aedimmick Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aedimmick Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 ok yeah ill sell them... not a big deal... thanks for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 If you plan on drilling the wheels, get steelies. Modify the hubs to 6-lug, or sell those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red92 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I'm somewhat surprised that the machinist would even be willing to do the job... (liability reasons) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmdagit Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tosh Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spazomatic Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aedimmick Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 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??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstaru Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) 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, 2012 by monstaru Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yo'J Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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