Drilling wheel bolt holes: why the heck not?

[Safety Guy]

Is there any reason, given a good machine shop and operator, that one could drill out a second four-bolt pattern on a wheel that doesn't have the pattern you want?

I'm mainly talking about alloy wheels here, since many steel wheels I've seen are pressed out in a way which might prohibit this. Perhaps alloy wheels where the backside of the area that abuts the hub is nice and flat (or otherwise compatable).

Konig Theory wheels and some others are made from the factory with two different sized bolt patterns. What would prohibit someone from doing this themselves if they had the tools and kept everything concentric, especially if the bore hole was the right size?

Karl

[25Horseplay]

I would think it would be easier to redrill the hubs for the same bolt pattern as the wheels. I have seen this done on street rods and race cars that use Ford 9in rearends and want the bolt pattern to match the front hubs (ie: chevy).

[Silv3rBull3t]

Most of the time you don't see people doing this is because the wheel is made in their bolt pattern already, why not just get the right pattern to start with? Second, most wheels especially cast wheels will not be as strong as before even if everything is done correctly... Third, the cost to have that done to a set of wheels by someone who could do it correctly would probably be close to if not more than a new set of wheels anyway. -Kyle

[Tim]

Well, suppose there's this wheel you just GOT to have on your Festiva, and the bolt pattern's wrong...?


Regards,

Tim

[Safety Guy]

There's been a set of 14 X 7" Minilites advertised in the Tradin' Times for a long time. They're unfortunately a five bolt pattern in like a 4.5" circle.

Not good for either my Festivas. The size is not good for my K-car.

If those Minilites were 13 X 5" in either Festiva or Aspire patterns, oh I'd be all over them. About $450 I think they are. Those things run almost $200 a piece new I think.

Karl

[Silv3rBull3t]

Minilites are sweet in fact my dad has them on one of his Mini's but I would just keep my eyes peeled for some other catch that is in one of our bolt patterns... I really would never "re-drill" a wheel... -Kyle

[Safety Guy]

Nah, I wouldn't redrill Minilites! I got this idea from a guy who posted in our photo section. It looked like he redrilled some of his aftermarker alloys. Only one wheel was without a centercap, but it showed a second set of four bolt holes--but they weren't centered like the Konig Theorys.

Karl

[aithanmier]

there is a set of the rotas minilite copys on ebay right now, aspire bolt pattern, but they are 8" wide. it would be soooo much simpler to redrill the hubs or use a good set of adapters...