Spacers or adapters?

[Great White]

Let me start off by saying, as a rule: I don't like either. I have little to no experience with either, only knowing the difference between the two.

That being said, I'm kind of backed into a financial corner at the moment and find myself having to use one or the other to get a set of rims on the car that will fit over the brakes.

The car is a 1962 TBird using stock hubs (5x4.5) but disc brakes. In order to use the ims I have available I need to use a 1.5" spacer.

Question is: which would be safer/better to use? The adapter or spacer?





Whichever I go for, I'll have them machined to be hub centric to help carry the load and for vibration purposes.

[dontlifttoshift]

That thick. use the adapter. No impact wrenches, use a torque wrench, you'll be fine.

[Schwartz Performance]

Adapter for sure.

Billetwheeladapters.com is pretty inexpensive.

-Dale

[Great White]

Adapter for sure.

Billetwheeladapters.com is pretty inexpensive.

-Dale

Thanks. I'll check them out.

Most likely I'll have to find someone who will make a custom set for me as the TBird hub center is 69.8mm and the rims are 78.1MM

I can spin the adapter up on the lathe, but the taper on the seats are something I'm not set up to do....and after the cost of materials, time and the hassle its just cheaper/easier to buy them.

[dontlifttoshift]

I didn't look at Dale's link but these guys can and will custom build. http://www.motorsport-tech.com/wheel_adapters.html

[nicks67camaro]

I didn't look at Dale's link but these guys can and will custom build. http://www.motorsport-tech.com/wheel_adapters.html

x2 I used their online ordering and it was right on.

[Great White]

Wow, not cheap but they look like they make a quality piece.

I'll be sure to check them out once I get final measurements.

Thanks for the link.

[Craig510]

That pricing looks very reasonable. 6" diameter 6061-T6 is about $12 an inch. On a manual lathe and mill, they take a little over 2 hours each for hub centric. The CNC could probably run them in 15 minutes each. This was a set I made to run late model mustang wheels on a 68 mustang hub with a rotor centering ring for a 350Z rear rotor. Lots of fun.

[67rally]

Let me start off by saying, as a rule: I don't like either. I have little to no experience with either, only knowing the difference between the two.

That being said, I'm kind of backed into a financial corner at the moment and find myself having to use one or the other to get a set of rims on the car that will fit over the brakes.

The car is a 1962 TBird using stock hubs (5x4.5) but disc brakes. In order to use the ims I have available I need to use a 1.5" spacer.

Question is: which would be safer/better to use? The adapter or spacer?



Whichever I go for, I'll have them machined to be hub centric to help carry the load and for vibration purposes.

Just for future searches, not everyone understands the difference between a spacer and an adapter.

A spacer slips over your existing wheel studs to push the wheels further out, and then the wheels bolt onto the same studs that pass through the spacers. With a 1.5" spacer, you would need to install longer wheel studs, otherwise they would not pass through the wheel far enough to get a lug nut on.

An adapter bolts onto your existing axle/hub studs, and then has it's own set of wheel studs that the wheel will bolt to. The studs on the wheel adapter can be the same bolt pattern as your current setup (i.e. 5x4.5" to 5x4.5") or they can change the bolt pattern to work with other patterns (5x4.5" to 5x4.75"). A high quality set of adapters becomes an extension of your current axle/hub. It may be necessary to cut the original studs shorter so they do not protrude through the adapter and hit the back of the wheel itself.