Redrilling steel wheels for a challenge car

So, i have a line on a full set of Bassett 15x12 nascar wheels for CHEAP. problem is that the bolt pattern is 5x5. Our challenge car is 5x4.5

Looks to be enough material for a redrill. Id rather not run adapters due to cost and backspacing issues. Im already having to flare, and the flare is going to border on too big already.

Anyway, can we redrill? Ehat issues? Any good how to information out there? I dont have a huge mill or lathe, and the only way this will work isif I do it in the shop with my drill press/welder/etc.

Also, i don't want to redrill the car side of things. Too much headache when parts need replacement.

Redrill hubs to use wheels?

In reply to patgizz:

Id rather not. The amc rotors are tough to find and since this will be a dedicated race car id like to stick with off the shelf consumables.

After the challenge, when budget isnt as much as a concern, proper wheels will be sourced. I wouldn't trust redrills to hillclimb.

If they were like mine they had more material where the holes were drilled. Maybe you could oval out the holes that are there and find washers that would work but I don't think you'll be able to make new holes in between the existing ones. If you do use them or any other circle track wheel keep in mind most of them use a large lug nut with a 45 deg taper instead of the more common 60 deg angle so you will need new nuts as 60 deg nuts won't tighten properly.

Wall-e wrote: If they were like mine they had more material where the holes were drilled. Maybe you could oval out the holes that are there and find washers that would work but I don't think you'll be able to make new holes in between the existing ones. If you do use them or any other circle track wheel keep in mind most of them use a large lug nut with a 45 deg taper instead of the more common 60 deg angle so you will need new nuts as 60 deg nuts won't tighten properly.

Yes this, i used circle track wheels on my truck when I was 19, then wondered why i lost a wheel and sheared studs. Didn't realize that for years.

I bought a redrilling jig from a guy, with bits, for $120. Could get that, redrill your axles/rotors, and just drill new rotors when you need them again. Challenge budget hit would be $0 because you bought a tool, not paid a shop to do them.

I'll scrounge for some 4.5 pattern wide 15's.

Are wide 5's prevalent around there or is everything 5x5 anymore? Because wide 5 adapters are pretty cheap

As close as it looks like you are to Nascar country id guess everything is going to be 5x5. All the buts to go with them like lug nuts, studs ect should be easy to source because they are usually retired long before they're used up. After the Challenge I'd look into upgrading the hubs, brakes and such to nascar throwaways.

Yup. Here everything is 5x5. Pat, thanks for your offer. Think i will keep looking, or see if i can find the tool you are talking about to redrill the car.

I'm looking to one day pick up something like this to get the suspension bits for my Monte Carlo

https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5931349684.html

Drill guide

I used one of these when I went from Ford to Chevy pattern on an Exploder 8.8" rear end. Be wary of the size for new studs though. Finding them after the holes were made was an expensive exercise.

Can you cut the center out of a similar 4x4.5 wheel and weld it to the barrel of the 5x5 wheel.

Like this...

NASCAR steelies are raised and chamfered to center on conical nuts. They are not hub-centric.

I'm usually more of a voice of reason and responsibility when people are yelling "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"...

But in this case it's actually, genuinely dangerous.

I think Jumper K Balls swapped centers in a set of steel wheels and made it look easy. Or maybe it was burrito enthusiast?

Proper passenger car steel wheels are dimpled around the bolt hole and you cannot re-create that dimple around a new hole for less than the cost of correct wheels. The dimple acts like a lock washer.

The more feedback im getting, the worse this idea becomes.

So, consider it officially a BAD IDEA that i wont go through with. I kinda like living, and WILL NOT bring a potential safety problem to the challenge.

Nothing more embarrassing than leaving your wheels out on the race track. Really embarrassing if someone else hits your stray wheel and gets taken out.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

Redrill your hubs, using the doohicky from the link I posted. Tools don't count towards budget.

Rotten leonard is who i got mine from. He custom made it for me as it wasn't on his list

wide 5 isn't 5x5 a wide five rim has no center, 5x5 is the common center you want to aspire to.that will be the affordable way to go, ReDrill axel and hubs NOT Wheels.