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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-

Fox to Cobra 5 lug conversion (not as easy as it seems)

  • Thread starter Thread starter CarMichael Angelo
  • Start date Start date Dec 9, 2011
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CarMichael Angelo

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
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Birmingham, al
Jan 9, 2012
#41
  • Jan 9, 2012
  • #41
Getting back to the core content, and in keeping w/ my "2 steps forward, one step backward" method of modifying the car, While I was massing the parts to do the swap. I found some Ranger axles from a supplier in Storm Lake IA. They only cost 65.00 ea, were supposedly new, and not refurbed or resplines, so I bought them. And left them......in the box,....waiting,.... for this day.

I open the the box pull them out, and the first issue was that they had no studs. After making several calls to several auto parts stores I find 10 at NAPA.

"Wheel studs? Don't you mean wheel bolts?" The female at NAPA asked. "No, I want wheel studs, they need to be knurled on the big end, the axles are not threaded for bolts, I need wheel studs" I said.
"Well alls we got is wheel bolts, you welcome to come by an see if they gonna fit" she said.
I get in my van, and make the 10 mile trip to see what the hell a "wheel bolt" looked like. When I get there, there is a new dude at the counter. "can I help you?" he asks. "Yeah, I talked w/ someone about 20 minutes ago about some wheel studs for the rear on a 93 Ranger" I said back.

"You mean wheel bolts?". "NO. I want wheel studs! Wheel studs w/ a point 619 knurl. Wheel studs that I'll have to beat through the axle w/ a big assed hammer!.... For a Ranger,.... On the rear,....With drum brakes!,.....For Christs' Sake!"

I must've sounded a little,..anxious.

"Well all we got is wheel bolts, I'll go pull em and you can see if you can make em work." Said Dude, equally frustrated w/ my Yankee in the South ass.

He gets them, I open the box, and there they are,...wheel studs,.. w/ a .619 knurl,.. Just what I need.
"These are what I want, AND they're wheel studs, not bolts!"

Dude points to the box, and beside the part number is the description of the contents:

Wheel bolts. 5 ea.

"Bolts got a head, studs don't" dude says. "Bolts are turned by either a wrench, a ratchet, a screwdriver, or a pair of pliers" I argue, "How you gonna turn this w/ anything"? It had a friggin' round head with these ridges that are put there on purpose to prevent them from being turned by ANYTHING!"

"All I know is that is what they're called here at NAPA" says dude, as he gives me a credit card receipt for the 25.00 my fasteners cost.

I got into my van and thought, "Yeah, you also call a package tray a hat rack, a differential a chunk, and you wear a toboggan on your head too" and drove back home.

I beat my studs through the axles, install one side and the rotor, and caliper, Stick the other axle in the other side, and cannot get the rotor to go on. My 65.00 ( probabry Chinee) axle has the bolt circle drilled off center.

So Now I got a bent spindle on one side up front, and a drunk chinee machined axle on the rear.
I'll never get it running again.
 
9

90stang5speed

Member
Jan 19, 2009
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2
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Columbus Ga
Jan 9, 2012
#42
  • Jan 9, 2012
  • #42
Wow Mike. Sounds like Im not the only one that has to deal with Murphys law. Also, its good to see that rear end noise saw dust thread was just a joke. Im no expert on any of this stuff but, as I was reading the first part of that thread, I was thinking to myself. With all the skill & years of experience you have, you couldn't possibly think that would be the right answer. You really should be a writer for a magazine or something.
 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
Admin Dude
Jan 4, 1985
43,114
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Box behind Walmart
Jan 9, 2012
#43
  • Jan 9, 2012
  • #43
Well at least you got the wheel bolts in.
 

CarMichael Angelo

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
10,641
8,909
234
Birmingham, al
Jan 9, 2012
#44
  • Jan 9, 2012
  • #44
Noobz347 said:
Well at least you got the wheel bolts in.
Click to expand...
Now I gotta beat 5 back out.
 

CarMichael Angelo

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
10,641
8,909
234
Birmingham, al
Jan 9, 2012
#45
  • Jan 9, 2012
  • #45
90stang5speed said:
Wow Mike. Sounds like Im not the only one that has to deal with Murphys law. Also, its good to see that rear end noise saw dust thread was just a joke. Im no expert on any of this stuff but, as I was reading the first part of that thread, I was thinking to myself. With all the skill & years of experience you have, you couldn't possibly think that would be the right answer. You really should be a writer for a magazine or something.
Click to expand...

You should know me better by now.
I have to keep up w/ the likes of Droptop5.0, and the Noobz here.
 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
Admin Dude
Jan 4, 1985
43,114
21,288
234
Box behind Walmart
Jan 9, 2012
#46
  • Jan 9, 2012
  • #46
I've not even donned my literary ascot and smoking pipe yet.
 

CarMichael Angelo

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
10,641
8,909
234
Birmingham, al
Jan 9, 2012
#47
  • Jan 9, 2012
  • #47
Noobz347 said:
I've not even donned my literary ascot and smoking pipe yet.
Click to expand...
What are you waiting for?
 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
Admin Dude
Jan 4, 1985
43,114
21,288
234
Box behind Walmart
Jan 9, 2012
#48
  • Jan 9, 2012
  • #48
I hesitate... last time, Droptop put his crack in there. I awoke sitting in a shower, fully clothed... in SPAIN! Cab fare was outrageous.
 

CarMichael Angelo

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
10,641
8,909
234
Birmingham, al
Jan 9, 2012
#49
  • Jan 9, 2012
  • #49

I've read that one already.
 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
Admin Dude
Jan 4, 1985
43,114
21,288
234
Box behind Walmart
Jan 9, 2012
#50
  • Jan 9, 2012
  • #50
I just added the cab fare thingy... that was new-ish.
 

CarMichael Angelo

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
10,641
8,909
234
Birmingham, al
Jan 9, 2012
#51
  • Jan 9, 2012
  • #51
What I want to know is, what were you doing w/ droptops' crack, and exactly where DID he put it? Why was it so bad you had to take a shower long enough to fall asleep in?
 
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