The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk wheel adapters

Does anyone know what the bolt pattern on the original wheels of a '53 chevy truck are. Also, where could I find adapter plates for the hubs to take it down to a 5 lug.

What size truck are we talking about here?

IIRC, the 3100's took 6 lug wheels, the 3600's took 8 lug wheels. I'm not sure about the bigger ones, but I think that the 3800's took 8 luggers too.

I have never heard of adapter plates for the hubs to take them down to a 5 lug pattern. (It doesn't mean that they don't exist, it just means that I'm running my stock wheels)

I'm thinking that you'd have to gank the hubs and drums and replace them with the five lug equivalents.

And if you're going to do that, you may as well redo the rest of the brake system as well, because chances are the shoes won't fit the new drums.

You could just get new rims that fit your lug and hub pattern. They make them in pretty patterns and colors.

Brendan is right 3800s (1 tons) took 8 lug wheels. You can get some nice chrome steel wheels to go on the 6 and 8 lug wheels. Lookit my truck in the gallery.

www.WheelAdapter.com I haven't really looked all thru the site but it looks like what has been on my truck for 35 years. You will probably end up with a Dodge/ Ford bolt pattern 4 1/2" but with 7/16" lugnuts.

I personaly do not care for wheel adapters. I think it will mess with the steering and suspension configuration and give one more thing to break loose. It's a bandaid fix.

i have had wheel adapters on my 1/2 ton for 20 yrs and no problems. ron

I ended up pulling the axles on the rear and re-drilling them to the 5 bolt patern and installing new studs. you might want a machine shop to do this for you if you don't have the ability to do it perfect. end result you would hop down the road.

blkhrn - Don't know if this helps, but you can get a kit for $400 to convert the front axle to disc brakes and 5 lug from the six. I am doing that on my truck, the rear was replaced with a modern rear from hell knows what. So it rounds off the truck with good brakes and modern parts.

Seems like that is easier than drilling axles and better than adapters. I tried making adapters on my 62 Rolls, and it was lots of work and they suck. But that is my fault.

Here are some pics of what I did for adapters. I know its not for a truck, but still the same idea.

Wheel Adaptors, what not to do

Seems like every time I try to do something profesionally, it reverts back to my bad habits and shortcuts. If you are the same way, just buy the wheel adapters already done.

TooMany,

"then i wouldn't use them then.."

I won't.

"if that was true then offset rims
would do the same thing.."

They do.

"other then a CHEAP set of stamped
steel ones that i used.."

Like I said.

"personally if i ever have to get a
wheel adaptor this would be the
company i'd get it from...."

Glad you have a source.

Same experience. Many years no real problem. I will pass on one thing to watch for though. My plates are steel with screw in studs. If you remove the lugnuts, sometimes the studs will try and follow leaving fewer threas in the adapter plate. Just something to keep a close eye on. Before reinstalling the wheel, make sure the studs are screwed into the plate good before mounting the wheel. Personally, I think they probably improve brake cooling and face it. These trucks do not exactly have a race suspension to start with so I don't think the different geometry is a real concern.

I have a pair of six to five on a 4 1/2 bolt circle(ford, chrysler) that came off my old V8 Luv truck. Just two though cause it had a nine inch ford rear--thus the matching front bolt pattern. I can't remember where I got them but do know that the six hole nissan, mazda, isusu, and toyota(4WD) wheels interchange with the 70 and older chev pu. This might open up the search area for finding a set. The ones I have are of 1" steel with wells for the original lug nuts to bolt them to the hub and 1/2" studs for the wheel to bolt onto. They gave no trouble on a truck that would turn 125+ in the quarter.

I think you can use the hubs off a 50s car that is what the p o did to my 53 panle i put in open drive shaff in back both 5 lug