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redrilling rotors & axels for smaller bolt pattern?

Posted: December 20, 2014, 7:44 pm
by yellodog
has anybody done this? does anyone know if theres enough room on rotors or axel flanges? i'm interested in some wheels that don't come in 5x5.5 and thought about this.

Re: redrilling rotors & axels for smaller bolt pattern?

Posted: December 20, 2014, 8:49 pm
by unibody madness
I bought drilled axle flanges for my truck, I have a 79 Cordoba ifs in it. They did not weld up the holes and appears to have enough room for 5x 4.5 pattern. The drums cost me 70.00 to have drilled separate, If I had it to do over I would attempt to have it all done in one place by someone who does not want to retire by age fifty.

Re: redrilling rotors & axels for smaller bolt pattern?

Posted: December 20, 2014, 9:59 pm
by LM14
I've had 2 sets done to 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern. One set they didn't plug and the other set they did. I also had new brake drums drilled both times to get the longest life from the work. Spent an entire afternoon with a couple old school brake parts books at my local NAPA and we couldn't find any 5 on 4.5 drums that would work.

SPark

Re: redrilling rotors & axels for smaller bolt pattern?

Posted: December 21, 2014, 10:08 am
by yellodog
somebody offers an upgrade/conversion to the larger truck rear drum brakes for cars. i think the drums would have to be 5x4.5 for that setup, but i don't recall who offers it. i also read that the hubs on the rotors might interfere with some wheels?

Re: redrilling rotors & axels for smaller bolt pattern?

Posted: December 21, 2014, 11:50 am
by LM14
The problem is the centering hub on a truck axle is larger in diameter than the hole in a car brake drum. It's cheaper for me to have drums drilled than to get the center bored, I'm also guaranteed the drum offset is correct when re-drilling the truck drums.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Ford-Raci ... ,2001.html

This kit will adapt you to 5 on 4.5 but the axle register needs to be 2.780, and it costs $480 bucks.

Here's just the drum

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/New-11-x- ... 27028.html

You can buy the drum and turn the axle register down to 2.780

SPark

Re: redrilling rotors & axels for smaller bolt pattern?

Posted: February 3, 2015, 8:09 pm
by Bugguts
Sorry this is so late, but I had my rear axles redrilled to match the new front ends bolt pattern. 5x4.5.
Super easy for them, they had to fill the access hole used to remove the axle retaining nuts, but I just used a wrench to install them instead of a socket.
Well worth the money to use the wheels I wanted.

Re: redrilling rotors & axels for smaller bolt pattern?

Posted: February 5, 2015, 6:35 pm
by JOSHF100
http://www.rottenleonard.com/Menu.html

This is a link to a jig that i'm going to try.
A buddy and I are going to split the cost..
I'll report the results.

Randall