71DodgeDemon340
Well-Known Member
Did you figure it out? Before i went the billet aluminum route i ran the same exact ones. One drum i had to grind the weight down just a hair so they would seat flush up against the drum.
Torque Thrust lug nut issue
- Thread starter mflynn
- Start date
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mflynn
Well-Known Member
Maybe. Over the weekend did a few low speed drives around the neighborhood, checking, rechecking etc. All of the lug nuts seem to have seated and tightened except for 2 on the right rear wheel, one of which has seized and loosened the stud. So obviously a problem that I will fix ASAP. But I also checked AR's website and downloaded their install instructions (
That said, I also spent some time looking on the web for "wheel centric" adapters and I'm leaning towards purchasing a custom made billet aluminum pair from Motorsport-Tech.com ($60/each).
The right rear wheel still seems to be "shaking". I don't know if that's from the "seized" and now loose lug nut or something else. I am going to check on your (71DodgeDemon340) earlier suggestion about drum balance/weights when I get the car back in the shop tomorrow, and also try Shaggyjk's suggestion about spinning and checking for vibration. Also, I am NOT using anti seize.
Does any of this change the earlier commentary about "UNILUG?" I am guessing these rims are NOT unilug?
Finally, as for AJ/FormS's suggestion about the T-bar adjustment: I am assuming you are referring to the torsion bars? I have taken a look at that, and it appears that the entire right side (not just the rear) is a little low, so based on what you said I am thinking get on the adjusting bolt and raise the right side a few turns might get all 4 corners level? Can I do that with the car on the ground or is there a preferred method? And what did you mean about getting the chassis twisted? - that's got me a little scared.
Happy Birthdasy America - hope you all have a great 4th! And I hope this thread helps out other amateurs like myself who are pretty ignorant about these issues until putting the rubber on the road. I never thought there was so much to this. Live and learn - thanks for all the help!
71DodgeDemon340
Well-Known Member
Nope unilugs use the mag style lug nut. The conical nuts are correct. Im not understanding what you mean by centering the studs before you tighten them. They should self center themselves in the seat in the wheels. How much thread do you have out from the wheel? Rule of thumb for proper thread engagement is 1.5 times the fastener diameter. So on a 1/2 you should have at least 3/4" of thread engaged with the lug nut. Also your using conical nuts on the adapters correct? Are you torquing them with a torque wrench? If so at how much? Did you buy the wheels new or used? If used make sure the seats in the wheel are fully entact. Ive seen a lot of wheels be filed out to fit metric bolt patterns. There should be about 1/4" of seating surface
71DodgeDemon340
Well-Known Member
Also if your thinking of eventually going billet aluminum adapters then check these guys out.
Custom wheel adapters, check these guys out
Custom wheel adapters, check these guys out
Accident waiting to happen. Those cast aluminum spacers are junk. They are prone to cracking or worse falling completely apart. If you are looking for TT style wheel in SBP try Coys wheels.
71DodgeDemon340
Well-Known Member
Why buy 4 new wheels? Id spend the $200 bucks on billet aluminum adapters before i bought $800-1000 worth of wheels
mflynn
Well-Known Member
So I ordered the billet aluminum hub and wheel centric adapters today from Wheeladapter.com. I'll let you know how they work out. A little sidebar: from all appearances it appeared like I was dealing with Fred Goeske himself, and the email, website, etc. makes it seem that way. The guy that answered the phone even answered to Fred. But Googling him brings up an article that says he died a couple of years ago. I wonder if there's a Fred, Jr. Running the company now?
Also, dart4forte was right - the cast adapters are junk. Car is in the shop right now, and it turns out that 3 studs on the right rear are turning loose and the whole thing might be falling apart. There ought to be a federal investigation into the manufacturer of this crap - it's pretty f***ing dangerous to be driving around on these things, and I installed them exactly as per instructions.
71DodgeDemon340
Well-Known Member
Anything that can go wrong will. Those adapters you get will be high quality. Those guys are good about getting all the needed measurements from you. They are pretty prompt on shipping as well. Please post some pics and impressions when you get em
mflynn
Well-Known Member
Will do
mflynn
Well-Known Member
OK, so I finally got this done. The folks at Wheeladapter.com were great. They required me to get the measurements, which actually proved to be a little of a PITA, and was also nervewracking because I wanted to get them right and wasn't sure if I was doing it correctly. Added to that was some confusion with American Racing's posted specs. They list the center bore as 83.06 mm, but the center bore actually has 3 separate widths, and the 83.06 is not the diameter of the widest part of the bore. See diagram and photo. American Racing was completely non responsive - you can't find a phone number on their website and they did not respond to an email I sent to their "help desk."
We then had an issue with the first adapters wheeladapter.com sent me. We had gone over the measurements a couple of times, and I had sent them the diagram, but the lip on wheel adapters they sent me was 76.3 mm in diameter but was only about 3/8 " - in other words it did not "reach" the section of the bore that was 76.3 mm.
Fortunately - and HUGE CREDIT TO WHEELADAPTERS.COM - they did another pair for me at no charge and got them done in less than a day after we got things squared away. Great to see a company stand by their work, no questions asked. (I did want them overnighted but they ended up sending them by ground - not a big deal as I just wanted to get the things done but was not up against a deadline or trying to get it done before a show or something like that). They ended up making a pair that had a 76.3 mm lip that was 1 1/8" "tall" so that it extends up into the 76.3 mm section of the center bore. Got them yesterday. Everything fits perfect now. I've put 50 miles on them and everything is staying together nice and tight, and no shaking.
if there shank style lug nuts then there should be a washer to contact the flat surface down in the hole were the lug mates with the rim mounting hub . and if the holes are to large for the shank of the lugs you will have to fit the holes or lugs , and if the lugs are bottoming out on the stud before they clamp everything tight they will get lose as you drive . so make sure there is about 1/8 '' left of the rim that the shank does not fill the hole and are not a loose fit in the holes in the mounting hub . and if there is a tapper then no washer , but a tapper type lug nut has to be used . and again if there bottoming out on the studs no matter what lugs , you might have to get different ones that have a shorter clinching section . hope i helped . i like americans , think the older ones are the best look from the past , i've had a few and these issues are what i found . looks great by the way !
hey what is making those marks in the mounting surface between the lug holes ? some thing is not right about the mounting surface whats making those . if thats the lug studs from the adapters need to be cut down .
72Duster440
Well-Known Member
x2, That's probably what was contributing to them loosening up. They were tightened against something incorrectly, the back of the wheel wore a little causing it to loosen up on you. Fix whatever the wheel is rubbing on, that's an obvious one.
thats whats it looks like , 72duster440 , made some bolt pattern modifiers back in the early days . from 1/2 '' thich steel plate and counter sunk (vee'd holes) for flat head hex socket (allen head) type fastners for 4 1/2 '' and 4 3/4 '' bc , tapped the rear end axles to 1/2 -20 , had to do throw boltsw/nuts and sleeves on the disc's and hubs on the front . rim off sets were positive to widen the track , these only added one inch to the mounting hubs for both sides total and nothing sticking into the mounting plain . i'll see if i can shot a pic of them . lol , when i locate them in the parts stash .
mflynn
Well-Known Member
Guys - I noticed those gouges too. I have not done the "forensics" to determine exactly what's caused them but it was something form the first (cheap) set of adapters that caused my whole dilemma in the first place. The mating surface of those adapters is not smooth so it could have been just the shape of the adapter's face, especially once the nuts loosened and there was nothing to keep the wheel centered. The new adapters are by comparison beautiful! Smooth billet mating surface and everything's staying together now. Moral of the story is either avoid changing your bolt pattern or - if you must - spend the $$$ for real adapters (wheeladapters.com is great!). That all said, I'll be putting Wilwood discs on the back within the next year or so, and the adapters won't be needed thereafter. And shame on TRANSDAPT for selling such a shitty, dangerous product (the first adapters I had).
mflynn
Well-Known Member
Looking at it a little closer just now - it looks like the gouges match up to the where the first adapters attached to the studs on the original hub.
72Duster440
Well-Known Member
So the original studs were too long and they hit the wheel. Trimming the studs down so they were slightly underflush to the adapter probably would have fixed your problem.
hey guys , here is some pics of some i designed and built in the 80's , still have the 4.5 bc on my 69 gts . but here is the gm patterned one . that way i could swap rims without worries . need to do some 5''bc . no studs or bolts in the mounting surface here . still plan to do a knock off one as well . wouldn't that be cool !
mflynn
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty sure the studs were not sticking out of the adapter - that's something I hope I would've noticed. If so, the mechanic who worked on this missed it too.
71DodgeDemon340
Well-Known Member
glad to hear everything is well. those guys over at wheel adapter are amazing. if only more companies had the same company service as they did. plus made in good ole usa
mflynn
Well-Known Member
Like I said, they stood behind their product. I wished that they had gotten the measurements right the first time, but I was really impressed by how they turned right around and got me the second pair no questions asked, and it was then perfect. We need more companies like this!
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