dragway 5 spoke wheels

Includes handbrake, cylinders, shoes, discs, rims and rubber.

Moderators: reidy, Blacky

Post Reply
yogie
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2004 8:46 pm
State: NOT ENTERED
Location: Geelong Vic

dragway 5 spoke wheels

Post by yogie »

do they still make them (the old type that were availible 20 odd year ago)
and whats a rough price if anyone knows, I checked out original centerlines, and I was expecting a lot more $$$$.
fc visitor
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:22 pm
State: NOT ENTERED

Post by fc visitor »

http://www.dragway.com.au/splash.asp
about $400 each last time i checked.
Oldnblue
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:02 pm
State: NOT ENTERED
Location: Brisbane

Post by Oldnblue »

I bought a set for my EH a few years back and they cost approx $490 each. Not real cheap, and tyres took it to nearly $2500 for all 4 corners.
They were great rims though and being old Holden stud pattern, were one of the only easy options open to me for mags. I'm under the impression that a few other wheel manufacturers may now be making their wheels available in the correct stud pattern although I haven't looked into it to find out for sure.
Let us know how you go...would be interested to hear what you pay for them in today's market.
Cheers, Scott
rosco
Posts: 2569
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 8:34 pm
State: VIC
Location: Melbourne

Post by rosco »

Hi Yogie,
I'm surprised more people haven't put you onto my post just before black Sat last year...

Ok, I'm right up to speed with this topic - yes, they most certainly do still make them...

There are in fact, three different styles for what you may envisage as "Dragway 5 spoke wheels".....

The original (classic) is no longer made, the "revised" still is, and you would be very hard pressed to spot the difference between it and the original.... it has a slightly wider spoke.

Then there's the style I purchased for mine - the "new".... they have a slightly narrower spoke (quite a bit less "chunky" and the spoke is set further towards the centre of the rim..... this affords more clearance between the lip of the rear inner wheel-arch.

My set, all five of them - still haven't even been test fitted with their tyres on ... I know they will - but they are still in my "spares" area, fitted with new 205 x 14 tyres - just haven't had time to get back into the EK at present..... got this little impending need to finalise somewhere "mobile" to live during the winters of the next 20 odd years....

What you probably need to know is that there are some difficulties you should be aware of - with all three styles...

Others on this forum will tell you they simply just bolt up and run fine - perhaps on their vehicles they do .... but I can assure you, Yogie - on mine, which is absolutely stock body - they don't.... there are issues with the rear tyres scrubbing into the lip of the inner rear guard.

At the front, my body is stock but I have HD disc front end - and the 14 x 7's just clear the upper wishbone. There is minimal clearance from the edge of the inner rim to the tie rod end as well....

I had Dragway machine the hubs out as far as they were prepared to go... hence the 5 - and it still makes for a compromise between clearances for the rear tyres and front upper wishbone....

At the time - 60's & 70's (before "Indy" alloys came on the scene... which I also have a set of, but don't believe they befit the model) most people fitted either Tasmans or Globes..... these were almost perfect as the backspace and offsets were ideal for early Holden models.... Dragways were not.... but many fitted them and made "adjustments" to the body to prevent scrubbing..... most, very crudely.....

Hope I haven't thrown cold water over your desire for these wheels... yes, personally - I believe the are "the" wheel for early Holdens... but this is entirely personal.....

You might want to take a peek at my Dragway wheel thread.... sorry - it's somewhere in the maze of stuff I've plagued this unfortunate forum with..... I made a pretty comprehensive post of it and included many pix and including those with rulers, straight edges and clamped edge markers....

Let me know if you want to chase up more on this... I fear if you look deeply at what I have posted up previously - you'll probably opt to find something "plug and play" instead.....

All Dragway wheels (world wide) are manufactured in Kinglake, Vic.... at the factory - in Vic, there is an outlet in Epping as well.
Ian Splatt started the company - his daughter, Rachelle (world famous drag racer) probably now runs the Victorian division - Ian lives on the Gold Coast... and why wouldn't you.....?

The chap you really need to speak with is Ray Dunn.... he's the "nuts and bolts" bloke - I have absolute faith in what this bloke can tell you about wheels..... he's a walking encyclopaedia - not to mention what he does in the factory (just beyond the walls of the salesroom).... CNC machines - and other Willy Wonker machines that churn out wheels to absolute perfection...... phone him up, make an appointment and go see him for half an hour..... you won't want to leave.....

Just looking for my link to add to this post... it's Dragway at Kinglake....

http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtop ... highlight=

as a footnote to this mini-novel...... the factory at Kinglake was spared from black Sat.... it razed all but a strip of 100 metres wide where the factory is located... the sign out front looks "lived in".... so don't expect this world famous icon to "leap out like Disneyland" if you make your way up there....

I did all my dealings with Ray Dunn - he told me from the outset that I'd have trouble with the "revised" wide spoke wheels.... but the "new" style should just about fit without any issues ..... "just about".... read the thread above ...

Hope this helps, Yogie.... be warned - my dragway thread is pretty heavy going - most fell off before getting through many of the pages of stuff I threw up (vomitted).... onto their screens....

frats,
Rosco
yogie
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2004 8:46 pm
State: NOT ENTERED
Location: Geelong Vic

Post by yogie »

thanks guys, great info there, I'm buying all the gear I need, mind you still looking for a car :roll: , but I tossed between orig centre lines or the dragways, I'm more leaning toward the dragays, the old purist hot sixer in me is a live and well. :D :D :D
rosco
Posts: 2569
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 8:34 pm
State: VIC
Location: Melbourne

Post by rosco »

Sure Yogie,
happy to help with whatever I can offer...
Make sure you do your homework before ordering Dragways... or if you get onto a set up for grabs second hand.. yes, they look schmick to me.... but there are pitfalls...

frats,
Rosco
Post Reply