4 to 5 stud wheel adaptor (updated)

[scjimbo]

I'm looking to make some of these above. Does anyone have a knackered old one spare, or can draw one for me as a pattern to work from. Looking into making them out of titanium or aircraft grade aluminium.

Also it would be good to gauge interest in if people would buy them from me.

Cia

[Rav335uk]

Depends on how they are made, and what thickness.?
And price is a key factor.

[scjimbo]

What do you mean how they are made rav? I have only seen 1 before which is why I need a pattern. Quality wise though I'm a toolmaker and did a 8 year engineering apprenticeship and work to 10 micron tolerance as a matter of course. They won't be your Chinese crap anyway.

[scjimbo]

Sorry and as for thickness as long as I feel it will be safe I can make the thickness to your spec. Obviously the better the quality of the material, the thinner they can be but it reflects in the price.

[ross_jsy]

He asks how they are made as 4x100 to 5x120 (assuming that's the sizes you will be producing) has an overlap. I have only seen 1 adapter I would be satisfied using, think Rav posted it.

I don't know the legalities but couldn't copying someone else's design be copyright infringement providing they have a patent, which I assume they will?

[Rav335uk]

What do you mean how they are made rav? I have only seen 1 before which is why I need a pattern. Quality wise though I'm a toolmaker and did a 8 year engineering apprenticeship and work to 10 micron tolerance as a matter of course. They won't be your Chinese crap anyway.

Not what I meant, as Ross just posted, there is only one set I would look into buying.

Link below.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=230901

[scjimbo]

It doesn't really work like that in practice with patents. For example if theirs are Cnc turned I would cut the outer profile on a wire edm. Either that or make another small change. That way it's my own product. As long as they don't have the actual idea of an adaptor patented, which they clearly don't as there are multiple different versions on the market it's ok.

I'm afraid I don't really understand what you mean about how they are made. Like I said I've only ever seen one. That's why I was hoping for a drawing or a pattern.

[ross_jsy]

Well there are many designs for wheel adapters, the one in the post above is the best but there are other (dodgy) ways of doing it

[scjimbo]

What do you mean how they are made rav? I have only seen 1 before which is why I need a pattern. Quality wise though I'm a toolmaker and did a 8 year engineering apprenticeship and work to 10 micron tolerance as a matter of course. They won't be your Chinese crap anyway.

Not what I meant, as Ross just posted, there is only one set I would look into buying.

Link below.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=230901

That's some kind of weird forum that my iPhone wont open. Ill have a look at that on my pc. Cheers for the input.

[matt86]

Hi mate, I'd be interested possibly if they were good quality, gives me more options for wheels then. How's things? You got that engine in yet? Cheers

[scjimbo]

Ok mate that's good to know. Alls good with me. That engine is being rebuilt at the moment ready to go back in.

[matt86]

Ok mate that's good to know. Alls good with me. That engine is being rebuilt at the moment ready to go back in.

Good good, that was a good engine, shouldn't of needed rebuild, or did you do it for peace of mind as it was out of the car.

Let me know when you start making them, I quite fancy 5 stud after seeing some e34 turbines on here for sale.

[scjimbo]

Yeah mate it didn't need it at all. It was my OCD playing up. Plus while its out why not! Ill let you know as soon as I have some made up.

[Osamam3]

what sort of money do adapters go for ? i'm interested .

[matt86]

what sort of money do adapters go for ? i'm interested .

It depends vastly on the quality, i thought it was around 100, but I may be wrong.

[harry_p]

Let me know when you start making them, I quite fancy 5 stud after seeing some e34 turbines on here for sale.

Good luck with that. Adapters are going to be 18mm minimum, so effectively you'll be trying to get 8in wide, et2 wheels under the arches.

[matt86]

Let me know when you start making them, I quite fancy 5 stud after seeing some e34 turbines on here for sale.

Good luck with that. Adapters are going to be 18mm minimum, so effectively you'll be trying to get 8in wide, et2 wheels under the arches.

Right so your saying those wheels wouldn't go on, or lots of wheels wouldn't? Thanks for the advice.

[Osamam3]

that's reasonable i've often seen alloys i like that are 5 stud and i miss out . These adapters are a good solution , but will arches need work ?

[harry_p]

In saying you'll have to be carefull with widths and offsets. An 18mm adapter is the same as an 18mm spacer. Most of the decent bmw wheels are low offset ( usually 8in wide et20ish, or 9in wide et24ish ) from the five and seven series cars, which means they'll stick out further than a standard 15in bbs before you add a big old spacer behind them.

No doubt with carefull tyre choice and arch mods they will go on, but it won't be as simple as chucking some adapters on and stick whatever wheels you like on it.

[Osamam3]

thanks i will stick to the 4 x100 that would be a lot of graft and i may not like how the car looks in the end so best keep it standard .

[scjimbo]

Just had a look at the link. They are pretty easily achievable. Ill make a set up and see how it goes.

[Rav335uk]

Good man.

[Rav335uk]

Good man.

[scjimbo]

Right I've been doing some pricing up.

I need a general consensus on here, of how much people would pay (sensibly) For adaptors made to the same quality, but with a slightly better design, than the ones in ravs link. They will be a very similar design.

Bare in mind that the ones above work out to £250 for four without import costs.

CIA

[pacerpete]

Good to see you being proactive Jim and I hope some victims get their dollarz out. The biggest issue I see is that the sort of person who wants to 5 stud their turd with adaptors is usually the sort of person that does not want to spend any money

[scjimbo]

Good to see you being proactive Jim and I hope some victims get their dollarz out. The biggest issue I see is that the sort of person who wants to 5 stud their turd with adaptors is usually the sort of person that does not want to spend any money

I do agree to an extent Pete. The trouble I'm facing is, they can be done cheaply but I wouldn't want to put my name to them. To do a proper job is never going to be cheap in the uk. Still I can make an improvement and saving on the American versions. Fact is your never going to pay a tenner each for anything worth having.

[harry_p]

well, you're looking at £50 + post for decent hubcentric spacers with longer bolts, so if you could do a well made set of 4x100 to 5x120 adapters for £100 a pair I think you'd sell plenty.

much more than that and people are going to start heading for proper mechanical 5 stud setups using e36 parts

[scjimbo]

well, you're looking at £50 + post for decent hubcentric spacers with longer bolts, so if you could do a well made set of 4x100 to 5x120 adapters for £100 a pair I think you'd sell plenty.

much more than that and people are going to start heading for proper mechanical 5 stud setups using e36 parts

Weird you should say that. I literally just came on here to say, would anyone be interested in £100 per pair plus p+p.

[matt86]

Yes, if there really good quality and safe

[scjimbo]

Well thats 1 set

[scjimbo]

Just as a guide to quality matt. ATM. I'm looking at supplying them with Grayson Studs and wheel nuts, and they will be machined out of 6082 Aluminium.

[Chris_B86]

Thing is though, paying £250 for a good set of adaptors, is cheap in comparison to doing a 5 stud conversion properly, so would be popular, the only stumbling block is the thickness of them, it'll be a struggle to find wheels with a high enough offset to be able to just bolt them on

[harry_p]

plenty of decent e36 / e46 wheels out there. granted, not as deep dish as the lower offset wheels, but i'm sure a lot of those can be made to work if youre carefull with tyres and dont mind a few arch mods.

[scjimbo]

Thing is though, paying £250 for a good set of adaptors, is cheap in comparison to doing a 5 stud conversion properly, so would be popular, the only stumbling block is the thickness of them, it'll be a struggle to find wheels with a high enough offset to be able to just bolt them on

Thinnest they can be done safely is 18mm in aluminium. They can be made thinner in titanium or stainless steel but the price and weight will be effected.

[oldroydsr4]

Also consider 5x114, this opens up the options of all the jap fitment wheels.