4.10.21 A CLASSIC-WHEEL SOLUTION (FUCK IT)

I had an epiphany yesterday as I continued my OCD quest to run Cragar SS wheels on my Burb. 

It isn't meant to be. 

I went online and picked my second favorite era-correct wheel, the American Torque Thrust II with grey spokes. I quickly discovered that they have the 5X5" bolt that was alluding me with the Cragar SS wheels.  And tons of others sizes in 17 and 18 inches. 

Big boy pants time. If I was meant to have the Cragar SS wheels, it would have happened by now. 

I was ready to change out my entire front braking system to custom parts to make the Cragar SS wheels possible and had a tech at CPP,  Moses, order all the custom parts before realizing that rotors are back-ordered indefinitely. 

I've spent roughly six hours on-hold with various techs from aftermarket companies. And every time we thought we'd figured it out, we hit another wall. 

Fuck it. 

The deal-breaker came when the Speedway tech suggested a rear-end swap as the ideal scenario.I Turns out a 9" Ford was the perfect solution for getting the 5X4.75" bolt pattern the Cragar SS wheels are readily available in.

My 12-bolt had a new center section with 3.73 gears installed a few years ago. Essentially, a new rear-end. with perfectly good brakes. 

Fuck it. 

I'm not going to swap my rear end and wait for the indefinitely back-ordered custom parts to roll in one of these days.

Fuck it.

I'm going to use the Speedway axle swap kit I have with the 5X5" bolt pattern. I'm going to cancel my custom parts from CPP and find readily accessible 5X5" bolt-pattern front calipers for the stock ride height OG spindles I just purchased used from a C10er. 

I'm going to put perfectly sized American Torq Thrust II wheels on my Burb with silver spokes to match the soon-to-be silver-painted reproduction bumpers.

It's going to be bitchen, period cool, and have wheels I still love. Wheels I 've run before on my 65 Riviera. 

It would be a whole different story if Cragar SS were offered in a variety of 5X5" bolt patterns.

It all comes down to this. I'd rather have wheels that perfectly tuck into the wells with no compromises than bend over backwards and wait forever to have Cragars.

I'll run the Cragars on my van.