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3/31/2013 7:35 pm  #1


T-Bird / Cougar Knuckle with a Cobra Hub?

Hi Everyone,


I'm hoping someone here will be able to help me with my latest project.  I'm scratch-building a rear suspension using 1995 T-Bird / Cougar rear knuckles.  (I always called them hub carriers but I don't know what the proper terminology is).

My biggest problem right now is that I want to use a Chevy 5 on 4 & 3/4" wheel.  The T-Bird hubs are 5 on 4.25".  I measured the diameter of the hub (at the rotor/wheel mounting surface) to be 5.5".

I'm sure I can redrill the hub to get my Chevy bolt circle diameter but depending on the size of the studs, there's not going to be very much meat left between the outside of the stud and the hub.

I started to thinking that the '99 Cobras had a 5 on 4.5" bolt circle diameter.  I ASSUME the Cobra hub has a larger diameter than 5.5"  (I don't know - I need to locate a hub and measure it to find out for sure and the local Ford dealers don't have any in stock.)

Further research has shown that the Cobra and the T-Bird use the same bearing.  Since I'm going to have to have new axle shafts made, the spline count is of no relevance.

****  The simple question is, will the 99' Cobra hub fit into and work with the T-Bird / Cougar rear knuckle? ****

Also, if anyone has a Cobra hub readily at hand, would you please, please, please be kind enough to measure the overall diameter of the flange where the wheel studs are ?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me with this!

Dave
Dave

 

3/31/2013 7:46 pm  #2


Re: T-Bird / Cougar Knuckle with a Cobra Hub?

Welcome Dave!

Do you know if the bolt diameters are the same. Because I'm almost certain the Ford 4,5X5 bolt diameter is larger than the Chevy. It may make for a little more meat. I have Ford Mustang II for front suspension and C3 Corvette at the rear.

I know the T Birds are called knuckles others use the term uprights.

Ralphy

Last edited by Ralphy (3/31/2013 7:48 pm)

 

3/31/2013 7:53 pm  #3


Re: T-Bird / Cougar Knuckle with a Cobra Hub?

Okay I just measured my Chevy 4.75X5's, they're .437 or 7/16 which equals 5.187 outside diameter.


Ralphy

Last edited by Ralphy (3/31/2013 7:56 pm)

 

3/31/2013 8:11 pm  #4


Re: T-Bird / Cougar Knuckle with a Cobra Hub?

Ralphy, the studs I was planning on using are 7/16.  I haven't measured the T-Bird's studs but I know they are metric and I'm using a Mustang II front suspension as well but I went with the GM rotors and 7/16" studs.  Although not crucial, since I'm building the whole works, I might as well use matching wheel studs!

I've never seen a Cobra hub in person but from every picture I've seen on-line, the wheels studs do look quite large.

Thanks,

Dave

     Thread Starter
 

6/19/2014 10:33 am  #5


Re: T-Bird / Cougar Knuckle with a Cobra Hub?

ChopChop, did you find a solution to the question about having Chevy 5x4.75 bolt pattern? I want to use a T-Bird Setup and have a Chevy bolt pattern on the front and want the back to match.

Thanks,

Chris

Last edited by f100panel53 (6/19/2014 10:33 am)

 

6/20/2014 1:57 pm  #6


Re: T-Bird / Cougar Knuckle with a Cobra Hub?

No, I couldn't come up with any way to safely make a Chevy bolt pattern work.  

I ended up having the stock T-Bird hubs redrilled to the old(er) Ford, 5 on 4.5" bolt circle diameter.
I am using a Mustang II front crossmember so I dumped the brand-new-never-used Chevy bolt pattern front rotors I wanted to use and bought new Ford 4.5" B.C.D. rotors.  

Finding new wheels with the Ford 4.5" bolt circle diameter wasn't an issue.

I also read somewhere that there was an inherent issue with using Cobra hubs in T-Bird knuckles.  Apparently there's an offset issue and the calipers won't line up properly with the new rotor position - but don't quote me on that, I read it on the interweb and you know what Abraham Lincoln said - "You can't believe everything you read on the internet."

Sorry I can't help.

     Thread Starter
 

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