M101A2 Wheel Adapter

[JR2980]

Hey guys -

About the only thing I know about tire/rim fitment is that I don't know much about it!!!

What I know:
* I think I know that my M101A2 comes stock with GM 16inch diameter 8x6.5 wheels
* I know that my Excursion and my F250 both come stock with 16inch 8x170mm wheels
* I know that I want to have the same tire on my tow vehicle and on my trailer
* I think I know that using adapters can move the wheel too far away from the axle and cause premature failure of the bearing

What I don't know:
* How far is too far to move the wheel away from the axle - adapters seem to move it about 2 inches - is that too much?
* How much risk am I taking if I do this? Is it an "absolutely dont, ever!" or is it "might or might not cause problems - use at your own risk"?
* Will these adapters work? They're listed for adapting an old ford 8x6.5 to new ford 8x170mm, but is the old ford 8x6.5 the same as the gm 8x6.5? LINK TO ADAPTER
* Will there be any backspace issues, or other clearance issues with the stock ford excursion and F250 truck tires? I know that they'll stick out of the fender wells, and I may extend the fenders to compensate, but I'm more worried about rubbing on the frame or box.


Educate me please!



Thanks!

 

[Recovry4x4]

Redrill the hubs and drums and call it a day.

 

[JR2980]

Redrill the hubs and drums and call it a day.

Interesting idea - do you have any info like a writeup or how-to on this?


Thanks!

 

[Recovry4x4]

It would be best done by a machine shop. Since both are 8 lug, there will be plenty of area to redrill so you wouldn't have to weld up the existing holes. I imagine one could come up with a jig and try it with a drill press but for a tire that has to go down the road, I'd spring to have it done right. Any friends in the machine shop business?

 

[KaiserM109]

Redrill the hubs and drums and call it a day.

You should be able to do as you're suggesting with the hub and I strongly agree with Recovery4x4 that you should let a machine shop do it. About the drum, you might get away with drilling one side of the existing hole; the new Ford pattern is only 0.19" larger in diameter or 0.096" in radius. BUT, it would have to be a machine shop do that since you will have to have a side cutting tool.

 

[JR2980]

Thanks for the info guys.

I was hoping that I could just bolt-on the adapters and go, but no one's even mentioning that so I'm guessing that its a no-go?

I don't know anyone with a machine shop.

Any chance that the hubs and drum are replaceable with a different bolt pattern without replacing the entire axle? (yea - that would be way too easy) I'm afraid to take this is in to get drilled at some shop that I dont know - if they screw something up and everything is not perfectly centered........it wouldn't be good.

Also, wouldn't drilling out the hubs/drums (especially so close to the existing holes) weaken them? If the adapters add stress to the bearings, and drilling the hubs/drums adds stress there, then is it worth it to go to all the extra work to drill. Would be way cheaper/easier to just use the adapters (assuming they will work) and just monitor the bearings......and I don't need a machine shop, so its something that I could do myself (bonus points for that).




Thanks!
JR

 

[harleyhouse]

1.5 to 2" adapters will be fine.
There is a member on Expo that has run adapters to match his Superduty in Alaska with no problems.

Many 2500HD owners run 2" spacers on the rear to equal their wheel track front to read.

check ebay seller coolingmist

8 LUG 8X6.5 TO 8X170 OLDER FORD (WHEEL SPACERS ADAPTERS) TO NEW FORD WHEELS (2")

-One Pair 8x6.5 hub (axle) to 8x170 wheel
-2.0" Thick
-(2 Heavy Duty Wheel Spacers)
-With 14 mm x 1.5 Studs & Lug Nuts
-Highest Quality
-2.0" Wheel Adapters

Change your early Ford 8x6.5 bolt pattern to new Ford F250 8x170 wheels with our 2.0" Wheel Adapter Kit

Early Ford
8 on 6.5 bolt pattern wheel with 14 mm x 1.5 studs

 

[harleyhouse]

This is the trailer that used the ford adapters: http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...dy-w-Aluminum-Top-NO-RESERVE?highlight=m101a2

 

[JR2980]

Thanks for the info - glad to hear that someone else went this route without any problems. It sure seems like that would be way easier than replacing or drilling out the hubs and drums.


Thanks everyone!

 

[Ray70]

Hi JR, I wouldn't worry about the 2" difference having much of a negative affect on your wheel bearing life. I think that note applies more to off road trucks where people use grossly altered wheels ( backspacing ) and/or adapters to greatly increase the track width of the truck. You aren't going that extreme, nor do you have all that much load on the bearings anyway. You'll be fine.
As for drilling the hubs and drums, I've done this before in instances where adapters were not available and where the extra track width won't work. Don't even try using a drill press, you'll have a hard or impossible time making accurately located holes. Best way I found was to use a Bridgeport and a rotary table.

 

[quickfarms]

One big question is are the rim widths and back spacing the same?

 

[JR2980]

One big question is are the rim widths and back spacing the same?

That's a good question that I don't have the answer for, but it sounds like I'll be ok since there seem to be others running this same setup.

I was thinking that the 8x170 tires may be slightly wider, but I think that the 2" offset from the adapter should make up for that if its the case. The tires would need to be more than 4" wider than the trailer tires (and they definitely aren't that much wider) before it would be a problem (at least that's what my mind is telling me - there's a chance that I'm wrong).

 

[JR2980]

So I've been talking to a manufacturer for these adapters and they want to know what the thread size is on the trailer lugs.

The ones on my truck are 14mmx1.5, and that's what they provide with the adapters - they can provide different ones and tell me for sure whether or not they will work for me if I can get them the thread size on the trailer, but I have no idea how to do that. They told me to take one of the lugs to a hardware store and they could tell me - that didn't work. I tried a large national chain HW store, and a local smaller store, and none of them had any idea - same with autozone/advance/napa.

Anyone here know what size threads are stock on the M101A2 lugs, or can tell me how to measure to find out?


Thanks!

 

[juanprado]

9/16-18 thread is on the m101a2. It is the same as any older non metric 3/4 chevy/ford/dodge.

Any of these older 8 stud rims are also interchangeable.

 

[harleyhouse]

x2

 

[mf5129]

a chevrolet.gmc wheel is a direct bolt on.a ford f=250/350 wheel also fits but the center is slightly larger.also dodge d250/350 is a direct bolt on any 80s to mid 90s wheels work fine.

 

[mf5129]

a chevrolet lug nut will work.i think its 3/4.check 70s 3/4 ton truck

 

[juanprado]

a chevrolet.gmc wheel is a direct bolt on.a ford f=250/350 wheel also fits but the center is slightly larger.also dodge d250/350 is a direct bolt on any 80s to mid 90s wheels work fine.

that is correct but this application is lug centric not hub centric so the hub id does not matter. The 8 lug nuts center the wheel.

 

[mf5129]

yes i agree.not many understand that.i said that to make finding an interchange easy.

 

[GorditoPro]

I have a M101a3. What is the possibility of replacing the hub and drum to a Toyota 5 lug without replacing the axle? Can they both be redrilled?