• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Wheels or Rims Lug Pattern

Share this page

algot1901

algot1901

Jedi Hopeful
Bronze
Country flag
Offline
My Prefect has the typical European rims that are 6.00 x 16" and the wide five-lug pattern, I would like to bring it down to a 15" or 14" with the 4 1/2" bolt pattern. I think the older bugs used this wide-five, I see I can buy wheels that use the wide-five pattern but are 15".
 
Last edited:
What's your question? Are you looking for information on what will fit?
I have a chart that I've kept from an old Auto World catalog that I refer to.
 
I found an adaptor that will go from 5" to Ford 4 1/2", also found rims that have the 5" lug pattern that are 15" and will take our modern tires, I really want to get rid of the factory wheels which are 5.00-16. I believe the VW factory rims of that era are the same as the Prefect
 
VW wheels are 15 inch. I have TR3 wheels on mine with adapters. they are same width as VW and take the same tires. I have same tires on Prefect and VW, either I think 155R15, probably 85 sidewalls, whatever was right for the VW. That makes the speedo almost correct so diameter is acceptable although they are an inch or more wider that the original 500x16s. I guess I failed to mention that I have the complete hydraulic brakes, including drums, from a '58 Prefect. The adapters are from those drums to the TR3 wheels.
 
Last edited:
Looks like lots of choices here

www.roadkillcustoms.com

Wheel Bolt Pattern Cross Reference ~ What Wheels Fit?

What Other Cars Have Wheels That Fit Your Car? Find out with our Wheel Interchange Chart: Lookup Your Vehicle or Search by Bolt Pattern. The results display Make, Model, Year, OEM Wheel Size (diameter & width), Bolt Pattern, Stud Size, Hub Center Bore and Offset.
www.roadkillcustoms.com www.roadkillcustoms.com
 
Curious what year Prefect do you have, I have found rims as low as $60.00US 5-205 4.5 tire width I am going to stay with push and pray binders and I also have learned that the exchange rate will put you in the poor house. I wonder if the VW brakes would work though.
Thank you
 
It's a '48 Prefect and it wears Triumph TR3 wheels with VW tires. Brakes are '58 Prefect throughout.
 
Did you have any problem with the offset?
What size are the skins?
 
When I did the brake conversion I originally went with the '58 wheels and 13 inch tires. That gave an unacceptable top speed of about 42 mph. The TR3 wheels were given to me so I didn't worry much about the offset, still don't know. My adapters are about 3/8 inch thick and the 165R15 (I'm pretty sure) tires fit quite well. The rolling diameter is very close to the 500x16s so the top speed is acceptable again although I have not tested it since. I can at least drive with traffic without feeling like the little flathead is flat out.
 
Monday I am going to order the rims/wheels and tires 165R15 is about 6 1/2" now I have to decide black or white sidewall. Today I was cleaning the engine parts of that 50+year tar and being a boomer I just find it hard to wear plastic gloves, lots of Lava soap, and a knuckle brush also wash dishes tonight the old way. Seems like it took forever to get the crud of the sparker so I could get the serial number, I am going to go with Pertronix beats the hoot-out points.
 
algot1901 said:
Monday I am going to order the rims/wheels and tires 165R15 is about 6 1/2" now I have to decide black or white sidewall. Today I was cleaning the engine parts of that 50+year tar and being a boomer I just find it hard to wear plastic gloves, lots of Lava soap, and a knuckle brush also wash dishes tonight the old way. Seems like it took forever to get the crud of the sparker so I could get the serial number, I am going to go with Pertronix beats the hoot-out points.
Click to expand...

Seems like you are learning a lot from this car. Which wheels and tires did you eventually purchase?
 
I purchased the wheels from BJBUG just a plain rim 15x5". Today is valve lap day and if I have enough time I am going to sandblast the Roof twhere the top gasket goes is lock.
 
Back
Top