Amici,
A friend of mine is contemplating redrilling a set of aluminum wheels for his
Spit. The wheels have a 4 x 4.125 hole pattern. The Spit has a 4 x 3.75
pattern. These wheels are 6 inches wide, so they are worth putting a little
work into, if they can be converted safely.
What we have discussed was two options:
1. Redrilling between each of the existing holes and plugging the existing
holes(for appearance sake only).
2. Elongating the existing holes to accommodate the smaller bolt circle.
The
difference between the 4.125 and the 3.75 bolt circles is 3/8 of an inch. So,
each hole would have to be elongated half of that, or 3/16th of an inch.
Given that the stud/nut is used to hold the wheel to the hub and that the
concentric ring is what centers the wheel on the hub, would a short slot,
instead of a round hole, be problematic. The concentric hub diameter is a
critical dimension which needs to be looked at and addressed also.
The concern we have is about elongating the existing hole. Will this reduce
the strength of the wheel or cause other difficulties, making it potentially
dangerous? Is it much better to drill the new holes and abandon the existing
holes? and.... Does anyone know of a shop in the NJ or surrounding area
experienced in this type of work.
Thanks,
Jack Brooks
1960 TR3A
1980 TR8
1974 Norton 850 Commando
Hillsdale, NJ
President - NJ Triumph Association
http://www.njtriumphs.org
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