Has anyone converted a chevy rim to work on a ford aplication?Aluminum after market.Chevy 5 on 4.75" to ford 5 on 4.5".Seems plausable but would it be safe?
It would be difficult to do at home without throwing out the balance of the wheel. Not sure if it's really worth it.
Have you looked at adapter plates? If you can space the wheels out 1" you should be able to buy a bolt pattern adapter. Much safer and you don't devalue the wheels.
I know back in the 80's American Racing (then ARE) took the Saleen clones and rewelded the holes and drilled them out. The wheels were actually designed for a chevy and were made to fit a Ford. Thats why I have to use thin sockets on my rear wheels. Why dont you call a wheel repair place like Wheels America or something?
Why would they do that? Welding up the holes would be much more expensive to a manufacturer than simply getting new wheel blanks (which they manufacture) off the shelf. Can you actually see where they were welded? Ford wheels have the lug studs very close to the center of the wheel, and some wheels (early American Torq-Thrusts for example) need a thin-wall socket, but I've never in my life seen or heard of a manufacturer welding up new wheels before they sold them. I'd be pissed if I bought a set.
The trouble is I've got 4 qty vintage 15 by 7 american racing 200s wheels but I think I need 15 by 8.5 for the rear for my application.I've been looking around but all I find are chevy wheels.I guess the hunt goes on,Thanks for the input guys.
Before I tried welding and redrilling wheels, I've have the lug patterm changed on the car. I mean it's a very easy procedure and if you really like your wheels, it would be a good way to go. If you did want different wheels in the future, you'd just have to remember you had a GM bolt pattern on the car. It's really no big deal, street rod builders do it all the time.
For the rear, it's easy, just have the axles and drums drilled for the 4.75" pattern 36 degrees off the normal pattern. That would put it halfway between the holes for the 4.5" pattern. I've seen it done before, sometimes I've seen axles drilled for 4.5", 4.75" and 5" patterns.