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Benefits & Instructions for Three-Eared Spinners
This kit fits Carroll Shelby, Halibrand three-eared style, spinners for Cobra, GT40, Mustang, Daytona coupe, and many more that use that type of spinner.
Many Shelby Cars and others use a Halibrand-type spinner.
What’s Included in the Tool Kit
The Cobra and GT40 tool comes as an Aluminum CNC milled tool, smooth finished, wrapped in black leather to protect any metal-to-metal contact, a six-point, CR-MO 46 mm impact socket, a wheel chock to keep the wheel from spinning on the floor, and a tool storage bag. The tool is engraved with UNDO right and left directional arrows.
Traditional Wheel Removal Method
The normal recommended way to remove a wheel is to use a lead hammer to loosen the spinner while the car is still on the floor. Jack the car up, remove the spinner and wheel, replace the wheel, then figure out the spinner, let the weight of the car back down, and use a lead hammer to tighten. Jaguar guys say NO, you need to roll the car a short distance and re-tighten with a hammer for a well-seated spinner to the wheel.
Wheel Chock Advantage
The benefits of the wheel chock are to simply jack the car up just so the tire just turns, place the chock on one side of the tire to loosen, and move the chock to the other side of the tire to tighten, then let the jack down for a perfectly seated spinner to the wheel. It is that simple.
Tool Design and Reach
The tool has a 2-inch depth to handle those extra-long hubs that protrude more than a normal threaded hub. The tool's height is taller, and with the taller impact socket, the tool can reach into the deepest wheels. Where a hammer will have a hard time getting a good swing to loosen those tight spinners.
Hammer vs Three-Eared Removal Tools
Hammer
VS
Three Eared Removal Tools
How to Change a Wheel Without Using a Hammer
The only settings I have found were in a Lotus Elan manual and showed 200 to 220 ft/lbs. of torque. The threaded Hub measurement of the Lotus was very close to the Cobra Hubs. My standard Cobra tool kit uses a 46mm, impact 6-point socket with a 1⁄2″ drive.
Hammer Testing Insight
A shop owner who has always used a lead hammer to UNDO his spinners, said: “Three good whacks, does it?” We tested his 3 whack method, and he hit between 3 and 4 pounds, each time of 210 ft/lbs. He did say that using our tool with a breaker bar’s leverage caused the wheel to spin on the floor. He suggested blocking the wheel.
Standard Removal Process
The standard accepted tire removal method is to loosen the spinner with a hammer while the car is still on the floor, Jack the car up, remove the spinner and the wheel, replace the wheel, and finger-tighten the spinner and let the jack down to keep the wheel from spinning and tighten with a hammer.
Wheel Chock Method
With a wheel chock, you simply jack the car up just so the wheel can just turn, place the wheel chock on one side of the tire to loosen, move the chock to the other side of the tire to tighten, let the jack down for a perfectly seated spinner to the wheels. It’s that simple!
Facts About What Size Drive Sockets to Use
Most breaker bars use a ½” drive socket and can handle up to 300 to 375 lbs. of torque without breaking or twisting off.
My standard Cobra tool kit (part # 900) uses a ½” drive, 46mm high-end impact socket that has a ½” drive socket. That is enough to UNDO a standard stated spinner’s torque of about 200 to 220 plus ft/lbs. or a little more.
For spinners that are over-tightened or seized, I offered a 3⁄4″ drive socket to handle stubborn spinners to avoid ear damage or severe removal methods.
Seized Spinner Solution
For over-tightened or seized spinners, you will need to order Part #900A to get the 3⁄4″ drive socket kit.
A big Complaint was trying to remove seized spinners.
Force Comparison and Damage Risk
Some have used up to 1,000 pounds of force to remove seized spinners. When using a hammer, it places all that high force onto only one ear at a time, weakening the spinner’s ears and breaking some off.
Even Force Application
My toolkit can reach into the deepest wheels and grip all 3 ears and applies equal force evenly to all 3 ears. When using a hammer, it would be difficult to get a good swing in those deep-set wheels, one ear at a time.
Proper Breaker Bar Technique
When using a breaker bar, always push down rather than pulling or lifting the breaker bar for a better feel of the torque you are applying.
To Know What Cobra Tool Kit to Order, Try the Following Tips
If you have recently used your standard hammer swing and have used anti- seize on it, make a mark on both the wheel and spinner.
Loosen the spinner using your standard hammer swing and retighten with a torque wrench to the 200 to 220 torque settings to see how close the marks line up.
If your spinners are over-tightened or seized, make a mark on the wheel and spinner. Use your hammer to know how much force it took to break them free.
My tool with a 3⁄4″ drive socket could apply over 1,200 pounds of equal force to all 3 spinner ears.
Remark the spinner and the wheel, and use a torque wrench to see how close the markings line up using the torque settings.
You can increase the torque settings if it is needed.
I recommend using a quality External head breaker bar. The internal head type breaker bar has snapped off and failed when the force exceeds 350 lbs.
Many Cars that used Shelby's Halibrand-type spinners on their cars.
