Help measuring bolt pattern

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Mexmarine

Mexmarine

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I am getting different answers when I ask what bolt pattern my wheels are. The graphic is from the Classic Industries catalog. According to them I have a 5x4 bolt pattern. The wheel shop I visited said I had a 5x100 bolt pattern. I'm including the two pictures that I took so maybe someone can set me straight.
 
5X100 is a metric measurement. There is no such thing on an old Mopar. They are in INCHES plain and simple

If you plug 4" into an online inches....to....millimeter converter it comes out something like 101.6mm
 
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67Dart273 said:
5X100 is a metric measurement. There is no such thing on an old Mopar. They are in INCHES plain and simple
Click to expand...
Freakin A ! I thought so ! These wheel guys got me all bass ackwards. Thanks man! Soooo, just to make sure; I'm riding on 5x4's?
 
such a friggin' PITA isn't it!!? there are a few bolt pattern conversion web sites out there too - but you got your answer :thumbsup:
 
A little Google shows there actually ARE people calling 5X4 by the metric measurement of 101.6. This is totally stupid and wrong!!! This would be like, EG, converting 1/2" pipe to metric and going around expecting plumbing stores to carry "12.7mm pipe"

"You guys have any 9.525mm bolts?"

"Uh, whut??"

(3/8 bolt)
 
67Dart273 said:
A little Google shows there actually ARE people calling 5X4 by the metric measurement of 101.6. This is totally stupid and wrong!!! This would be like, EG, converting 1/2" pipe to metric and going around expecting plumbing stores to carry "12.7mm pipe"

"You guys have any 9.525mm bolts?"

"Uh, whut??"

(3/8 bolt)
Click to expand...
yep - ran into it a few years ago when I was looking for wheels for a different maker vehicle and was trying to figure out what other original type wheels might fit.. what the WHAT is going on!!
 
One tidbit of info if any one is going to buy new aftermarket wheels for their older mopar or any other make of car. On the older cars the wheels were centered on the wheel studs. This was ok when every part was new. But over time the tires would get rotated or replaced. The wheels were removed for brake service etc... The point is that the lug wholes in the rims were soft and wore quickly. This would lead to the rim no longer being centered on the hub. At higher speeds this induced vibrations. In the last several years the wheel manufacturers decided to center the wheel on the hub registers. They do this by offering different diameter hub centrics, normally a plastic spacer ring that mounts to the hub or wheel and fits the wheel snugly centered now to the machined center hub instead of the lug nuts. This greatly eliminates high speed wheel vibrations. Most wheel manufacturers round off the metric measurement to eliminate confusion. The rims now will have a slightly oversized lug hole. And since the wheel is automatically centered on the hubs. the wheel will always mount centered on the hub .
We use a combination of the decimal system and the metric systems daily.
 
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MoparLeo said:
One tidbit of info if any one is going to buy ne aftermarket wheels for their older mopar or any other make of car. On the older cars the wheels were centered on the wheel studs. This was ok when every part was new. But over time the tires would get rotated or replaced. The wheels were removed for brake service etc... The point is that the lug wholes in the rims were soft and wore quickly. This would lead to the rim no longer being centered on the hub. At higher speeds this induced vibrations. In the last several years the wheel manufacturers decided to center the wheel on the hub registers. They do this by offering different diameter hub centrics, normally a plastic spacer ring that mounts to the hub or wheel and fits the wheel snugly centered now to the machined center hub instead of the lug nuts. This greatly eliminates high speed wheel vibrations. Most wheel manufacturers round off the metric measurement to eliminate confusion. The rims now will have a slightly oversized lug hole. And since the wheel is automatically centered on the hubs. the wheel will always mount centered on the hub .
We use a combination of the decimal system and the metric systems daily.
Click to expand...
So are you saying I can use 5x100 wheels?
 
5X100 is the Dodge Caravan/ Voyager, the old K car pattern. It is .060" off in bolt circle. I would not, you do what you want. There is NO FREEKIN WAY I would pay good money for new wheels and not have them correct
 
They would not be proper on an old lug centric car like any pre 90's. They would be correct on a newer car. Now if you do a disc and drum brake upgrade with new parts, you could use any of the newer stuff. Otherwise mostly swap meet or eBay. Don't anyone panic out there. Just pay attention to what you read. Our older cars are not up to current auto standards by any stretch. that is one of the things that attract us to them. They are different.
 
So now that I know that I have a 5x4 bolt pattern I'm finding out that there are few choices in terms of wheels that I like. I was googling for info on axle replacements when I came across this place: Menu They have a bolt pattern drill guide that will allow you to drill the properly spaced lug pattern onto your drums. Anyone done this before?
 
There are lots of wheels made with 5 x 4" bolt pattern. Many wheel manufacturers will drill their wheels with 5x 4" if you special order. What style of wheel do you want?
 
The Ridler 675 is something I liked. Looks like a Cragar but a little more modern.
 
I will say this. 5 x 100mm wheels will likely fit. 67Dart273 is, as usual, right. The bolt pattern will be off by 0.06 inches. 100mm / 25.4mm per inch = 3.94 inches. So the bolt pattern is VERY close, and you will likely be able to mount the wheel. However, that .06 inch difference will keep the lugs from centering properly; resulting in an unsafe installation. I had an 88 Lebaron convertible with a 2.2 turbo (I loved that car; why did I sell it?). On a whim, I tried mounting one of the fancy rims from the Lebaron onto my 69 Cuda when I was restoring it the first time about 23 years ago. They fit pretty well. I asked a tire guy about it, and he said they were 5 x 100, so even though they look like they fit, they would not be safe.
 
When my Dad was alive, he actually used small pattern older A body wheels "I think" on the rear of his Dad's K car, so this was a "reversed" situation. I do remember him mentioning that he tightened down two or three lugs and then the next one "seemed off." Most of this was low speed driving around town.........in fact Gramps eventually ran a stop sign and got seriously T-boned in that car, and that was the last day he drove anywhere
 
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