Redrilling wheels?

Ok so I’m doing a waggy 44 front swap on my 98 and the only detail I’m having trouble with is the bolt pattern. I am keeping the rear 8.25 so I have been looking at adapters and such but my question is would it be possible to redrill a set of steel wheels to have a 5x4.5 and a 6x5.5 pattern? Or would they interfere with each other, this way I could leave them at different bolt patterns but still be able to rotate...

Thanks


Well after some researching it looks like the holes will be to close so.....what if I built a 3/16 5x4.5 and a 6.5.5 ring to put over the wheel to help beef up around it and used longer studs? I’m really thinking out loud but do think it would work? I have access to a water jet so they would be very accurate and really not hard to make.

yeah I don't see it working too well... what wheels do you have?

I have seen plenty of aluminium wheels with two sets of bolt holes on the island of Trinidad. Many of them arriving to the island like that from Japan but most of them were done right there on the island. I have never seen steel wheels re-drilled.

What do I think about it? It is down right scarry.
Would I get a set of wheels with 2 sets of holes or re-drilles to accept a different bolt pattern? My life is worth more than a set of wheels,...more that a thousand sets of wheels.

Go to a jeep yard or an auto recycler. I am sure you could get a set for cheap.

The price is not the big deal, new ones are only 45 bucks each, I just want to be able to roate them easily.

whitexj98 said:

The price is not the big deal, new ones are only 45 bucks each, I just want to be able to roate them easily.

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Wheel adaptors would be the way to go.

you could always buy some custom chromos for the rear that are a 6x5.5

Redrill the rotors to 5 on 4.5 as EMS off road does http://www.emsoffroad.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=128_129&products_id=331 ... and open up the center of the wheels or convert to 5 on 5.5 front and rear and get new wheels.

What if you get a six-lug Waggy AMC 20 or D44 or a Toyota or Chevy axle and don't run hacked wheels?

Also, try overlaying the 5x4.5 and 6x5.5 lug patterns in Autocad or similar and see how close the lug holes get.

REVROK said:

Redrill the rotors to 5 on 4.5 as EMS off road does http://www.emsoffroad.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=128_129&products_id=331 ... and open up the center of the wheels or convert to 5 on 5.5 front and rear and get new wheels.

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That sounds a lot less scary than hacked wheels.. Well, to me at least.. :wave: