February 21, 201214 yr so i got a great deal on CL for these 15" wheels for 40 bucks. the are a 6x5.5 pattern and i want to drill out two holes to get the 4x5.5 pattern i need for my 88 gl... ive been looking around on here and cant find what im looking for... so i took the wheels to a machinist and they want 140 to drill and chamfer new holes... is there a way i could do it myself with a simple power drill? another problem i found was that on the back side of the wheel there are dips in the wheel that im not sure what to do to deal with them... should i use washers or some sort of space to fill the hole when the bolt goes through??? here are some pics of the stuff im talking about... any help is appreciated... thanks
February 21, 201214 yr Those probably are not going to work at all. You need either alloy that is thick to drill, or it will rip out, or you need steel. Most people choose steel wheels cause it is thick enough to not cause a safety issue. You see, the back of your wheels where the current holes are are thick, reinforced in the engineering where the holes are. If you drill new holes where it is not reinforced, your death or whatnot is a risk. Alloy is thin, light, but not as strong so you are making a big mistake in thinking you can use those wheels At least you are only out 40 bucks so far. Sell them for that, and go get some steel wheels and you can drill all you want then.
February 21, 201214 yr If you plan on drilling the wheels, get steelies. Modify the hubs to 6-lug, or sell those.
February 21, 201214 yr I'm somewhat surprised that the machinist would even be willing to do the job... (liability reasons)
February 21, 201214 yr I used a set of toyota steel rims, there 15x6 and worked well for keeping the offset correct for the space needed to clear the strut towers and break calipers.
February 21, 201214 yr My vote is for drilling out the hubs. Its so much easier to find 6 lug wheels. in my opinion its the way to go.
February 21, 201214 yr drill out the hubs don't drill aluminum rims. especially ones that are thin where you need it the most. steel wheels are fine to drill because there is enough material there.
February 21, 201214 yr My vote is for drilling out the hubs. Its so much easier to find 6 lug wheels. in my opinion its the way to go. I agree! 6 lug wheels are everywhere! hubs can be done yourself...but I had mine done at a machine shop for $100. my concern was not with getting the spacing right, but with ensuring that the seats for the studs are absolutely flat. irregular seating surfaces cause weak spots in both the stud and the hub...but that's just me.
February 21, 201214 yr my concern was not with getting the spacing right, but with ensuring that the seats for the studs are absolutely flat. irregular seating surfaces cause weak spots in both the stud and the hub...but that's just me. that's excactly my problem with it. Plus you are weakening a cast piece. Cast likes to crack. Also, what happens when the hub get's worn? now you gotta find another EA81 hub and drill it. just opinions but definately don't redrill those aluminum alloys.
February 21, 201214 yr Author thanks so much for all the help... i think im going to drill out the hubs... i got a great deal on the wheels and they would look awesome on my rig! so i simply pull the hubs off and bring new bolts to the machinist and he should know what to do right???
February 23, 201214 yr I drilled out a set on a 100 dollar drill press once........just sayin....... The backs werena flat, the studs were pulled true onto a rim , and maybe welded.Pretty sure they are still being used. cheers Edited February 23, 201214 yr by monstaru
February 23, 201214 yr The ea82 front hubs are thicker, stronger and fit just perfect on an ea81 car without any mods. Its a perfect upgrade to any ea81 wheeler. Yo!
February 26, 201214 yr The ea82 front hubs are thicker' date=' stronger and fit just perfect on an ea81 car without any mods. Its a perfect upgrade to any ea81 wheeler. Yo![/quote'] EA81 and EA82 hubs have a different depth. The part that sticks into the bearing cavity is longer IIRC on the EA82. These differences coincide with the differnce in length of the splined section of the axle. IIRC, it works to put EA82 hubs on an EA81.....but the brake rotor will be offset wrong, and getting a pin through the axle nut might not work. They are different enough I don't recommend interchanging them. Use the Whole EA82 knuckle if anything.
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