Oh Yeah.. a Tire and Rim Question

**deuce** · 03-10-2003, 11:00 AM

Me again,
Does anybody know of a late model rim swap I could use on my '50 46S? I'm still running around on the original rims.. and bias-ply tires.
The bias-plys are cool, but I have been doing more driving than I should on them.. and I dont want to wear them out. Plus, radials would make the grocery-gettin' and hiways a little more manageable. I have a set of radials that will work.. but I would love to pop the bias-plys back on without having to re-mount all 4 tires onto the rims.
I want to go the junkyard and pick up a set of rims to mount these radials on. Nothing fancy.. just cheap!

Any ideas? Where do I find out what uses what kind of bolt pattern?
Thanks again!
-Deuce.

**theoldguy** · 03-10-2003, 01:55 PM

Your Buick uses a 5 0n 5 pattern. That is a 5 bolt wheel with a 5 inch diameter bolt circle. There are lots of cars that use that pattern, but most of the others have a small center hole. The large center hole was used almost exclusively by Buick, and they used it up to the late 50s or early 60s. If you have access to a lathe with enough swing, you can take almost any 5 0n 5 wheel and enlarge the center hole. Just make sure to check the back spacing.

**deuce** · 03-11-2003, 09:18 AM

Thanks!
...umm... what's back spacing?
-Deuce, tire & rim newbie, extrordinaire

**theoldguy** · 03-11-2003, 02:42 PM

The distance between the edge of the rim (where the tire fits) to the center where the wheel bolts on. If you lay a straight edge from one side of the rim to the other, and measure the depth to the mounting surface, you will get the back space. You can get away with some variation, but this moves the tires in or out in the wheel well, and too much difference will cause BIG problems.