Forum > Pinto FAQ
New to you Junkyard wheels
JohnW:
Regardless of how the lugs locate the wheel, in a Ford you should always have the correct size hub. Fords are pretty much always hub-centric and studs can break if you try to run it as lug-centric. It doesn't matter if you have the conical lug seat - the design took the wheel sitting on the hub into account. A set of 14" wheels I took off of another Pinto don't have a round center hole - it's flared in 4 spots to hold a cap. Since it doesn't sit completely on the hub, it appears to have gotten stress cracks around the hub over time. The hub-centric rings are also pretty much junk - some metal ones may be ok but even then I've heard varying reports. If you're going to go that route, go for quality and not price.
Also, chances are the Saab, 99+ Cougar, and Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique wheels will not fit a Pinto. Front wheel drive cars have a lot more positive offset. Basically, for choices, you have Fox body Mustangs and 4 lug Cougars/T-Birds. Wasn't the Granada 5x4.5? I recall those rotors being what you need to convert a Pinto front end to 5 lug.
Jessi:
John at least do your homework before commenting on a thread.
Negative offset wheels - what you see when you see a deep dish wheel
Positive offset wheels- Generally found on front wheel drive cars.
By the way John yes the 78 Granada/ Fairmont was a fox body car, you know like the Mustangs that you comment about.
No wonder this site has nothing but old outdated information, you guys are not open to new ideas. I mean Starliner starts throwing out the Safety cones, and saying safety violation, yet he hasn't given any real facts that he has backed up. John starts spouting off something about non round holes, and stress cracks yet doesn't even know what the different types of offset are, or what they mean.
Do you guys even know how extremely rare it is to even see a broken lug bolt that wasn't due to installer error, like cross threading and impacting it down? I wouldn't have a problem with it if it were a real issue, and you backed it up with evidence. (like i did)
I am not only a 20+ year ASE certified mechanic, but an avid offroader of a Jeep running 35" tires. My wheels are lug centric, like 98% of all steel rims are, and I have taco-ed rims before breaking lugs. In fact I have never broken a lug, though I have broken D44 axles.
Do what you want with the thread, cause I am done with it and this site in general.
JohnW:
You are correct about offset, I did mix them up and will edit the post. It was late at night and I should have known the difference. Regardless of mixing them up, those Saabs and later Fords are front wheel drive and the offset is most likely wrong for a Pinto.
And what does mixing up postive/negative offset have to do with knowledge about hub-centric vs. lug centric wheels? You're using one point I messed up on to invalidate a completely different one (which was just an observation that I wasn't saying is correct) without actually addressing it. Also, just because a vehicle uses conical or ball seat lugs doesn't mean that it is not hub-centric. The two aren't mutually exclusive.
Also, Granadas are Fox Bodies, but they do in fact have a 5x4.5 bolt pattern - while the Mustangs and Fairmonts of the time were 4x4.25. Go look it up, using Granada rotors is how many people convert Pintos, Fox Body Mustangs, and Mustang II IFS kits in other cars to 5 lug. You shouldn't accuse me of not doing my research when you didn't either.
Jessi:
To quote you John they are "most likely wrong" which would mean you do not know. My problem with your other post is you did not state it as opinion, but rather fact. If you do not know for sure then you need to research it. Also just to give you a heads up, I always research before making a post. ALWAYS. So as to whether a Granada has a 4 or 5 lug. Well we are both right. So there.
The Granada was made from 78-88 as was the LTD2, and the fairmont (which is the one I left off) all of these were made during these model years, and ALL of them at some point came with a four lug. For the Granada it was 1981-82 its last model year. It wasn't meant to read that they all came with 4 lugs (thats not the point of the original post anyway is it). What it means is between the years of 78-88 these are some cars to look at for 4 lug wheels. So I did look it up then, just as I did now to be sure (I wouldn't want to give mis-information). In fact the alloy wheel option on the 1981 ford Granada is not only a perfect fit, but a perfect look for the Pinto also.
Then we come to the point of lug-centric vs hub-centric (since we're beating a dead horse anyway) the original post doesn't sound like opinion, it sounds like you are stating what you believe to be fact, which would have made it unfounded fact.
Either way just like I said at the bottom of the write up.......
"I know that some of these had regular wheels stock, but the Mustangs, Focus, Contour, T-birds all not only came with nice looking wheels stock, but are also hugely popular to have aftermarket wheels installed on. Remember that these measurements come from a sample of cars, not all of them. So it is possible to find 5 lug stangs, and LTDs, it is also possible that a stock steelie on a Granada may measure out at 15x8. The point is that this guide is for reference to help you in your search, it is not necessarily all inclusive, or the gospel for all models of mustang. So measure before you buy."
So getting past all of that there is also another thing I would like to say John, both to you and Starliner.
I am sorry, I took your arguments as personal when all I wanted was to help people. It doesn't mean that I think either of you are right in your opinion, it means I got personal by taking it personal, when I should just let the write up stand alone, and let people make up their own minds.
dholvrsn:
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