wheel spacer/adapters... will it work?

[Eric S]

i'm looking at putting on new wheels and tires on my trac. the problem is the wheels i'm looking at isn't made with 5x4.5 lug pattern. i'm looking at the 20x9.5 Pro Comp 6089's. my question is this... will billet spacers that change the lug pattern to 5x5.5 work? i was thinking maybe 1.5 up front and 2 inch spacers in the rear. here's the specs on the wheels:



size: 20x9.5

bolt pattern:5x5.5

offset: -6mm

backspacing: 5"



not sure what tires yet. i currently have a tt/sl, i'm also thinking about doin a 3" body lift.

 

[Fudged Undies]

It can/will work, HOWEVER, there may MAY be minor/serious suspension issues/damage due to the change. I remember years ago a buddy did the same thing with his vw bug and thought there is probably no real comparison between the trac and bug, this is something you would have to watch out for. On another note, it may be "better" to look for rotors with the bolt pattern you want. Don't know how easy this would be or even if it would be different than using the spacers but something to think about.



Personally, I wouldn't chance it on a daily driver.

 

[Mike Dziubina]

i am running 1.5" spacers in the front with 2" in the rear. what you are looking for is a wheel adaptor. you need a spacer with a 5 on 4.5 bolt pattern to a 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern. good luck

 

[Eric S]

spiff... to i change my rotors to a the 5x5.5 bolt patternn i would have to use f-150 rotors, correct? sounds like i'll have to change out my whole brake system. is that even possible?

 

[Travis Munday]

I wouldn't do it. Small spacers (under 1/2" thick) to solve backspacing problems when using the same wheels front and rear for rotation purposes is one thing, but using them to get the right offset is something else.



You may never have a problem, but i've seen guys run the exact spacers you need, fail. He didn't buy the cheap ones, he spend good money on them and the lugs sheared on him while driving down the highway. He was lucky to not get in a serious accident and only had to replace his brakes and some suspension parts, oh, and fix a fender as well.



Do yourself a favor, know what'll fit on the truck, look at those wheels, then choose the style you like best. Buying for looks and making them work is a recipe for trouble.

 

[Fudged Undies]

Eric, your kind of on you're own on this one but the initial answerto your questions would be, Yes, Maybe and I don't know. I can't tell you what's involved with adapting the parts or even what you would need. Moreover, I can't even tell you if you would avoid any future problems going this route. I only made the suggestion due to past experience with the spacer/adapter. You may want to call the wheel company and/or the adapter company and ask for their opinions/experience with doing what you want to.

 

[Eric S]

spiff... to i change my rotors to a the 5x5.5 bolt patternn i would have to use f-150 rotors, correct? sounds like i'll have to change out my whole brake system. is that even possible?

 

[Eric S]

Thanks for the help guys... i guess i'm back to looking for a wheel that fits. do you guys know who makes 20x8.5 - 20x10 deepdish wheels with the 5x4.5 bolt pattern?

 

[Travis Munday]

I don't think it is, not directly or as cheaply as you're probably thinking/hoping. I'm pretty sure the hub size if the F150 is larger then the ST, as well as rear drums if you've got those.



If you want to convert your lug pattern to the larger style, you can have rotor and drums drilled in the proper pattern by a machine shop. Of course, any time you change those areas of the braking system, you'll have to get them redrilled.

 

[Jeff C]

Had my 1.25"s on the rear for over 3 years. I now have them on the front and have 2" spacers on the rear. I have no concerns whatsoever about the safety of myself and my passengers. I didn't change the bolt pattern with mine, but I did add a significant amount of width. 4" wider in the rear and 2.5" wider in the front. I can definitely feel a difference when taking turns.

 

[Fudged Undies]

What Tiger suggested is what occurred to me a little while ago. You may want to talk to a machine shop and see what they can do to re-drill. I wouldn't think it would be a big deal but I don't work in a shop. Personally, I don't care for spacers but I see the advantages to using them. I actually went with two different sized wheels on my truck, pain to rotate but I'm not concerned with the way I drive and spacers failing, and they do fail.