Bits and pieces, Leslie's car.

[Skip]

Drilling them a different pattern is fine, but he wants to tap them for bolts instead of using studs. I'm not sure about that one. I've always hated installing wheels on a german car because of the wheel bolts.

My '75 Fiat Spyder had 'em, too. When I put mags on it, I had to ditch the guide pins. That made aligning the wheels, discs, and hubs a major PITA. Early 50s and earlier MoPars had wheel bolts. Even right and left handed. But I am 99% sure the bolts threaded into the wheel hubs, which are steel.

 

[endicott_jb]

Drilling them a different pattern is fine, but he wants to tap them for bolts instead of using studs. I'm not sure about that one. I've always hated installing wheels on a german car because of the wheel bolts.

I definitely understand lining up the wheels. I have had multiple VWs over the years and all of them were threaded directly into the drums. I just can’t find a rotor that will allow me to run my 16” wheels on the front and Stockton wheel wants 255 a piece for factory looking steel wheels with a 5x4.75 bolt pattern which I just think is insane. I mean for that price I can destroy 3 complete sets of rotors and still be okay. I can get wheel vintiques for half that but they won’t look right on the car and they don’t have the correct width or offset for the tires I need to run up front to get it off the ground. I’m not against using adapters but any adapter I find puts the wheels out too far. I have found disc kits for the 5x5.5 but they don’t appear to work on the earlier ford axles. I have put threads in cast stuff before but I wanted to see if anyone has ran into issues tapping out rotors as the 5x5.5 lug pattern wouldn’t allow me to use studs. By the way, I have a set of wheel adapters I can use as a guide to drill out the rotors I’d just have to take them to work and use their drill press as mine is not nearly as precise. Plus, we have all the fancy off the wall sizes so that I would know the hole is the correct size for the tap. Sorry for the long winded response, just trying to get all my thoughts on this subject out there.

 

[Skip]

Have you changed your wheel choices? No more ETs on the front? I'm confused. What wheels are you planning on using now?

 

[05snopro440]

I definitely understand lining up the wheels. I have had multiple VWs over the years and all of them were threaded directly into the drums. I just can’t find a rotor that will allow me to run my 16” wheels on the front and Stockton wheel wants 255 a piece for factory looking steel wheels with a 5x4.75 bolt pattern which I just think is insane. I mean for that price I can destroy 3 complete sets of rotors and still be okay. I can get wheel vintiques for half that but they won’t look right on the car and they don’t have the correct width or offset for the tires I need to run up front to get it off the ground. I’m not against using adapters but any adapter I find puts the wheels out too far. I have found disc kits for the 5x5.5 but they don’t appear to work on the earlier ford axles. I have put threads in cast stuff before but I wanted to see if anyone has ran into issues tapping out rotors as the 5x5.5 lug pattern wouldn’t allow me to use studs. By the way, I have a set of wheel adapters I can use as a guide to drill out the rotors I’d just have to take them to work and use their drill press as mine is not nearly as precise. Plus, we have all the fancy off the wall sizes so that I would know the hole is the correct size for the tap. Sorry for the long winded response, just trying to get all my thoughts on this subject out there.

Being that it's the main thing keeping your car attached to the wheels, I wouldn't gamble on threading rotors originally meant for studs. It's completely different loading on the rotors. Safety-wise, it seems like a bad idea. What width and offset and wheel style are you looking for? 255 ea for wheels really isn't bad if it gives you the look you're after and is most importantly safe. I had my wheels custom built by Wheel Vintiques for what I needed. That's just my thoughts.

 

[endicott_jb]

Have you changed your wheel choices? No more ETs on the front? I'm confused. What wheels are you planning on using now?

The 15s are too small. So the frame sits only 1/16” off the ground. The largest 15s I can seem to find that aren’t off road tires are about 27” diameter. When I built the frame all I had lying around the shop to give me a rough estimate on where the front axle needed to sit were 235/75r16s(about 31” diameter) which gave me 4” of clearance. But I can’t find any factory looking steel wheels (like the rear) with the 5x4.75 pattern in 16s.

 

[endicott_jb]

Being that it's the main thing keeping your car attached to the wheels, I wouldn't gamble on threading rotors originally meant for studs. It's completely different loading on the rotors. Safety-wise, it seems like a bad idea. What width and offset and wheel style are you looking for? 255 ea for wheels really isn't bad if it gives you the look you're after and is most importantly safe. I had my wheels custom built by Wheel Vintiques for what I needed. That's just my thoughts.

Stockton wheel calls them the series 32 which is a direct replacement for most steel ford and Chevy wheels from the late 60s to the mid 80s. They take a stock 15” center and stretch it to fit in a stock 16” hoop is what they told me. Wheel Vintiques has the same thing but call it a series 62 and only offer it in a 15. As for the dimensions, I need 6”-7” wide and 16” diameter. As for offset, I wanna say the wheels I have have a 3-4” backspacing.

 

[endicott_jb]

Alright, y’all have talked me out of the crazy, which is probably for the best. So instead of trying to be cheap, after some deep digging, I finally found a kit that will work with what I have. Plus, I can use the setup that’s currently on the car for a future build and have the E.T.s on it. Maybe the 4 door Pontiac... So sometime next month I’ll order up this kit. So yeah, might be one step backwards now but I’ll be money ahead in the future.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Complete-Disc-Brake-Kit-1937-48-Ford-5-on-5-1-2-BC,1997.html

 

[Skip]

Yea! Good choice. [cl [cl [cl

 

[05snopro440]

Wheel vintiques does also make them in a 17 but I'm glad you found what you need.

 

[endicott_jb]

Nothing to report as of lately. Waiting for parts to show up.

 

[kenny c]

I was looking at your wheel and brake choices. I'm trying to figure out how to use stock ford pickup wheels with 5x5.5 bolt pattern. I think the brake kit you are looking at won't work with early drum brake wheels. Do you know if this kit will work with 16" truck wheels?

 

[endicott_jb]

I was looking at your wheel and brake choices. I'm trying to figure out how to use stock ford pickup wheels with 5x5.5 bolt pattern. I think the brake kit you are looking at won't work with early drum brake wheels. Do you know if this kit will work with 16" truck wheels?

The wheels I am using are off of a 68 f-100 that had disc brakes so they will work. However, from what I can tell, in order to use the earlier style wheels, the wheels have to be modified. I would assume it’s the center hole. I do know for a fact, the factory wire wheels will not fit anything other than the early factory drums without adapters.

 

[endicott_jb]

Finally got around to putting the bottom end together. Need to make a trip down to great falls to have the heads rebuilt. Same as with my FE, these heads don’t have seats or guides and they are all worn out. I’ve already got the valves, springs, and seals. I’ll have to leave it to the machine shop for the seats and guides as I’m not versed enough in that. So yeah, that’s where I’m at now. Decided to tape off the deck just to keep all the crap that’s in my shop out of the engine while it’s in waiting.

 

[bob w]

Looks like a working man's shop. Good luck on the heads. A guy can stick a lot of money in heads at the machine shop.

 

[endicott_jb]

Thanks Bob. I have to be frank, I hate the state of my shop right now but it is getting closer to winter so everything that can’t be outside, is inside cluttering everything up. As for the heads, I’m gonna guess I will have around $400 bucks a head into them. But these are the better heads for ‘57 so they’re worth doing right. And then, if and when, I build the virgin engine for her car, I can slap these heads on and go if need be.

 

[kenny c]

The wheels I am using are off of a 68 f-100 that had disc brakes so they will work. However, from what I can tell, in order to use the earlier style wheels, the wheels have to be modified. I would assume it’s the center hole. I do know for a fact, the factory wire wheels will not fit anything other than the early factory drums without adapters.

Thanks for the update. I have 16" wheels I believe are 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 with the 5x5.5 bolt pattern. I'm hoping I can find a front disc kit for them so I don't have to run adapters

 

[endicott_jb]

Not much to report on but I did finally get the heads to the machine shop on Friday. As a side project, a coworker asked me to build him an engine run stand and this is what I have so far. Still need to make a radiator supports and get gauges in it but it’s mostly done. And then, a buddy of mine sent me pictures of a Chevrolet COE out at his dads friends property. He’s gonna see if he’s willing to let it go for me next weekend. You know, like I don’t already have enough projects.

 

[bob w]

The test stand looks very sturdy and well thought out. The COE is way cool. Are there doors?

 

[endicott_jb]

The test stand looks very sturdy and well thought out. The COE is way cool. Are there doors?

Doors are on the frame behind the cab. My buddy says it’s all there.

 

[forbigpicture]

Great job on test stand Endi..... [cl[cl