[vettegirl]

Changing 6-lug to 5-lug?

I saw on another thread that rick418cars had American Racing 5-lug Hopsters on his SSR. This is an awesome wheel, and one we were talking about doing on our 71 Vette to keep the vintage look. We would like something similar for the SSR, and all the "old school" style wheels only seem to come in 5-lug (Billet Specialties, Boyd Coddington, etc.).

How hard is it to convert to 5-lug? Also, has anyone found any nice "old school" type wheels that come in sizes that fit the SSR?

Thanks!!

 

[ron dickson]

ron dickson

i have been doing some research, budnick makes a number of styles all of which can be had with our wheel specs. the muroc ll weigh in the neighborhood of 28lbs, the diamondback weighs about 23/24lbs. my question to anyone is there a way of finding out how much our stck 19 and 20" wheels weigh?? these wheels are all in 6 bolt pattern

 

[vettegirl]

i have been doing some research, budnick makes a number of styles all of which can be had with our wheel specs. the muroc ll weigh in the neighborhood of 28lbs, the diamondback weighs about 23/24lbs. my question to anyone is there a way of finding out how much our stck 19 and 20" wheels weigh?? these wheels are all in 6 bolt pattern

Hey, Ron! Budnick's website seems to be down - is there another good website that shows these wheels? Since the car has only 500 miles on it I would like to be "cost effective" (cheap! :lol ) and use the tires I have, so I was looking for wheels that matched our wheel specs. Thanks!

 

[vettegirl]

Hey, Ron! Budnick's website seems to be down - is there another good website that shows these wheels? Since the car has only 500 miles on it I would like to be "cost effective" (cheap! :lol ) and use the tires I have, so I was looking for wheels that matched our wheel specs. Thanks!

Never mind - site is back up!

 

[Flassh]

Good idea to try to stay with stock sizes. After getting the tire/wheel combination info on all the custom SSRs at SEMA, tires to fit the 20/22 combination were difficult to find, expensive, and because they were all Z rated tires, quite soft, and therefore limited mileage before they wore out. Availability of chromed wheels was marginal with the correct offsets.

The downside of staying with the 19/20 combination is the very limited availability of wheels in 19", and even more limitations trying to find the correct offsets. It seemed the only way to work it was with the companies specializing in custom built, billet aluminum wheels.

Budnik and Coddington were not at the show, Billet Specialties had no interest in what I wanted to do (build a 5 spoke wheel while maintaining the 6 bolt pattern), but Colorado Customs (coloradocustom.com) was willing to build it. They would do a computer rendition, then forward a photo for you to sign off on, to make sure you were OK with the final look. Their website has some detailed information on how to obtain the correct measurements.

There are a few wheels made with a 5 spoke design, and 6 lug fit. Best example, which unfortunately will not fit the SSR, is the Foose Lusso SUV wheel - talked to them at SEMA, but no interest in building a specialty set for the SSR - too limited a marketplace.

I have a friend locally who specializes in rebuilding custom wheels - he has no sympathy or patience with customers bringing in bent wheels that had 30 or 35 profile tires on them. The ultra low profiles do not provide any cushioning on pot hole impacts, and transfer the impact to the wheels. In order to maintain anywhere near the original rolling diameter with a 20/22 combination, you would need to run on super expensive rubber bands. I'd love to have that look, but it only makes sense on a garage or trailer queen - I want to drive mine, so it'll be new wheels, with the OEM tires.

The nice thing about custom billet wheels is getting the look the SSR should have had from the factory. The rear wheels are 2" wider, and all of that will be on the front lip, which really enhances the "hot rod" look - narrow fronts, wide rears. Too bad the factory wheels were not built that way. Instead of showing a wide lip on the rears, they chose to curve the spokes instead. The rear hubs are 1 1/2" deeper, but the spokes end up looking the same.

Ray

 

[ron dickson]

Ron dickson

thanks for the interesting post,i'm still considering all aspects. one thing is i'm still trying to find out what the stock 19"/20" weigh??

 

[Buffy]

OK, pardon my ignorance (believe me it shows a LOT!), but does the SSR share the same bolt pattern with other GM (or non-GM) vehicles?

I agree, the low production numbers would prohibit the tooling costs needed to create a "new" wheel for us, but wouldn't they also fit on other cars/trucks?

Just my $0.02

 

[Flassh]

Hi, Buffy

Bolt pattern is the same as the Colorado/Trailblazer. Great choice of wheel designs (mostly chrome) in the full size 6 bolt, but limited so far for the smaller 6 bolt. What is available is in 18s, 20s and 22s - very few wheels available in 19s. Add to that the drastically different front and rear offsets, and the choice gets more difficult.

A 20" designed for a Trailblazer will probably work fine for the fronts, as long as you find an 8" wide rim, but if you want to maintain that raked rod look, going to 22s for the rear means finding a small 6 bolt with a much deeper offset - I couldn't come up with a lot at SEMA. The SSR in the Asanti booth was using similar, but not idential rim design for the rear - didn't really like that combination.

Another difficulty was the limited avilability of narrow 20" tires for the front - no problem finding wide 22s for the rear. A lot of the SSRs at SEMA had fairly strange combinations - mostly tires that looked too wide on the fronts.

Best bets are definitely the companies specializing in custom billet aluminum wheels - a lot more flexible about what they will build. The guys at Colorado were definitely the most helpful at the show.

Ray

:seeya

 

[vettegirl]

Hi Flash!

Wow, thanks for all the information! So are you having Colorado build your wheels for you? Are you doing the standard sizes or going to 20's & 22's? If you don't mind me asking, is it extremely expensive?

 

[Flassh]

Not doing them yet, and not by choice. Upper management (my wife) has reminded me occasionally that she's a saint :angel for letting me get the SSR in the first place, and that we're building a new house this fall.

I have my choice wheel as a screen saver, and I'm working on softening her up gradually. She thinks it looks fine as is, so I've threatened to leave the winter wheels on her Sonoma next spring if she doesn't let me have my way, because I think they look fine too (They actually look like crap) . :reddevil

Colorado was pricing out at about 900/wheel for 19s and 20s, and about 1200 each for 22s. They had options on a soft lip/standard lip and 75 each extra for a full polish of the spoke sides and backsides.

I will probably stay with 19s and 20s, because of the availability of tires, and the greater risk of wheel damage running 30 or 35 profiles on the larger wheels.

Ray

 

[rick418cars]

My SEMA SSR ''AMERICANO'' has the bolt pattern changed to 5 on 5'' and runs
18x8 on frt and 20x10 on rear this is nice combination for a dropped SSR,
a traditional ''bigs n' littles'' Hot Rod look , tires have plenty of sidewall so ride is not compromised, there is a picture of my SSR on the power tour thread in general dissusion.

 

[vettegirl]

My SEMA SSR ''AMERICANO'' has the bolt pattern changed to 5 on 5'' and runs
18x8 on frt and 20x10 on rear this is nice combination for a dropped SSR,
a traditional ''bigs n' littles'' Hot Rod look , tires have plenty of sidewall so ride is not compromised, there is a picture of my SSR on the power tour thread in general dissusion.

Did you just change your rotors, or was it a lot more complicated than that? We went wheel shopping yesterday, and really not a lot to choose from if you stick with the standard bolt pattern and offsets-the wheels on the American Racing SSR will be available soon, and they are a 6-lug 5-star, but still a,little modern for what we wanted to do-

 

[wildcat66]

If we could find a manufacturer and show them that there enough interest maybe they could jump the competitors and get us some wheels.

 

[Flassh]

I haven't taken the wheels off mine to check further, but typically changing to a 5 bolt means removing the front hub assembly, and rear axles, and taking them into someone VERY SKILLED at his job - old studs are removed, holes welded and ground clean, and a new 5 bolt pattern drilled into the hubs - perfection is not optional here.

Major downside is the inability without a lot of work later or replacing the hub components with new parts, to return the truck to stock, which probably isn't much of an issue as far a value for the next 40 years or so.

Ray

 

[Flassh]

Hey, Wildcat

Don't know if we'd have much success designing a wheel by committee. Some like chrome, others don't - I'm definitely a polished aluminum guy. Some like lots of bling, others want simple. I'd like to see a nice clean open 5 spoke design, showing off the difference in offsets and wheel width. After seeing all the SSRs at SEMA. not one jumped out at me and said - this is my wheel. :mad

Here's my choice for wheel design - note it is a 5 bolt hub, but Colorado said they can cut it as a 6 bolt pattern - won't look symmetrical, but it works quite well on the Foose Lusso wheel - the one on the right.

I liked the look of the Lusso, but it's not available in the correct bolt pattern, and definitely not the offsets we need. Also only available in chrome. Talked to the people at MHT (they own Foose Wheels) at SEMA, but no interest at all. There's so many Tahoes, Escalades, Avalanches and pickups out there, that our needs are a drop in the bucket.

Major downside of chrome is that if you nick it, it's pretty much a complete re-do. We've had a couple of nicks on the Aluminum wheels on the Sonoma, but with a little work with various grits of sandpaper and some polishing the wheel is back to normal.

 

[vettegirl]

I haven't taken the wheels off mine to check further, but typically changing to a 5 bolt means removing the front hub assembly, and rear axles, and taking them into someone VERY SKILLED at his job - old studs are removed, holes welded and ground clean, and a new 5 bolt pattern drilled into the hubs - perfection is not optional here.

Major downside is the inability without a lot of work later or replacing the hub components with new parts, to return the truck to stock, which probably isn't much of an issue as far a value for the next 40 years or so.

Ray

That sounds VERY complicated! I guess we'll have to part painfully with the money for custom wheels (which won't happen for a while!), or wait for someone to start making something for our trucks. It's a little disappointing not being able to find much in the way of aftermarket products - it's always so much fun to personalize your vehicle!

 

[vettegirl]

Hey, Wildcat

Here's my choice for wheel design - note it is a 5 bolt hub, but Colorado said they can cut it as a 6 bolt pattern - won't look symmetrical, but it works quite well on the Foose Lusso wheel - the one on the right.

That's very similar to the wheel on the American Racing SSR that I was talking about. They are making them in our offsets, and they were reasonably priced - just not available quite yet. The only thing I'm a little iffy on is all the rivets...

http://www.americanracing.com/wheel...11&desc=1-piece chrome plated alloy&section=S

 

[Flassh]

Saw that one at SEMA - it was close in design, but not quite where I wanted to be - don't want chrome, don't want rivets, and American at that stage was not interested in offering it in a polished version, or without the rivets.

You're right about the rivets - in most cases, they are not functional, just for appearance. Make the wheel an absolute pain in the butt to clean.

As far as chrome - I don't get it. Virtually all the wheels start as polished aluminum, with the chroming as a final process. A lot of wheels are offered in a painted, polished, or chrome version, but virtually all the wheels on SSRs at the show were chromed and not available polished.

As an old hot rodder at heart, that's just wrong. Anyone can keep a chrome clean - it takes loving to keep polished wheels looking good. They have a look that chrome just doesn't capture.

Ray

 

[vettegirl]

I agree with you - there's nothing prettier than a polished aluminum wheel (especially one that has just been attacked with a tube of Wenol! :lol ).

 

[wildcat66]

I love my wheels. I love the way they look with the SSR. So it isn't a real big deal right now if they aren't available. But the Tahoe has those crappy looking factory wheels and so does every Tahoe in the parking lots.