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Are wheel adapters safe?

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Old Aug 7, 2017 | 11:51 AM
  #1  
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Are wheel adapters safe?

I'm looking to purchase some wheels off Craigslist for my 68 f100. They're so cheap I almost have to do it but I'd need adapters to mount them.

The ones I've got my eye on are 1.25" thick with 9/16" studs

Will these be safe for daily driving? It's not a lifted truck with big tires and it's mostly going to be used just as a driver, just wanted to know if they're safe for my application thanks
 
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Old Aug 7, 2017 | 01:10 PM
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They should be fine. Make sure you torque them to the proper spec. supplied be the manufacture. I have never used wheel spacers before, but my brother-in-law has. There was never a problem.
 
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Old Aug 7, 2017 | 02:36 PM
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Only time I've ever seen one fail was on a dually running 33" tires and unrealistic loads. They were the aluminum spacers. Cracked in half. They make them in metal as well that won't crack.
 
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Old Aug 7, 2017 | 02:42 PM
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Not sure why the studs are 9/16" (?). F100 studs are 1/2"-20.
 
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Old Aug 7, 2017 | 06:47 PM
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Originally Posted by ultraranger
Not sure why the studs are 9/16" (?). F100 studs are 1/2"-20.
9/16"? 8 LUG OR 5 lug?
 
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Old Oct 23, 2017 | 04:33 PM
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I'm having difficulty finding rims I like for **** truck and would use spacers to change the lug pattern. I'm iffy on if I REALLY want to do that
 
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Old Oct 23, 2017 | 04:59 PM
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Originally Posted by TeachNlive4ever
I'm having difficulty finding rims I like for **** truck and would use spacers to change the lug pattern. I'm iffy on if I REALLY want to do that
Living around the Dallas area, I bet there's an '80-'83 F100 at a wrecking yard around there with a Bullnose 9-inch rear end that has the factory 5 x 4.5" lug pattern you could rob from a donor truck.

If you had it, all you would have to do (aside from relocate the spring perches/lower shock mounts) would be to have the front rotor bearing hubs O.D. machined down and have the holes drilled to re-index the wheel studs to a 5 x 4.5" lug pattern.



This would greatly open up the amount and styles of wheel choices you could run and you wouldn't need wheel adapters to bolt the wheels onto the truck. --this is pretty much what I'll eventually do and to one up it, I'll convert the rear end from drums to rear discs. That'll give me nice wheels and power 4-wheel disc brakes to boot.
 
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Old Oct 23, 2017 | 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by gittinwidit
They were the aluminum spacers. Cracked in half. They make them in metal as well that won't crack.
Aluminum is metal.

Steel can crack too.
 
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Old Oct 23, 2017 | 11:11 PM
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Originally Posted by TeachNlive4ever
I'm having difficulty finding rims I like for **** truck and would use spacers to change the lug pattern. I'm iffy on if I REALLY want to do that
For it being just a cruiser, not seeing extreme conditions or loads, they'd be absolutely fine.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2017 | 09:10 PM
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I've used them once an don't like them. If you buy some make sure you have a socket that fits into the lug nut hole first before any attempt to installing them.

You'll most likely have use a thin wall 13/16 spark plug socket to tighten them.
If, was to use them again, I'd use type of lock tight on the threads.
Orich
 
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Old Oct 26, 2017 | 04:25 PM
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Never used them myself. Seems like I've read here before someone posted the fact that you have to cut the factory studs shorter. That would turn me off of adaptors.
 
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Old Oct 27, 2017 | 03:14 PM
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Originally Posted by ultraranger
Living around the Dallas area, I bet there's an '80-'83 F100 at a wrecking yard around there with a Bullnose 9-inch rear end that has the factory 5 x 4.5" lug pattern you could rob from a donor truck.

If you had it, all you would have to do (aside from relocate the spring perches/lower shock mounts) would be to have the front rotor bearing hubs O.D. machined down and have the holes drilled to re-index the wheel studs to a 5 x 4.5" lug pattern.



This would greatly open up the amount and styles of wheel choices you could run and you wouldn't need wheel adapters to bolt the wheels onto the truck. --this is pretty much what I'll eventually do and to one up it, I'll convert the rear end from drums to rear discs. That'll give me nice wheels and power 4-wheel disc brakes to boot.

You could likely change the later model front rotors to 4 1/2" bolt circle, but the factory drums will not go that small. I tried it 25 yrs ago. My '69 has 5 x 5 bolt pattern because the size of the bearings and the hub casting would not allow me to get to 4 1/2" safely.

I still have to cut the inside area of the aluminum wheel to clear the big radius on the '69 hub. The car hub is much smaller.
 
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Old Jan 15, 2021 | 02:47 AM
  #13  
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With the use of high-quality Wheel spacers, and the correct installation, there is no problem, I installed the bonoss Wheel spacers, use more than 10W km, still very OK. www.bonoss.com
 
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Old Jan 17, 2021 | 01:56 PM
  #14  
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I have run a 2" spacer without issue. The best way is to avoid cheap spacers. There is a video on youtube where a guy runs 12" spacers, and cannot break them. Done right, the spacers will last. Get aviation grade aluminum that is heat treated, like 6061T3511 or 2024T3.
 
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Old Jan 17, 2021 | 09:52 PM
  #15  
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Only thing I can add to this, is pull the wheels after a bit and check the adapter torque.

I can personally say that I had a wheel adapter failure on my F-100, but I'll also say that it wasn't the adapter's fault. I installed 2" adapter spacers on the rear of my F-100 4x4 because I wanted the rear track width to more closely match the front. I did buy a set off of amazon, didn't buy the cheapest I could find, searched around for a set that had a lot of good reviews from people after driving on them for a while. In installed them per directions. Directions and my own concience said to pull the wheels after 50-100 miles and recheck the torque. I never did. Lug nuts holding adapter to axle backed off and studs failed from the abuse. When I recovered the wheel and tire they were in perfect shape and the adapter was still attached with the broken studs and backed off lug nuts still retained between it and the wheel. Obviously the adapter wasn't reusable because of the damage that the bolt holes received from bashing against the studs, but it wasn't cracked or anything like that. Rather than getting new spacers I just decided to run without until I can find/afford a later model axle to swap in.

Like I said my own fault, can't blame the adapter at all. If you do it, learn from my mistake and check the torque on the adapter to axle nuts a few times after you get it on the road.
 
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