Variations in Fox 10 hole wheels

[evlgt85]

This is something that some friends of mine and I discovered years ago when staring mindlessly at our various vehicles and the 10 holes that they sported.

Currently there are 3 cars sporting 10 holes here at the Four Eyed Farm. We have two examples of 10 holes here.

My 84 Turbo RS: wheels taken from an aero LX
Brother-in-law's 85 GT Vert (assumed factory)
My 85 GT (assumed factory)

My 85 GT is an early, early car. Consec. Unit # 987. Build date 9-4-84. The GT vert is under a car cover that is very secure, so I don't have much to go on with that car just yet.

The wheels on my 85 have a SLIGHTLY different part/engineering number...

Now, to the pics.

Wheels on my 85 GT:






The large "groove" that goes around the 10 holes is machined and has a slight radius to it.

The wheels on my 84 RS, which are the same as the spare 10 holes and the ones on the 85 GT vert:







Note that this same groove is un-machined and does not have that slight radius to it on the inner wall meeting the face of the wheel.

And here's the numbers cast into the ones on the GT as well as the two spares we have. Both spares are the cast-type. However, one of the "spares" is a damaged wheel that came on the RS, and the other spare is one that was gotten elsewhere. You'll see a difference here...

Number cast on the machined/radius 85 GT wheels:
E5SC-1007-BA




Number on the damaged wheel on the RS:
E5SC-1007-BB



Number on the other spare, note how nicely this is cast...same number, though:




Now, after all this, I remember seeing a THIRD style of 10 hole that was machined, but had an angle instead of a radius. Anyone out there have a set and want to take pics?

Also, at a later time, I'll try to look on the back sides of the wheels...sometimes you can find odd date numbers and things...

So, check out what you've got, what the numbers are, and post 'em up! Another trivial pursuit brought to you by FEP

[5 Liter Mustang]

interesting stuff

i have like 4 sets of 10-holes, most are from aero cars, but i have a set on a 1986 GT, i'll definitely check them out and see which style they are.

I never would have noticed these differences.

[slickshift]

Ooo That's interesting
I was looking for some to replace damged ones
Thanks for the heads up, I didn't know there were differences
Guess I better check the ones I have, I'm sure they are the rough groove
I'll post back tomorrow
(They are original to the car)

EDIT:
Rough groove
Casting # looks like this:

It's a late (Sept) '86 car
*These are original to the car
*The car has '87 front brakes from the factory

[85 Notchback]

Awesome info Skye! I went out and looked at my casting numbers, and found that mine were different from the ones you posted I also took some pictures. Here they are. And like I said in my Ten hole thread, anyone that has any in the same casting number that they want to donate or sell real cheap to me, PM me!!! Cause I don't really want to fix my damaged wheel So if you have one or two laying around let me know!!! P.S. Skye, when I try to use Image tags for pictures (since the board crash/upgrade) won't work
http://www.foureyedpride.com/phpBB2/...hp?pic_id=4085
http://www.foureyedpride.com/phpBB2/...hp?pic_id=4086

[pextor]

there is a difference on the inside as well. the inside is machined out more on the e8 wheels to clear the 11" brakes. i've never had an issue putting e5 wheels on 87-ups but i guess they wanted to be a little safer.

[slickshift]

there is a difference on the inside as well. the inside is machined out more on the e8 wheels to clear the 11" brakes. i've never had an issue putting e5 wheels on 87-ups but i guess they wanted to be a little safer.

The inside where?
Curious 'cause of the oddities so far on this GT

[302HO]

my 86 gt has the original 10 holes on it and they have the unmachined,rough groove on them, it is a sept,86 build(late)

[85stang]

The wheels off my 86 have un-machined groove and nicely cast number.

[StangBoy]

ill take a look at mine, i have 4 originals off my 86 GT and 2 unknown ones

[50 Proof]

I read an article before that was talking about how 10 holes from an aero mustang are different then four eye 10 holes. Something about the inside diamater being larger to accomodate the slightly larger brakes or something.

[mfpmax]

My E5s off a TUrbocoupe are identical on the outside facing side to my E7s from two Aeronose Stangs. No machined groove surface.

[evlgt85]

Moving this to Resto as it seems a little more appropriate for those who might run into this issue.

[IWL BCNU]

I may be thinking of a Pony wheel, but I swear I have a 10 hole that has indentions for a 5 lug pattern.
If I remember correctly my 86 had one bad wheel and I found one but didn't use it as it was different.

Anyway i have 3 sets, 2 85's and 1 86 and will look when i get a chance. All my are rough.
I have always thought the aero cars 10 holes looked shinier, wonder if they were the machined ones I was seeing.

[evlgt85]

You're probably thinking of the Pony wheels. I knew of a car that had three wheels that were cast for 5 lug, but drilled for four. No idea on the exact history of the wheels, unfortunately, as the car was a 90 and the wheels were purchased used.

[85 Notchback]

Since you revived this thread I'll post the third variation and casting numbers again, sometime tonight or tomorrow.

[gtluke]

one of my pon rims is cast for 5 lug.
its also got a slightly different backspacing, which threw off my alignment for like 2 years and made me lose a crap load of hair.
i was centering my rear using the space between my rim and frame. and of course, it wasn't in the middle and was getting crooked as i "centered" it.
i finally figured it out and centered my rear using the same method with my weld wheels.
-luke-

[Kyle]

Ok I have a wierd one, three of my 10 holes, which are not original to the car, have the rough groove and have E5SC, but one wheel looks totally different then both pics inside where the cap goes and has an E7 part number, and it has the rough groove

[85 Notchback]

I have a full set of the E7 casting ten holes if you want

[AaronATX]

yaknow, I have probably seen 11 million 10 hole wheels and I never noticed that.

[Ken P]

I've never noticed these differences either. My problem is I had 3 sets that were all mixed together in the same stack. I sold one set... what are the odds my remaining 2 sets match either style?

[plstktnkr2]

I had a brand new'92 and they were polished and clear coated

[kjm531]

Are you the original owner of the '85 GT with the 'smooth' groove? I'm wondering if it's possible that a past owner has had the rims refinished and they went into the groove to clean up the casting roughness. To my eyes, from the pictures in your post, it looks as if the distance from the groove to the '10 hole' feature is thinner on the smooth groove wheel, which would make sense if somebody went in there on a lathe and cleaned it up. When I had the rims refinished on my old '86 RS, I was debating whether to clean up that groove or not.... ended up keeping it rough to keep the original look.

[Loco_Chick]

Not about 10 holes, but kinda interesting. You were talking about poney's. When I was up in MI, getting the tranny fixed and D&D and ran into that one Ford guy (Rick Roback?) that worked up there forever. He had a set of 5 lug ponies on his 4 eye. He said that Ford only made like 5 sets of 5 lug ponies. And they gave him a set. It's been a little while since I was there, so I may have it remembered wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's what he said. So it's interesting that you guys have some that were stamped, but not actually 5 lug.

[megamustang]

I hate to take this thread in a different direction....but that bit about only a few sets of 5-lug ponies is a bunch of crap. Loco_Chic, you were lied to. :^) The 5-lug ponies were available in the FMS catalog for several years (early 90s). I even had a friend buy a set of 5-lug ponies from our local FMS dealer and put them on his 67 Mustang.

HTH,
Matt

[86REDGT]

I saw a set of 93 Cobra rims (not R's) that a guy was selling that were 5 lug
he snagged them off a prototype

I saw them at the Mustang show at the Ford World HQ
This was about 5 or 6 years ago