Wheel adapters...bad idea?

[jasonmcc]

I've found some wheels I really like but they don't make them in 5x5.5 size. What are my options other than a wheel adapter? What about new axles/rotors? Also, are wheel adapters safe on our old Broncos? Thx!

 

[73azbronco]

Very very bad idea. Adapters.

Only really used on jeeps for looks. Get the right wheel for the setup. Sometimes cheap wheels are just that. Show us what you want and I bet someone here can find a very close wheel in the right size, plus, most manufactures can make them special for you.

 

[DirtDonk]

And regarding wheels not made for 5 on 5.5 old school trucks to begin with, you can easily run into a bore that's not big enough to go around your hub.
What wheel style and bolt pattern are you trying to work with?

Paul

 

[sprdv1]

very very bad idea. Adapters.

Only really used on jeeps for looks. Get the right wheel for the setup. Sometimes cheap wheels are just that. Show us what you want and i bet someone here can find a very close wheel in the right size, plus, most manufactures can make them special for you.

and regarding wheels not made for 5 on 5.5 old school trucks to begin with, you can easily run into a bore that's not big enough to go around your hub.
What wheel style and bolt pattern are you trying to work with?

x 3...……. hesitant for on the road

 

[jasonmcc]

I figured as much....ugh. Thanks for the feedback guys!

 

[Cortez]

I ran adapters for (6) years, with no issues but that’s just my experience.

 

[pbwcr]

Guys that never used adapters think they are bad. Many of us have had years of success with them. Buy for a reputable vendor and expect success. Respect the torque values is alway important as is a good thread locker.
Of course a proper wheel is still a better way to go.

 

[sprdv1]

I ran adapters for (6) years, with no issues but that’s just my experience.

Guys that never used adapters think they are bad. Many of us have had years of success with them. Buy for a reputable vendor and expect success. Respect the torque values is alway important as is a good thread locker.
Of course a proper wheel is still a better way to go.

Just mainly off road w/my rig... but hey, all for whatever works for someone..

Glad he got some better feedback on them if that's what he wants to do

 

[Apogee]

I've seen adapters fail gradually, catastrophically and last forever, and it always seemed to come down to the details as to how they were going to perform. The nicest bolt-on spacers I've seen were on a GT3 Porsche race car that wanted to reuse an old set of wheels...these were machined from 7075-T6 aluminum, hub-centric on both sides for the hub and the wheel, had machined reliefs (torque pockets or torque rings) around the internal wheel stud pattern, and ran M14x1.5 wheel studs torqued to 135 ft-lb. These ran hours long endurance events at high speed without issue for years.

The opposite end of the spectrum would be some of the cheap imported spacers that are cast aluminum, no hub-centric features and no torque pockets. These are the ones that I've see break into multiple pieces outright with a hard impact, or multiple hard impacts, or loosen up, fail some wheel studs and come off with the wheel, damaging numerous things on the way out and losing control of the vehicle.

Then there's the in-between spacers, made from 6061-T6 aluminum, sometimes with and sometimes without hub-centric features, but usually no torque poclkets/rings on the internal mating surface. These tend to fail due to the internal lug nuts loosening up over time due to a lack of torque features, resulting in localized stress concentrations around the wheel studs, which then causes localized yielding (failure) of the material and a loss of preload on the wheel stud. Wheel studs only work if you maintain proper torque, otherwise they fail due to fatigue remarkably quickly, which is what generally happens at that point. Once you break one or two wheel studs, the stress on the others increase and they're sure to follow. You may get a short warning, a vibration or something, or you may not.

For those running bolt-on wheel spacers of the generic variety, the best thing you can do IMHO is to add torque pockets/rings on the inner surface of the spacer, as this should create a more uniform contact stress between the spacer and hub which will serve to maintain proper lug nut torque.

I've attached a couple pics of the wheel spacers I designed and run on my Nova w/ late-model Corvette wheels for reference, which are hub-centric and have torque rings.

 

[okie4570]

I have run them on occasion off and on for years with no issue and know several other guys who have as well with no issues. From broncos to Super Dutys, etc. Tighten them to spec, recheck them in a week and don't worry about it. I honestly personally do don’t know anyone who's had an issue as long as they recheck them.

 

[MrT]

Guys that never used adapters think they are bad. Many of us have had years of success with them. Buy for a reputable vendor and expect success. Respect the torque values is alway important as is a good thread locker.
Of course a proper wheel is still a better way to go.

I agree. Clean mating surfaces, torque to spec with red thread lock.

 

[Apogee]

I agree. Clean mating surfaces, torque to spec with red thread lock.

FWIW, thread locker should not be required if the spacers/adapters are designed and torqued correctly. You wouldn't put thread locker on a standard wheel stud, you would just verify and retorque on an abbreviated initial interval when the components are new (50 miles until torque is maintained), just like with new alloy wheels. Fastener theory and joint design doesn't change just because the fastener may be inaccessible.

 

[DirtDonk]

I think at least some of it comes down to the installer. As always!
If you're installing a set and they are not sitting perfectly flat on the mating surfaces, STOP and find out why! A rocking spacer could be a very bad thing.

Dirt and grit, rust, bent studs, poorly made, any or all of the above and more reasons for something not fitting up properly. But if it isn't, just stop and take stock of the situation before bulldogging it in place with an impact wrench and calling it good.

Paul

 

[MrT]

FWIW, thread locker should not be required if the spacers/adapters are designed and torqued correctly. You wouldn't put thread locker on a standard wheel stud, you would just verify and retorque on an abbreviated initial interval when the components are new (50 miles until torque is maintained), just like with new alloy wheels. Fastener theory and joint design doesn't change just because the fastener may be inaccessible.

Personally I follow the instructions from the company that built them. They have a vested interest in their products working and not causing accidents or injury.
Typical instructions...flat and clean mating surface, torque nuts to 90 ft. Lbs with red thread lock. Drive 50 miles and set your torque wrench to 85 ft lbs if any nuts move figure out what's going on and fix it.

I imagine some people install them without the thread lock thinking they shouldn't have to then they loosen up, waller out and break off making all spacers crap.

I will restate I am not running any now but have run maybe 6 sets in my life all with large tires. No issues but I did take care installing them.
I had a 1996 Bronco that I put a set on. The original studs just caught the spacer before it seated. It would have been easy to slap them on and go, putting new studs not so easy but it had to be done to make it right.

 

[Rustytruck]

I wont run them. but I would pull the axles and wheel hubs and drill them with the proper pattern you want that's the easy part. the hard part is getting the wheel hub center hole opened up to what you need. all you have to do is buy a wheel adapter for a drill fixture.

 

[sprdv1]

I agree. Clean mating surfaces, torque to spec with red thread lock.

use mine mostly off road, so I don't sweat em as much