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1976 Eldorado rim specs. I need a spare

Started by Mihai Tarţa, April 10, 2014, 04:43:34 PM

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Mihai Tarţa

Hi!
I bought my 76 Eldorado convertible without a spare rim/tire, and it would be nice to have one just in case.
I don't necessarily want an original rim, as the shipping from US to Romania would probably be more expensive then the rim itself. I'd like to know what is the bolt pattern, ET and width, as I'll probably try to find something that will fit.
I don't really care about the way it looks, but I do care about compatibility.

Thanks,
Mihai
1969 Coupe DeVille
1976 Eldorado Convertible

Oradea, Romania

"Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364

Mihai,
I have a "space saver" spare that has never been on the ground and the inflator that goes with it.  If you are interested in something unique, PM me.
Greg Surfas
Cadillac Kid-Greg Surfas
Director Modified Chapter CLC
CLC #15364
66 Coupe deVille (now gone to the UK)
72 Eldo Cpe  (now cruising the sands in Quatar)
73 Coupe deVille
75 Coupe deElegance
76 Coupe deVille
79 Coupe de ville with "Paris" (pick up) option and 472 motor
514 inch motor now in '73-

TJ Hopland

Its the 5 on 5 that was fairly common for GM.   5 meaning 5 bolts and the other 5 was inches.  The problem is the offset.   Nothing else was quite like it.  Most other wheels won't clear the brakes and even if you solved that issue they would stick out too far and not clear the fender.   Even the 79-85 version didn't have as much offset and used the smaller bolt circle.   I'm using one of the compact spares that I think I got out of a 80's GM car.     Do you have other GM cars from the 80's around your area?   Maybe you can find a spare that will work from something else.  1980's station wagons or a car like the Chev Caprice, those would have the 5 on 5 and would have likely had the narrow spare.   The style I am speaking of are like many cars had where its a larger rim diameter, thinking 16 inches and then has a narrow high pressure tire.   The one(s) I have are a dual bolt pattern, meaning they have 10 holes so they fit the older larger 5 on 5 and the slightly smaller version like the 79-85 E bodies had which was the same as the mid size cars were at the time.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

Mihai Tarţa

@TJ: There aren't a lot of american cars here. I'll talk to Greg. A full sized rim shipped from US is out of the question, but a space saver might be just about the best solution, being that the trunk of the convertible isn't very spacious as it is and a full sized spare would take up almost half of it.
1969 Coupe DeVille
1976 Eldorado Convertible

Oradea, Romania

The Tassie Devil(le)

G'day Mahai,

Don't settle for anything less than an original rim for your car.

These rims are very strong, and therefore heavy, but their solid construction is necessary as the off-set of the mounting flange requires this strength.

If I was you, I would be getting one from a country other than USA if you are having it posted as USA, read as USPS only will send anything out of USA by Air Mail.   Places like Canada and Australia will send Surface.

I have purchased Space-saver tyres and rims and had them shipped within USA to places for containerisation to me, and the internal postage from Nevada to California was US$57.00.   To me in Australia would have been over $200.00, or even more.

I use one on my '72 and carry a 12 Volt Compressor to inflate it.   It grows to full size.   Not like these new ones.

The instructions for inflating these tyres are incorrect.   They must be inflated off the vehicle, and then fitted, as can be seen in Image No. 007 they will foul the inner bodywork.   

When deflated they collapse back to their normal unfitted shape.

Bruce.
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

TJ Hopland

Correct would be ideal but it sounds expensive.   I suppose owning a 30+ year old American car there is not cheap anyway?

I have no idea what sort of cars you have over there but are there any online tire places that sell replacement rims?   In the USA we have places you can find lists of which wheels fit which cars for the purpose of buying new non factory rims.  Maybe you can find a site like that and look at the larger common cars in your area and see if any of them even come close to those specs.   If you find something maybe you could then see if a spare from one of those may fit.   Other than the fit you would want to make sure its got the correct type of nut to properly seat on the rim.  If its a different style than the original I suppose that would be the next problem, finding that style of nut with USA threads so maybe that would not work.   

I assume you are metric there?

The bolt spacing comes out to 127mm.

For a non correct wheel you would want at least 40.6 cm.

So do 'American' car brands built and sold in other countries still use the American standards for things like tires and bolt spacing?  Or is that something that changes depending on where they are built and intended to be sold?  I suppose you would also have to specify an era for that sort of question.   I'm guessing in the last 10, maybe 20 years things are getting more alike.  How about in the 70's?
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

"Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364

Mihai,
Bruce is probably got the best idea for inflation if you go to a space saver.  That is what I had in my Eldo (112 v. compressor) , since I wanted to save the canister for originality and not usit if (never) needed.  Besides I think in this day and age it might be difficult explaining what was in the canister when you shipped it.  Second third and fourth on not using anything but an original Eldorado rim be it full size or space saver on your car.  Again, PM me if you are intereste4d in the space saver.
Greg Surfas
Cadillac Kid-Greg Surfas
Director Modified Chapter CLC
CLC #15364
66 Coupe deVille (now gone to the UK)
72 Eldo Cpe  (now cruising the sands in Quatar)
73 Coupe deVille
75 Coupe deElegance
76 Coupe deVille
79 Coupe de ville with "Paris" (pick up) option and 472 motor
514 inch motor now in '73-