 63+ Corvettes.

Joe,
The reason that I have interest in the lug wrenches really started when I bought a lug wrench at a junk yard from the trunk of a 1963 Chevrolet for $1 that I knew was the same as those used in 1961-1962 Corvettes. It sold on Ebay for $171. Someone from Pluto made a special trip to Earth to buy it.
Dave