Will 4-Lug Rims fit on a 5-Lug Pattern?

[xdcbox]

I got a friend who wants to sell his rims, he says they are 5-lug rims but he took them off his 99' Ford Contour which has a 4-lug pattern. He took pencil/paper and traced the pattern off my Daewoo Leganza (YES I ADMITTED TO OWNING A KOREAN CAR) and matched it with the holes on the rims. It appeared to match. But I always thought they only made universal 4-lug rims for all cars with a 4-lug pattern and universal 5-lug rims for all cars with a 5-lug pattern, not universal 4 & 5-lug rims for all cars. Am I right? Anyway, he says he will put them on for me to test this weekend. My question is, what if they fit? Is there a chance that if they do, they might fall out, shake, effect my driving, or break something?

Also, he is including the tires, the two front tires are new but his rear tires have only like 25% tread left. This may be a stupid question but I have FWD (so did he in his Contour), do I still put those 2 worn tires in the rear for proper safety?

[Grant@Tirerack]

The wheels would need to be a 5-114 bolt pattern to work on your car safely. They would also need to have a 56mm center bore to be hub-centric (to fit on the hub safely). The Ford uses a 63.36 mm hub so based on that alone, I would pass on the wheels. They will not fit on the hub and all the vehicle weight would be supported by the lugs.

If you replace two tires, always put the new tires on the rear of the vehicle at least for the first rotation. This is due to handling problems especally on wet pavement. If you have less traction in the back, the rear will be more likely to break loose faster which can throw the car into an extreme oversteer situation.

[xdcbox]

Thanks for replying Grant. I ended up buying the rims for $150 (I think I have a money spending problem). I tried to align them, trying all the patterns with no luck BUT they are a hairline off. My friend said if I grinded them a bit than they would fit perfect. Is this true & safe (once again)?

I can always resell them on eBay for double..

[Grant@Tirerack]

Based on the center bore alone, I would not put them on the car. If the holes do not even line up for the studs, they there is no way for that wheel to even center correctly on the lugs. If you already bought them, sell them to someone with the correct setup for the wheels. It would not be safe to use them on your car.

[xdcbox]

Ok thanks Grant. I will definately get rid of them.

[leolo007]

Why didnt you try the rims on you car before you bought them?
and why did you buy that car???