I recently came across an unbeliveable deal on a set of wheels and tires (17x8). Bad thing is is that they were originally for a front wheel drive car. So as we all know they will not fit a 3'rd gen axle and the backspacing is off.

What I will have to do is make an adapter that will do two things:
1. Act as a spacer for correct wheel fitment.
2. Adapt the new bolt circle to the axle's bolt circle.

My plan is to get a solid piece of steel or aluminum and have it milled down to the correct thickness on the mill-drill. Then I will have to drill the holes out to fit the axle studs and the wheel. The adapter will have to sets of holes (bolt circles) Both sets will be facing opposite directions. One way to bolt the adapter to the axle, and the other wy to blt the wheel on to.

My main concerns are as follows:
1. Which series aluminum or steel should I use?
2. How can I ensure that both bolt circles will rotate around EXACTLY the same center point? If the point is off at all, it will wobble.
3. I have to make the adapter a perfect circle to prevent throwing the balance off or vibrating at higher speeds.

Is there anyone around here that has done this before? I looked at the price for 2 sets of these and they are through the roof. $80-120 per adapter. That is $320-$480 for all four!

 

Don't know about you, but that price sounds about right for all the trouble that you would have to go through to do it by yourself. Think about it, just pay the 500 bucks and sit back and wait for them to show up.


Just an opinion from a person running 2" spacers on all 4 corners.

 

If I had $500 to spend on something as ridiculous as wheel adapters, I would. I am starting to figure out how to do it.

 

I am going ahead and making the wheel adapters myself. The following is some usefull info for stock wheels/axles I have calculated:

Diameter=4.75"
Circumference=14.9226"
Radius=2.375"
Arc length from bolt to bolt=2.9845"
Distance from bolt to bolt=2.7919"
Angle from radius to bolts=72*

That was found using trigonometry, not measuring. So you may assume that is more accurate than measuring.

 

cutting aluminum on a lathe is alot easier than steel
you dont even need a sharp tool bit
but i forgot the type aluminums, so i couldnt tell u what to use or even if its good enough

and using a lathe is easy enough, if u can get the metal and access to a lathe, do it youself, its fun

 

I believe one of my friends has a lathe at his shop! I had forgotten about that. My plan was to get a solid aluminum cylinder (hadn't determined diameter yet) and cut it into four pieces, then mill then down to correct and flat sizes/thicknesses. That way I can be sure it is perfectly round and flat.

 

chances are that'd be 6061 AL, soft as butter. Once you put the bolts through it, to hold it to the current axle, and new wheels studs, I can imagine them ovalizing the holes.

I'd use a medium steel, 1040 maybe. See if you can get 1/2" plate. I got some 1/2" SS plate for cheap $40, in the scrap pile at the metal shop. In the scrap pile it's simply sold by weight, and it was dirt cheap.
Then cut it into rough discs on the mill using a.... I forget the tool, you bolt your workpiece on it, and you can rotate the piece around, while using your milling bit to make a circle....not terribly accurate.
Then put it on a lathe to make it perfect. Probably have to use the lathe to drill all the holes in it as well. I am not versed in lathe use though, so my help ends there