Yes, I can actually use either type. And BTW, since you guys seem interested, I have two of the 17" wheels and I'm about to change them into 18x5.5" soon, if anyone wants to claim them give me a call at 559-322-2128 Jimmy
When I got a quote on the rolled drop centre rims they had the correct id. I don't know if the ones Coker offers is the same as the rims I was quoted on. http://www.cokertire.com/rolled-drop-center-rims.html
Any ideas on the current market price for a pair of the Ford 5 lugs vs the Chev 6 lugs (that would need modifying) ??
I would say $1000-1200 for a five lug and $100-200 for six lugs. I've got $90 invested in the 4 six lug 17"s I've found...course I found one behind a dumpster at a closed muffler shop. If ya hit the swaps you can find 6 lug versions...they've proven to be easier than I thought to find. JohnnyA
Are we talking $200 each or for the pair (6 lugs), because there's some on ebay at the moment and they want 10 times that. Although they have been widened.
I bought my Chev 6 lug 17" pair when the market was hotter - about 4 years ago now (can't remember exactly). I paid on average around $600 a piece for them individually (one is NOS) and still need to fit them with new rims. However, I did have a specific reason for wanting the Chev 6 lug pattern and could not find a pair of the REAL 18" Chevs at the time. The real deal Ford 18's were about $3000 a pair. Today I would say around $300 each for the 17" Chevs would be fair and the 18" Fords would still be expensive - probably close to what they were selling for then. Of course, condition will affect value. Steve
I am confused why are the 6 lug of any value. for the hoops or centers?. if they are 6 lug are the paterns being changed to a 5 lug somehow to allow them to fit the Fords? I do not see anything on the 6 lug wheels that are keeps (you put new 18" hoops on them and the 6 lug centers do not fit anything What am I not understanding
The 6 lug center is cut out, and a 5 on 5 1/2" center is welded in. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
Really all you're after is the centers...you can either (as stated above) have the centers cut out and replaced with a 40' ford 5X5.5 centers or redrill the axles and front brake drums to accept 6 lugs. Course after you redrill you're kinda stuck with those wheels. When prices of wheels get up to $1000-2000 a piece you gotta get creative and make em yourself. JohnnyA
So my next question is who has had their Chev 6 lugs converted to '40 ford centres and 18" rims? Who did it for you and what did it cost?
Ask wheelkid...he's already said that he converted the wheel that I posted a photo of in this very thread. By the way, I found this quote by bobby green in another super old thread on the subject. I never realized you had to use a specific 40' rim. JohnnyA
Those wheels are heavy. You guys all know about unsprung weight to sprung weight ratios right? Too much unspung weight in the front is the leading cause of death wobble. That's why you seldom see them on the front of old land speed cars, I'd suspect.
Makes sense to me, in fact besides streamliners I've never seen (and trust me I've looked) a full set on T, A or '32 roadster in the old black and white photos. JohnnyA
I have a set of four 18" milk truck wheels in aluminum if anyone is interested. Early Ford bolt pattern two are 4 1/2 wide for the front and the other two are 5 1/2 wide. They come with Excelsior tires. Bought them for a project but never used them. geoffrey@bresnan.net Geoffrey
That's from a local builder, Ricky Bobby, very cool. It's a model A coupe with a reworked roofline. Rich
this kind of sums it up for me. a friend of mine atempted an old skool build and bought a set of the milk truck wheels. I told him i didn't think they ran them back in the day, he said the guy that made the wheels said they did. I said you wouldn't find a picture of these wheels in ANY "hotrod" magazine in history. he said they are old wheels! And i said yes but if anyone had these wheels on their hotrod they would have been to embarr***ed to show up in town to cruise main on sat. night!! It looks like the p***ing of the rat rod thing has left some strange trends that will take some time to go away.
They were used on the rear of quite a few dry lakes cars 'back in the day'. Back when hot rods were for going fast, not going cruising. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
Don't get me wrong, I agree guys almost certainly didn't run them on the street, and even at the lakes, only on the rear, however, their use in general is not without precedent. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
You must supply pictures as proof. I have only been hotrodding for 50 years. Maybe I missed something.
Here is one car pictured earlier in this thread. I'll see if I can find some more pictures. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
Looks like it is near time to start sorting throgh the pile of wheels and see if any wheels like that are 18". Rod
What differance would it make if they were wires or solid centers and still 18"? I dont get why many think they look bad. I have seen alot of lake and street cars with 19" wire wheels.
Its really not about the best look, its about recreating that salt flat style. My roadster project was an attempt to build a state of the art post war salt flat compe***or like you see in the old black and white photos. Obviously a guy wouldn't cruise the boulevard with these wheels but thats not the point. JohnnyA
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