I've got a 46 Chevrolet standard car - with 6 lug 16 in wheels. I want to convert to an open drive line with latter GM rear which is 5 lug 4.75 spacing. I want to retain all 4 of my original 16 in wheels/tires/hubcaps. Can anyone suggest where I can find 5 lug to 6 lug adaptors for the rear? My stock 6 lug wheels also appear have 4.75 spacing when I throw a ruler across the holes. I've been on line but cant locate the 4.75 spacing for a 5 lug to 6 lug set up. I don't really want to convert over to 15 in. and I don't want to carry 2 different size spares. Did any earlier Chevrolet pickups still use a 16 in narrow wheel with the 5 bolt pattern?. That would work but 2 different size wheels on the car. I imagine I could have the flanges of the axles drilled out but would like to avoid that. Thanks in advance for any suggestions
The 4.75 is actually the bolt circle and not spacing. the 6 lug wheel as I recall actually has a larger bolt circle. They should have a 5" bolt circle. That said most adapters that I have seen go from 6 lug to 5 not the other way. A 5 lug adpter to 6 may be hard to come by. You can get your axle flanges and drums drilled for 6 lug. That is something that is worth looking into. Any machine shop can do it or there is a guy here on the HAMB that makes drill jigs for that as well. I don't remember his name but someone will.
I'm pretty sure your 6 bolt wheels are the same pattern as later Chevy pickup wheels 6 on 5.5 circle http://www.ezaccessory.com/Wheel_Ad...ppcstrkid=2108414463&ppcsu=xhg7f5djq999gnahcr You may find thinner ones. There are many on Ebay but they all seam to be 2" thick.
46 Chevrolet car is 60". I wish I could help, but re drilling hubs is all that I've seen done. The tires fill the rear wheel wells pretty full with the 16's. not sure how well they would fit with an adapter.
I have a 47 fleetline I ended up putting a 55 chevy rearend in. But in the beginning of my story with this car I was thinking of going the Direction you are amd asked around. Check it out https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/help-1947-chevy-fleetline-3-speed-swap.1019127/ Hope this helps out
As already pointed out, most older small Japanese pickups (Toyota and Datsun for sure) have the same bolt pattern as the six lug Chevvies. (I'm building an early thirties type sprint car with that era Chevvy 18" wire wheels, and a Datsun rear end so it would be fairly narrow. Wheels fit, but need a spacer because the wheels hit the brake drums. Doubt that you would have that problem.) Problem with adapter for this application is that the two bolt circles are only separated by 3/8". Even by optimal staggering of the bolt circles, the two closest holes are only .46063" apart. Don't know the lug size, but if say 3/8", leaves only about 0.085" between drilled holes. Would need to countersink holes for 5 lug axle to fit lug nuts, but the nuts would interfere with the wheel lugs. Would need a pretty thick adapter to make it work, if at all possible. Probably can't drill a 5 lug axle for larger, 6 lug bolt circle, as the axle flange may not be large enough diameter.
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