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Old 11-05-2009, 01:55 PM   #2
markeb01
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Spokane Valley, WA
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Re: wheels after crossmember swap?

Yes, essentially anything with a 5 lug 5 inch bolt circle will fit on the 5x5 Chevy truck pattern. Buick, Oldsmobile, Lincoln, later Chevy big cars will all fit. From about 1949 until the 70's Chevy passenger cars all had the 4 3/4" bolt circle, while Ford passenger cars and Mopars had the 4 1/2" pattern. Most would interchange, but Mopars and Fords used different interference angles in the lug nut seat, so some combinations could be a problem in staying tight. At one time I ran mid 50's Buick wheels on my GMC. In the 60's these were the poor mans reversed rims.


Any of the 5x5 wheels will work so long as the center hole is big enough to clear the hub. If they are going on disc brakes, you'll need to check for caliper clearance if you're using wheels from the 50's.


Unilugs started out on ET mags back in the 60's or early 70's. The wheel has a recessed area for an oval washer which has an offset lug hole. An example can be seen at the following link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/20-ET...Q5fAccessories

Here's what the washers/lug nuts look like installed. They wheels came in slot mag style, 5 spokes like American Torque Thrusts, and big window as shown:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1969-...sQ5fLiterature

They were actually very nice wheels, well made with good offsets. The washers came in two sizes, 4 3/4 for Chevys and 4 1/2 for Fords. If you rotated the 4.5" washers 180 degrees in the seat, they now produced a 5" bolt circle. I believe there are other versions of unilug wheels now, but these where the type I used to have.

Last edited by markeb01; 11-05-2009 at 02:13 PM.
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