GatorDog72 Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 My rear end has big 5/8" wheel studs and is causing some issues. The studs are too big for the brake rotor to fit on. I'm just going to drill the holes out to fit. My rally wheels won't fit either. I'm unsure about drilling these out too... It doesn't need to be opened up that much maybe 1/8". Has anyone done this? Is it safe? I don't want my wheels to fly off! I should probably just get the right wheels. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenewman Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I personaly would not drill out the wheel because they are stamped steel and made for the lug nuts to set in. The drum I have honed out with no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 if you drill out the wheel, you will need to bevel the holes for the lug nuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC-71 Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I would consider changing the wheel studs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorDog72 Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 if you drill out the wheel, you will need to bevel the holes for the lug nuts I just realized my old lugs had a beveled lug nut to center the wheels on the studs, the new studs just have a flat bushing and nut. Unless I drilled the holes out perfect, there's a chance the wheels won't be centered on the hub...no good. Looks like I'll be buying wheels that fit. I really wanted to keep the stock wheels for a sleeper look but I don't think there's any way to make them work. I'm looking at 15x8 Weld Draglites. They have a shank style lug nut and it looks like I could just bolt them straight on the studs with no shank. I have never tried this, I have no idea if it will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
502ci Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I'm looking at 15x8 Weld Draglites. They have a shank style lug nut and it looks like I could just bolt them straight on the studs with no shank. I have never tried this, I have no idea if it will work. They NEED the shank style lug...they are "lug-centric" and have a larger than normal center hole to fit different sized hubs. I have two sets of Auto drags for my car, one is "shank type" and the other is "acorn type", both have a larger than normal center hole for different hubs...they both rely on the lugs centering the wheels on the axle. Which ever type of lug they say you need is the one you HAVE to use... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorDog72 Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Thanks for the replies! I researched this issue a bit and discovered my 5/8" studs are actually 11/16" diameter where the wheel sits against the hub. You can see in the picture how it kind of flares out where the threads stop. The Weld wheels I looked at would normally use a shank lug nut with a diameter of .687" to center the wheel on a smaller stud. 11/16" is .6875, so my stud diameter is super close to what the lug nut shank diameter would be. They might just barely fit. I'm just looking for something cheap that works at this point...my head hurts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its Just Me Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 It looks like you went a bit overkill on the reared ...but I like it! Contact Strange Engineering and see if they offer an alternative. Maybe they have a wheel stud that will still fit your axle flange but is necked down to a more common (street) thread size? Maybe they will swap out the axles you have for a set equal but with a more common (7/16 or 1/2"), stud for street/strip use? I'm willing to bet they will work with you on a solution thats cheaper than new rims and safer than .... I run a 1/2"x 3" stud with standard shank open end lug nuts on my strange axle, centerline rims. With 275/60R-15 drag radials, this is plenty of strength for street/strip use...it just doesn't look as cool as the 11/16" do! Play safe. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorDog72 Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 I found my solution by pure luck. I got wandering around the Carlisle swap meet for a good while and found something cool. A brand new set of 275/60r15 MT ET Street Radials mounted on 15x8 Cragars with skinny MT 26x6 fronts. I can't believe the bolt pattern and offset were perfect! Tires still have the little nubs on them too. The guy said they were just mounted on the car and rolled around the garage. We almost had an issue getting these home... My father and I drove his Ford Mustang to the EM and the Carlisle Nationals, and managed to cram 4 days worth of luggage PLUS these wheels and tires into his little car for the trip back to Syracuse. Poor car was packed to the roof! When I got home, I test fit the wheel on my axle and it's perfect. These wheels use a .687 shank style lug and fit perfectly over the 11/16" studs on my axle. Problem solved. I got super lucky Thanks everyone for helping me solve this pain in the butt issue. Hope to be on the road soon! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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