Almost lost a wheel

[harrisonm]

Hey I’ve done the same. I know better now, but I certainly haven’t always.

My point is only that people blame the spacers, but, I would bet in a lot of those cases the spacers weren’t to blame as much as maintenance.

It’s definitely a consideration, with the spacer/adaptors you’ve got twice as many lug nuts to maintain torque on. More parts means more things to go wrong. But all things being equal, the spacers are safe if properly maintained even if it’s more work to do that.

I have seen some billet spacers/adapters over the years. I would assume they need to have torque checked also, but do you think they would be better than the ones that look like they are made out of cast pot metal?

 

[junkyardhero]

Not really, I think the hub would be too hard to tap by hand. I was just kinda assuming the splines in the 7/16 studs would be big enough (and MAYBE the same) to substitute a 1/2 stud with the same spline size.
Well you know what happens when you assume. I guess if it was that easy, it would have been done, many times, and there'd probably be a sticky. lol.

i tossed the studs, but the hub i have measures .540(ish) on the hole.

some 1/2" studs i have kicking around obviously fit thru the hole no probs, so yeah it's feasible.

poking around on dorman's site i came across some 1/2-20 studs for mid 70's ferd, lincon & merc that have a .545 knurl, but seem pretty short at 1-3/4" and the shoulder length might be excessive, preventing the drum from seating. but i'm guessing it could work in a pinch. maybe.

the other option would be for gluttons of punishment: drill out the hubs to accept a more common knurl size and go that route...

 

[33IMP]

I have seen some billet spacers/adapters over the years. I would assume they need to have torque checked also, but do you think they would be better than the ones that look like they are made out of cast pot metal?

I made my own spacers when I was working. Steel on one car, billet 6061 at a half inch thick on another. Both drilled to fit nicely on the axle hub. 3 in screw-in studs in one car, 3in spline studs on the other.
I would not use the cast aluminum spacers with 15 or 20 lug holes in them.
I check torque on them before every race.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Yes sir, all good points. Nobody has to like them or run them, I myself prefer not to have them. They do add complexity, twice as many lug nuts to maintain torque on. But that's totally different than saying that all of them, regardless of quality, are unsafe or even dangerous.

I believe we're 100% on the same page here.

 

[valiantpatrol]

@junkyardhero - I'm certainly guilty of the "temporary use" thought process regarding adapter use. It's now been five years an approx 80K miles of use on this vehicle.