a better wheel adapter

[tigmaned]

searching eBay i found these wheel adapter for GM 5 on 4.75 with 12mm studs, 1" thick. they are calling them - (hub centric wheel adapters). the center whole has a proturding lip just a like a real wheel hub to help center the rim and added support. i think this is a great idea, and not sure if i have seen others with this? i just wanted to share this, not the seller.
the auction is 7985113089. 6061 billet. $65 a pair.
i sent them a e-mail if they make them in 3/4 thick.

 

[87blackroxi]

So do these adapters allow the C5 wheels to fit the C4's?

 

[tnovot]

They may need to be that thick so that the fastening nuts do not protrude out past the flat wheel mounting surface.

 

[tigmaned]

i have 1988 17" factory vette rims on my 1986 right now, they fit on the hubs fine, but there way to far in the inner fenders and don't look right to me anyway. 3/4 thickness is alls i need for the rims to fit a little more flush under the fender wells. C5 rims i have no idea? my factory rims have openings on the back side so the other well studs will not effect anything on mine.

 

[tigmaned]

i did some measuring and my 1988 17" rims set in 3/4 of a inch inside the fender wells. but i am thinking that about 1/4 stick out may look pretty mean!!!

 

[tnovot]

i did some measuring and my 1988 17" rims set in 3/4 of a inch inside the fender wells. but i am thinking that about 1/4 stick out may look pretty mean!!!

Maybe you could make some kind of temporary spacer just for a mock up to see what it would look like. Even a bunch of washers or a few pieces of 1/2" flat stock might work as long as you didn't actually drive it that way.

 

[tigmaned]

any body else use 1 inch thick adapters on there C4 and the rims don't stick out to far??? i don't want to hit the fenders!!! but a little rubber coming out from under the fender may be pretty tough looking??
Anybody done it? or is 3/4 the max!

 

[c4cruiser]

Adapters in the catalogs usually run almost three times that. I would question the quality and the material for that price. For example, Vette Brakes wants $150 for a pair including acorn-style nuts instead of the standard open nuts shown in the pic.

 

[Jeb]

If they're 6061 billet aluminum, it wouldn't be too expensive to get a 1/4" milled off the back side if it was necessary. A decent machinist could probably do all four in less than an hour. It would all depend on how far through the steel lugs penetrated and whether they would have to be removed prior to milling.

 

[tigmaned]

nothing against vette brakes or the other just corvette retailers for that matte but they have more over head so the cost goes up. BUT i mean look at the items just corvette place sell and to me its just mark up. thsta great for the vette guy that just has to have a stock vette, i am not shooting for that, i just want a nice for me vette.
a cnc lathe and mill could do each phase in 10 minutes i bet. and 6061 billet is 6061 billet.

 

[ZumZum]

i did some measuring and my 1988 17" rims set in 3/4 of a inch inside the fender wells. but i am thinking that about 1/4 stick out may look pretty mean!!!

You mean like this?

 

[tigmaned]

zum zum
thats 1 inch wheel adapter!! if so cool!!!!!!!!

 

[ZumZum]

zum zum
thats 1 inch wheel adapter!! if so cool!!!!!!!!

Actually, I have no adapters on there. They are American Racing wheels that were on the car when I got it. They are factory size 16" rims, but don't have the proper offset for a '88 vette. Before anybody says anything, yes I was missing a front center cap.

 

[tigmaned]

i am making a 1 inch spacer to see how a 1 inch thick adapters will look on my 1986 with 17 inch 1989 rims.
one thing that has me worried, i was measureing all four wheels at each corner for fender over lap now with out adapters, and its NOT the same at each corner of my vette?? WHY!!! there unibody and i haven't seen any were any adjustment for this?