I have a mate here in Oz who's girlfriend has a 1953 Buick Special 2dr Hardtop, she would like to put some aftermarket rims if possible on the car however he was wondering if anyone knows whether there are any wheels other than stock Buick rims that will fit, he is unsure of the bolt pattern, it is a 5 stud/bolt pattern, however as 1953 Buicks are very thin on the ground here in Australia he asked if anyone knows what else may fit..............any help would be appreciated ..........Andy Douglas
The wheel bolt pattern is 5 on 5" bolt circle. Common to Buick, Olds, Pontiac, Cadillac from the mid/late '30s thru the '50s on all of them and continued into the '60s and '70s on some models (Full size mostly). Chevrolet 1/2 ton pickups from '71, Chevrolet/GM full size '71/'76 and Chev, Buick, Olds '91 thru '96 on large rear drive chassis (Caprice, SS, Roadmaster, Vista Cruiser). 5 x 5" also used on Mercury '55/'57, senior Edsel models '58 (maybe '59), Ford full size passenger '73 thru '78. A few older Studebakers (late '40s early '50s)....probably a few more I have overlooked......... Buicks used wheel bolts for decades as opposed to the more common wheel hub studs and nuts. Consequently they had a locating pin on the hub to facilitate wheel mounting. The stock Buick wheels had holes between the lugs for the pin, like many older Mopars. I have replaced the bolts with press in lug studs and eliminated the locating pins on several Mopars and Buicks. I have read about your strict vehicle laws in OZ, so don't know if lug replacement is an easy option or not, but the pin is the problem more than the bolts/lugs when retrofitting other wheels,
Hnstray.....this is exactly what he needs, this is very much appreciated........re Oz rego laws........replacing the locating pin and pressing in studs would technically require an engineering o/k..........but I ain't telling, my mate won't be telling and I'm sure you know nuthink..................lol................seriously tho, many thanks......Andy Douglas
Just playing devils advocate here. If a law is circumvented and down the road a piece, something happens as a direct, or even indirect but close result of that modification ,you may be sued to within an inch of your life. is the added inconvenience of drilling a small locating hole in a wheel and using the OEM wheel bolts really worth that risk.
[/ATTACH] Not sure that the Devil really needs any advocates, but given that gazillions of motor vehicle wheels are held on with studs and nuts, mainly that is the default method, the chances are greater that the owner will step out of the house and be struck by a meteorite....... Replacing the wheel bolts with automotive wheel lug studs is essentially replicating what Pontiac and Oldsmobile has from the outset. It is not rocket science to do that correctly. Where is the risk in that? Besides, law or no law, the concept of ‘strict liability’ can be applied in any lawsuit for the slightest chance or perception that it may stick. Being that you are on a hot rod site I’d have to suppose you have modified one or more of your vehicles in some small way....which makes you (and the rest of us who do the same thing) subject to the very thing you are warning against.
Hey, guys............Duncan & Nick.........we do appreciate the sentiment and concern that you have expressed and yep, I suppose that there maybe a very slim chance that what you refer to may occur but as both myself, and my mate as well as his girlfriend are involved in and belong to hot rod clubs we are aware of what our responsibilities are and any modification would be done in a correct manner............I've had my 1940 Dodge since 1971, its been a hotrod since 1973 well before the requirement to be "engineered" and has passed its yearly standard registration or licencing check by a government approved(for what thats worth) signatory as has my mate with his 1948 Ford and 1928 Ford, both of which are hotrods.....the 1953 Buick is essentially stock and the addition of some steelies and whitewalls are what is envisaged.........anyway my mate has received the info and will start searching...........and Hnstray...........I love your self portrait..........gave me a good chuckle this morning, again many thanks for your input, this is what makes the HAMB and internet a worthwhile thing........Andy Douglas.
So......"I fart in your general direction" won't work..........lol.............thanks mate.......lol..............andyd
The lug bolts rather than studs and nuts aren't as scary as some folks make them out to be as most BMW/s have lug bolts rather than studs. Still unless they use a stamped steel wheel with the correct taper for the lug bolts it is going to call for a change to studs. It may not be a huge issue as it wouldn't be reinventing anything and is based on sound engineering. They would be using replacement studs that are already certified as replacements and that should eliminate more headaches.
Check the center hole size before buying any wheels. I think Buick wheels have a larger center than Olds and others.
Some F-100's have the same stud pattern, also some early (Pre-1960??) Australian-built GM stuff (Chev, Pontiac, etc, not Holdens). Nothing late model Australian stuff that I know of . The locating pin can have be surgically removed, It's just a prick trying to manhandle those big wheels and line up the holes without it.
These are the wheel studs from 94 and older jaguars Imperial fine thread. I used them on my 53 Chrysler imperial as that car had bolts as well. What I did was thread these into the hole ( thread was the same) Then weld them onto the drum solid from the back side of the drum. Worked out great and then could use a regular lug nut. As far as the locating stud. My 55 Buick has one that unthreaded from the drum. On my Chrysler I just cut it off and ground it down smooth.
What he said; Buick, at least has a BIG ass hole in the center cause of the big hub. There are wheels, like lincoln I think, that have the right bolt circle but won't fit.
The Jalopy Journal
