But sadly it is down. I believe that page talked about using a backing plate to hold studs then you bolted that to the hub. My idea would be to use cap headed screws that would fit in the 5x100 configuration and let me bolt through to the rear, then drill bigger 5x100 holes to clear the cap screws and then drill normal 5x130 holes offset slightly for my porche wheels.
I mulled this over for a long time before I decided to use adapters on mine. Yeah, yeah, I know - adapters are certain death and against all laws of nature. I've heard it all, thanks. These are made in Germany to put Porsche wheels on the Audi TT. 15mm thick is a perfect offset for the Boxster wheels on the Fiero. One of the negs of modifying the hubs themselves is all the work is lost if the bearing goes bad.
My dad is working on something like this... its a secret project, but if all goes well, you'll be able to order a fiero 84-87 front hub, made to whatever bolt pattern you want. Is anyone interested in a product like that? Are you just trying to convert the rears in this post?
You can disassemble the bearing and press on a stepped flange on the rear. It needs to be stepped so the face of the larger flange will be the flush with the stock wheel bearing face. You could just countersink (from the wheel side) the 5 wheel stud holes on the fiero flange and have the bolts thread into your new rear mounted flange.
This one was done in a similar fashion, but they welded it together and then turned it true again:
I am afraid of my 88 fiero front bearings at this point... seems if I touch them and break one im out many dollars....
spacer adapters might be the way to go after all.. but I am going to have 500whp running to drag radials in this thing... it will see 130mph more often than most.
I mulled this over for a long time before I decided to use adapters on mine. Yeah, yeah, I know - adapters are certain death and against all laws of nature. I've heard it all, thanks. These are made in Germany to put Porsche wheels on the Audi TT. 15mm thick is a perfect offset for the Boxster wheels on the Fiero. One of the negs of modifying the hubs themselves is all the work is lost if the bearing goes bad.
Still needs a hub-centric ring for the adapter, but it fits the wheel snuggly.
Neil
I looked at your link. Tell me how those work out for you when you try to take a wheel off and the studs just spin. I had those on my Ferrari kit and had to cut the wheels off with a torch, trashing them.
I dont know if they defy any of natures laws. They are not certain death, since Ive survived more than a few failures of them. The risks...for me...arent worth the benefits. I rather get wheels that fit, even if I have to have them custom made from scratch...as I ended up doing on that Ferrari kit. 4 wheels that bolted right on cost me $1700. Feeling safe was worth the extra dollars.
Drag radials... roll racing.. sigh. Its a spare fiero I have laying around, the idea is to finish it up and sell it I guess unless I like driving it. Ill never take it drag racing most likely but it will still be a solid 10 second setup.
I will do some investigating on where wheel spacers will end up putting my offsets at, I know I have some room to work with but one main advantage to these Porsche wheels is the dead nuts offset.
I did this, and possibly might have printed the article. Will look tomorrow, and post if I have it. Having said that, it is not that hard, if you have access to the equipment. Fronts are easy, just set up, re-drill, there is JUST room for the pattern. I used a horizontal rotary table in the mill, with a mounted 8" chuck in the mill - you could also use the DRO bolt circle program. Not sure I would want to do it on a drill press. Then make a centering ring, press it on, bore the rotor, and drill for the new pattern, press in studs. I used 12mm studs, with Honda ball seat lug nuts, have worked OK on the Porsche wheels - yes, I know they use 14mm studs.
Backs are a little harder. Press bearings apart I took a light cut on the flange back side and OD, just to true. Then, as suggested above, I made a shallow "cup" that I pressed onto the back of the bearing flange. Took a light cut over the face to true it. I did as you thought, and drilled/tapped the old stud holes, think I used 1/2 13 x 3/4 button head capscrews, but they might have been shallow socket head. Drilled the new pattern, again, just fits. Made, pressed on rings, bored rotors, drilled new pattern in rotors, bored the old holes for clearance on heads of the bolts above. Been on there for 5 years, no worries. Seems like I had 8-10 hours in the whole project, maybe 12.
Seems like the original article showed a pretty crude plate and separate spacer arrangement, that I personally would not be happy with. Not really a backyard job, IMHO.
I have no problem with spacers, properly executed - solid stock, no cast 356, good tight pilot, adequate thickness to prevent flexing, supplemental fasteners as required, etc Remember, the wings are bolted on the next plane you fly on. But, as you say, there is the offset thing.
I used stock brakes, just bored the pilot hole for the new wheel pilot, and drilled for the new bolt pattern. You could leave the center hole alone, and use a short centering ring on the outside of the rotor, but the Porsche wheels have a deep pilot hole, and if a ring comes loose, it can migrate down inside the wheel. I used bronze rings, pressed onto the hubs, full depth, and bored the rotors to fit over them. Easy, compared to the rest.
