FirstCoastCobraClub

1) Yes

2) Yes, I believe you’re correct.

3) I think it’s a combined effort, both hub and pins center the wheel.

Upon further review (I may have watched too much football in my time), I’ve concluded that the red spline drive lugs are completely inappropriate for this application. Fortunately, I had a correct set of pin drive lugs in the tub of parts I received with the car.

No idea why they were replaced with the red ones, but I’ve set about to make things right. I had to buy a spline drive socket to remove the red lugs, which William and O’Reilly’s helped me out with. I also needed a 12mm hex socket to torque the pin drive lugs on with, once again Will and O’Reilly’s got the assist.

The left rear wheel (problem wheel) slipped right on and sits flush to the hub now as it should! I replaced all of the red lugs on both rear wheels, so they’re done. The front wheels I’ll get to next, but one of the pin drive lugs is missing from the set, so I’ll need to source another one before I can finalize the project.

Vintage Wheels sells them as a set for $100, I’m hoping I can persuade them to sell me a single lug, or maybe a few as spares…

Oh well, one more box …

Mike,

There's always an easy solution: mo money

Glad to see you got it resolved - it wouldn't be a good experience to have a wheel off center, or even off the car unexpectedly...

Sounds like some tires and you'll be ready to rumble, no?

Tom

While torquing down one of the barrel lugs on the front left hub, the lug cracked open…I guess now I know why they were changed out…

In reading some old forum threads on Club Cobra, it appears there was a problem with lugs cracking on early cars. Guess I will be ordering a new set of forged lugs from Vintage. As Tom likes to say, education is never free…

Mike,

Wow! That could have resulted in a painful experience!

Can’t imagine the possible outcomes…

Good on you for getting to the root of it!

Tom

Hi Tom, I didn't want to start a new thread to show you how much larger my Baer brake upgrade 13" rotors are over stock.
So I hi-jacked Mikes....
Ken

Ken,

Know them well! I have the same on the fronts of the Cobra and the Zephyr. Wouldn't leave home without them LOL

Tom

Well played…

I bought a new set of forged pin drive lugs from Vintage, but they are bit long for my application. The holes in the wheels are 1” deep and the new lugs protrude about 1 1/8” once seated into the adapters. I spent some time today shortening five of the new lugs on the bench grinder.

One wheel done (front right).

The list of "fiddly" jobs just never seem to end during the final assembly.