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would you redrill axels to save 500.00

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 31Vicky with a hemi, Oct 16, 2012.

  1. OK, so I found a nice set of wheels and tires that are nearly new( Few 100 miles,) pretty close to what I want @ 500.00 less than cost of new. Significant savings on a high dollar set.

    Problem is they are the wrong bolt pattern. I'd have to red rill my axles, drums, hubs and rotors. That's 40 precision holes and 20 new studs plus the jig to do it.

    Or I could duplicate the set new with the correct pattern for 500.00 more.

    Seems like a wash and if something goes wrong it will be a looser.

    What would you guys do ?
    500.00 is a lot of dough

    Edit - adapters I have found cause clearance issues because they are too thick.
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2012
  2. billcove
    Joined: Oct 11, 2010
    Posts: 48

    billcove
    Member
    from mass

  3. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,913

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Get a set of quality adapters (if availablie).
     
  4. Forgot to mention that -
    Wheels would fit perfectly, the adapters I find throw width out to far and cause clearance issues.
     

  5. If you have a mill with a rotary table - do them yourself. Otherwise get the wheels that fit.
     
  6. Kind of a sticky spot .
    I don't think I'd feel right talking him down to cover the cost of my drilling adventure.
     
  7. Brad54
    Joined: Apr 15, 2004
    Posts: 6,021

    Brad54
    Member
    from Atl Ga

    I know this isn't exactly the same thing, but I re-drilled a set of Mopar drums to fit my Chevy pattern Moser axles and wheels.
    It wasn't hard at all.
    And remember, there's "precision" and there's "PRECISION."
    The holes in the drums and rotors need to be very close, but not exact--the have a little clearance around the bolt holes in their stock configuration.

    For the spindles and axles, those holes need to be a lot more precision, both in terms of location on the circle, and diameter of the holes themselves, as the wheel studs are a press fit.

    With a quality transfer center punch and careful marking, you should be able to do it easily with a drill press or hand-held drill.

    And I am definitely not a guy who thinks everyone can do anything, especially with simple hand tools.
    But I think this is something you can definitely do in your own garage.

    -Brad
     
  8. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    Do your rear axle flanges have that 6th hole that is used to get at the retainer bolts on drop out chucks? If so, skip the redrill. Those would need to have plugs welded in, then drilled...sucky


    I've redrilled once and never again, as I don't have a proper way to index the holes. I can't see how you can get 20 holes correct with some jig or pattern, it never works out IMO


    Meaning, not exactly what you want...so I would pass....wait for the right deal
     
  9. Well i haven t seen it.suggested. yet but i redrilled.the mag wheels for the rear of.the topolino...it would depend on what ya are runnin for sure...not all can/have room to.re drill
    ..but if ha look there are tons of pics showing multiple bolt patterns on some extremely badass race cars in the rear....

    Redrill the axels by hand???someone tried this on my Howards.axels.in.the.olds housing...they got the pattern correct...but we spum.em.and found that it was not centered exactly....wouldn t want to think what it would have been like rolling down the hi way at 70 mph +

    Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2012
  10. johnboy13
    Joined: May 1, 2007
    Posts: 1,072

    johnboy13
    Member

  11. I would spend 500 before I redrilled and all the crap to make it work., labor is valuable and should be considered too, and if you do, you will see there is no way in hell its cheaper to redrill than it is to buy the correct stuff.
     
  12. Yes I have - 100.00 or so for the jig and 100.00 for the studs.
    So I'll actually realize a 300.00 savings on tire wheel set.
    Have 300 to cover cost of drilling.
    Its pretty close to a wash I think. Something goes wrong and its a looser.
     
  13. H.G. Wells
    Joined: Mar 11, 2006
    Posts: 386

    H.G. Wells
    Member

    What kind of axles? I had a set of Strange axles in a dragster that I sent to Moser and they were unable to redrill them because of the way the flanges were hardened. You might give Moser a call and find out what they would charge to redrill yours. I wish I could remember how much they quoted. It was not much.
     
  14. Hotrodbuilderny
    Joined: Mar 20, 2009
    Posts: 1,646

    Hotrodbuilderny
    Member

    I drill axles all the time, I have fixtures with hardened drill guides in them. That being said I would check Moser as well, they are cheap as said above. Some axles are very hard on the flange so give them a call. I have never had a stock one I couldn't redrill (YET) been doing them for about 30 years.
     
  15. Boils down to ability and tooling. For some guys, it is no problem to drill and run them. For other guys, it may as well be like trying to whittle new axles with a bar stock and a toothbrush and might as well buy the more expensive wheels.

    I'm guessing a redrill is harder with what you have (or you wouldnt have even asked), so I would opt for buying the more expensive wheels.
     
  16. 35 Dodge Hot Rod
    Joined: Nov 29, 2007
    Posts: 191

    35 Dodge Hot Rod
    Member
    from Mecca

    I guess it depends on what you think you're worth. If you know you're capable, it can't take more than a day worth of labor. Do you make $300 a day? Is your time worth it?
     
  17. I'de first visit a machine shop and ask..... Last set of axle's i had done were $125,and I sloted the drums myself. This was on a high 9sec car,and never had a prob.
    Just installed new studs,and all was good.....
    if your backspacing,and wheel fitment is good-why buy the tooling....,unless you see yourself doing it again in the future.
    Many way's to "skin a cat" although I've never "skinned" a real cat.......:cool:
     
  18. I'd get a drill jig ( most likely rotten lenord's ) to do it . Then I'd have it for ever too.
    I've drilled a few to make weird stuff work when their was no other option. (This is different)
    Mostly to get a transplanted rear end running the right wheels among other things.

    I asked what you guys would do ? See the title of the thread.
    Not if "I" could do it, of course I can do it. I know its not easy and I'd probably charge someone close to the 500.00 to do it.
    If I did it , it would help a guy out who's trying to sell them but at the cost of an ass ache to me. I really have enough ass aches but I'll get some compensation ( again different).

    Or just cough up another 500.00 (uuhh also an ass ache)
     
  19. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 31,174

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

    so, what kind of ride are you talking about? all stock underneath? what kind of wheels?
    post some pics of ride and front brake drums (disc?) and rearend with, and without wheels mounted. .whatever you are working make sure that if you redrill the hubs on your ride will accept the new bolt pattern and center of new wheels will fit over your center of hub.. also, if you redrill good idea to replace wheel bearings and seals.
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2012
  20. Murocmaru
    Joined: Apr 5, 2006
    Posts: 386

    Murocmaru
    Member
    from Van Nuys

    Could you try to find someone with the right wheels that will trade? Or maybe sell these and buy the ones you need
     
  21. HuffDaddy
    Joined: Apr 27, 2008
    Posts: 443

    HuffDaddy
    Member

    I'd get the right wheels.
     
  22. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Truthfully you can't change the bolt pattern for what you saved on the wheels unless you can do it yourself or have a friend who can do it for a reasonable cost.

    Here is Dutchman's price schedule http://www.dutchmanaxles.com/index.php/services
    It looks like 110 for a pair of axle flanges if they don't have to be plugged and the front rotors or hubs start at 225 a pair and go up.

    Mosers runs about the same overall. 65 each for the axles and 90 each for the front hubs if there aren't extra charges for plugging axles or extra work on the hubs.

    Add in shipping on either at about 100 bucks each way and you are pretty close to or over that magic 500 buckos that you saved and are still out the time to have it done.

    http://www.moserengineering.com/skin/frontend/default/moser/images/Moser-Catalog.pdf scroll down to the page.

    If it were me I'd sell the wheels and spend the extra 500 and buy the correct ones and be done with it and call it part of my education.
     
  23. '59DaddyO
    Joined: Oct 9, 2012
    Posts: 29

    '59DaddyO
    Member

    Buy the tires and wheels, get a new set of wheels only, and resell the first set of wheels to recoup costs lol ;-)
    Dude just buy the correct wheels and tires.
     
  24. racer67x
    Joined: Oct 30, 2007
    Posts: 261

    racer67x
    Member

    we need an official "I need a *** because I'm stuck with ***that don't fit " thread,

    I have a set of 10" 3"offset slots that now I have a 9inch and need a 5x5 wheel pattern for a 4 1/2 axle..see why I clicked this?
    we all do it..lol
     
  25. Engine man
    Joined: Jan 30, 2011
    Posts: 3,480

    Engine man
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    I wouldn't do it just because I'm too lazy to take everything apart. I could take it to the local tech school where they have a mill with an indexer that would make it easy to do but I would get wheels that fit what I have.
     
  26. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    I would personally do it myself, because I like to do every dang thing myself, if at all possible. If I had to pay to have it done, I would probably get the correct wheels.
     
  27. Another take..

    Which pattern is a more common one? I like to have an extra set of wheels for my heaps, that way I have a better chance when I need a change to come across a deal on a set at a swap meet.
     
  28. I did the axles and hubs on my '40 ford. Being a chevy guy I had 4 sets of wheels that were all chevy so what the hell. I used a friends bridgeport, drilled and tapped all four in about 2 hours. I used screw in studs so they could be changed back to 5.5 if necessary. I have a 5x5.5-5x4.75 adapter so I knocked the studs out and there was my drilling fixture. It's not that difficult to do and you get to do it yourself.
     
  29. In that case, since I have all the tooling, yes, I would redrill everything and spend the $500 on a dancing girl with daddy issues.
     
  30. the metalsurgeon
    Joined: Apr 19, 2009
    Posts: 1,237

    the metalsurgeon
    Member
    from Denver

    Seems a pointless thread to me
     

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