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Cragar SS wheels always unilug ?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by ratbox, Dec 15, 2008.

  1. Capt Crash
    Joined: Jan 21, 2008
    Posts: 108

    Capt Crash
    Member
    from Colorado

    http://www.cragarwheel.com/contact.html (Calif)

    says they changed to unilug in 1968 ?

    Not sure who /what this Co. is in relation to manufacturing of Cragars,

    www.cragar.com/ (saying Cragar Industries , Inc. on main webpage) ?

    But they won't answer their phones .

    --------------------

    In 2000 Cragar wheels was sold out to anybody that wanted it. The Cragar name was kept by the previous owner, and he will liscense the name to anyone who wants to spend the money. www.Cragar.com is the website for the Cragar name, but to my knowledge the do not make or sell any wheels.
    www.Cragarwheel.com is the website for the company that is currently making the Cragar SS wheels as well as all of the composite wheels and the steel wheels, as well as the TRU-spoke wheels. This is a Carlisle owned company.
    The Cragar Race Wheel line was sold to Weld Wheels and then was discontinued.
    At one time, a few years ago, there were 4 different companys making Cragar brand wheels.
    Brian
     
  2. rare32
    Joined: Jan 19, 2004
    Posts: 301

    rare32
    Member

    I have a wholesaler I deal with in Australia who is friends with somebody high up in Cragar and he has been getting them to do direct bolt fitment in a few or their wheels by special order.(ie lots of 100 wheels)
    He has been getting the SS and 391(lakester style wheel) in direct bolt (5x 4.5, 5x 4.75 and a few 5x5)
    Cragar are also now doing a Super Supreme? I think they are just reselling them though.
    I am also told they are doing SS in all alloy 1 piece in both full polish and satin centre finishes next year, but I am not sure if that is all markets or just for this 1 wholesaler.

    The unilug(slotted) wheels are illegal in most states in Australia, thats why he had them done.
     
  3. Anyone know the first year for Cragars?
     
  4. 40streetrod
    Joined: Nov 11, 2007
    Posts: 477

    40streetrod
    Member
    from nj

    funny how 1 post can make you feel old. Cragar S/S wheels were not always unilug, somewhere in the early 70's they start with the unilug.
    now i have to ask this?
    how many have the Cragar Lug Nut Mug that came with a set of wheels?
     
  5. brandon
    Joined: Jul 19, 2002
    Posts: 6,368

    brandon
    Member

    when did cragar go away from the custom offset stuff....? i've seen some that were 8" wide with something like 6" backspacing....looked like a 15x4. i had a pair of 16x12's , a hamb'r ended up with those . brandon:D
     
  6. Muttley
    Joined: Nov 30, 2003
    Posts: 18,500

    Muttley
    Member

    You cant beat the look of Cragars.

    [​IMG]



     
  7. #### OK I'm officially reopening MY CASE !!Just for all of you experts out there that thought and doubted the pot metal ring on the uni-lugs !! I'm digging around in the shop today and I happened to run across a box of vintage wheel adapters and in the bottom of the box was a POT-METAL CRAGAR Vari-Lug adapter. Instuctions on ring, match the X to the wheel, and they even put the name CRAGAR on it. Time frame for these at our speed shop was 1975. Now I rest my case >>>>.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. 40streetrod
    Joined: Nov 11, 2007
    Posts: 477

    40streetrod
    Member
    from nj

    here are the Cragar mugs.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Thanks for the heads up PM. Those rings bring back nightmares. I kept those crappie S/S's only about 2 months. I went with Mopar stock steel wheels on the rear and Magnum 500's on the front with the star painted yellow to match the car similar to a 442.
     
  10. Yep, I bought one of those mugs 3 years ago at a garage sale for 10 cents! It now rests on my workbench, holding pens, a small flashlight, and a tire gauge.
     
  11. Thumper
    Joined: Mar 7, 2005
    Posts: 1,610

    Thumper
    Member

    I bought a set of Cragar G/T wheels in 71 and they were not unilug. But......I bought a set of E-T's 5 spokes 6 months later and they were unilug . I would guess early 70's that most went to unilugs.
     
  12. I worked at a tire store in 73 and sold Cragars. The ones we sold were the Uni Lug not the vara lug with the goofy pot metal ring. Never had a problem with the lugs coming loose. Have also used five sets over the last few years and the same Uni Lug with the offset washers.
    My Anglia Gasser (real deal car from the late 60's) had uni lug Cragars with no problems.
     
  13. Muttley
    Joined: Nov 30, 2003
    Posts: 18,500

    Muttley
    Member

    Any update on the rerelease of the specific pattern wheels? I need a set of 15x4 1/2 for small Ford.
     
  14. streetfreakmustang
    Joined: Nov 30, 2006
    Posts: 307

    streetfreakmustang
    BANNED
    from Ohio


    Cragar still offered direct fit SS's well into the the early 80's. They had to be special ordered.
     
  15. Oldmanolds
    Joined: Jan 16, 2006
    Posts: 930

    Oldmanolds
    Member

    Yep special order only. uni-lug = pain in the ass!
     
  16. Muttley
    Joined: Nov 30, 2003
    Posts: 18,500

    Muttley
    Member

    Cragar emailed me this morning, the guy says that "17's are already direct fit (who cares about "17's?) and the '14/'15's will be "available shortly".
     
  17. Dan
    Joined: Mar 13, 2001
    Posts: 2,384

    Dan
    Member

    okay-so I have a set of unilug cragar knockoffs (missing the center caps on two but I think the other two say western on the center caps) where can I get the washers I need?
     
  18. I've seen a number of unilugs and for some reason they would have slots that would fit Ford/Mopar and Chevy patterns, but be too small for the Pontiac/Buick/Olds/etc 5x5"s.
     
  19. rare32
    Joined: Jan 19, 2004
    Posts: 301

    rare32
    Member

    what wheels and sizes are you after?
    I am in Australia, but with the US v AU dollar it might work ok. We have SS Cragar 1 piece alloy (polished and gray centre) in direct bolt ford 15x7 and 15x8 now (15x6 in 6 weeks)and will have SS in original steel style next week or so in 15x6, 7 and 8.
    The alloy ones are from $300 Au and the steel ones from $400 au.
    I guess freight back to the USA may be the killer.

    check our website, would be glad to help if I can.
     
  20. Muttley
    Joined: Nov 30, 2003
    Posts: 18,500

    Muttley
    Member

    S/S 15x4 1/2. I'm not in any hurry to get them, I think you are correct, the shipping would kill the deal.
     
  21. 55FORDWGN
    Joined: Feb 16, 2009
    Posts: 210

    55FORDWGN
    Member

    To the best of my knowledge you are talking about ET unilugs....they are the only ones I have ever seen that would fit three bolt circles 4-1/2 4-3/4 and 5". Cragars had an oval shaped hole that fit either 4-1/2 or 4-3/4
    bolt circles, many other companies used this style also. I have a full set of ET's on my daily driver they work just fine.
     
  22. bonez
    Joined: Jul 16, 2007
    Posts: 3,487

    bonez
    Member
    from Slow lane

    Lets say that this piece of shit of an adapter is all mangled, cracked etc.
    Would it cause the wheel to wobble? I have a death wobble i cant trace, it seemed like the front end was out of alignment, but even after aligning it 5 times, each time more preciseley, the steering wheel still vibrates, and after 40mph it becomes unbareable, and scary.... mine are 4lug. Do you think i can find these stupid plates anywhere?

    [​IMG]
     
  23. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,862

    Deuces

    I don't do unilugs... Fucking things are dangerous!... :mad:
     
  24. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,015

    belair
    Member

    My SS's had them, circa 1977.
     
  25. bonez
    Joined: Jul 16, 2007
    Posts: 3,487

    bonez
    Member
    from Slow lane

    ^^ i take it that is a positive answer to my question?? my rear set doesnt have the ring and seems a lot better BTW
     
  26. I realize this is an "antique" thread that was brought back to life for a uni-lug question but......

    Cragar does make dedicated bolt pattern SS's. However they make them with 2 different style lug nuts, the original "shank" style and the new "conical" style. The guys at Carlisle Tire (the current owners of Cragar) told me that they developed the "conical" lug nut style wheel due to numerous complaints of the washers, that are used with the shank lug nuts, leave marks in the chrome on the wheels. :rolleyes: Appearently the Billet Heads were cryin' crocodile tears. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

    More interesting news is that currently all of the hoops (rims) are made "in house" in their California factory with only the insert (spoke section) being outsourced (overseas). Everything is in the works to have the inserts made in the U.S. in 2013, making the Cragar SS a "Made in the U.S.A." wheel.

    Here are my new "old style" dedicated 4-3/4" bolt pattern, shank lug nut Cragar SS's.

    [​IMG]
     
  27. bonez
    Joined: Jul 16, 2007
    Posts: 3,487

    bonez
    Member
    from Slow lane

    Anybody's got an answer for me?
     
  28. Phillips
    Joined: Oct 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,501

    Phillips
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    You might try here:

    http://www.akhwheels.com/pages/misc.php?cat=10

    Also have you tried another set of wheels, like stock steelies or anything to verify that the vibration is definitely caused by the wheels? Another option may be to toss the ring, use some eccentric shaped washers and see how it works. Check and re-check torque settings on the Cragar wheels frequently.
     
  29. WillysRule
    Joined: Feb 22, 2007
    Posts: 799

    WillysRule
    Member
    from Central FL

    When you had your front end aligned, did they also check the caster angle? Too much layback on your spindles can cause that death wobble when you let out of the throttle or under braking. Drag cars lay the spindles back for high speed stability, but they're under hard acceleration. If you ever watch a straight axle car after a burnout, the front end can wobble quite a bit.
     
  30. southern thunder
    Joined: Mar 14, 2012
    Posts: 226

    southern thunder
    Member

    what size wheel and tire is that ? I thought cragar s/s only went to 10", those look like maybe 12-14", and the tire, I couldn't even guess what size.
     

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