Need 5 on 5 1/2 on chevy axle

I have did a search on this on all the sites that I know of, stll no answers. Is it possible to swap chevy truck hubs for ford hubs using different wheel bearings? I would like to keep drum brakes but I'm dead set on that. Also I dont believe that I can redrill my hubs because of the design inside the drum, hub assembly.

Using the 46 chevy truck axle with leaf springs. Trying to do this on the cheap.

any ideas or info would be helpful.
Thanks

 

Do you have 6 lugs now? The 6 lug pattern is 5.5", like the Ford pattern you want, it won't fit? maybe if you weld up two of the old holes in the hub?

 

More likely: Find some spindles/hubs/brakes from a Ford F-100. Mount to your Chevy axle.

 

It'd be cheaper to get 6 lug wheels.

 

I have had a lil deal with this same deal on a Kids '47 GMC.

What i have found is this, & mind you I havent done it yet cus the kid is Lazy and wont get the $$ to work on his truck.

The back of the hub as i remember has a wierd tin plate the i think holds the seal.. ( Been awhile since i looked at it).

If you remove all the studs the plate comes off, I was going to re-drill the hubs to Ford pattern to match his 9" Ford 5on5.5 pattern & the modify the
plate & re attatch with 1/4" screws from the back side.

Again, I havent done it but i think if you look at what i am trying to say, You will understand the concept.

 

Adapters are available from several sources for almost any bolt pattern to almost any other.

 

I'm guessing that you have wheels that you want to use and your current hub bolt pattern is different. Assuming the wheels will fit over your brake drums okay, I would take the hubs to my favorite machinest and have him plug the existing holes(plug only the holes that conflict with the new pattern) and drill new pattrn into my hubs & drums. If you press in the new lug studs yourself, should'nt take a worthy machinest more than an hour and a half on vertical mill, to get two done for around a $hundred.
.

 

Once more:If that Chevy is a 6 bolt and the B.C. is anywhere from 4 3/4 to 5 +, there isn't enough room to redrill to a 5 on 5 1/2 " B.C. And as far as plugging a couple and redrilling; that's downright s----- (impossible). I still think you can adapt spindles and all to the axle with minimal work. You might have to drill out the axle ends to accomodate the Ford kingpin.

 

Bttt

 

I have the same problem and now it has been sorted!

 

hmmm. impossible for you, okay you convinced me. Easy for me.

 

Its not impossible i did this.Welded the holes with soft rod that wouldnt cleanup and set up and redrilled the new pattern,the new pattern hit on half a hole in some spots.Some of the weld was still a little hard and required a carbide end mill.Also i added a spacer to support the wheel center opening as the original hub was smaller than the newer wheels.I am now looking at dropping my axel and switching to the 49-54 spindles and doing a little up grade.Burl.

 

When installing ford spindles,drum and hub does this affect the caster?

 

Sholdn't affect caster but might have an impact on camber. Depends on how much variation might exist between Ford and Chevy king pin inclination angle. It's probably slight but you probably won't see it until after everything is together. If it's noticeable or unbearable, take it to a heavy duty truck alignment shop.

 

It seems like there is a Chevy 5 on 4.75 hub that will go on that axle, maybe 49-54 passenger (?)...but the problem there is that there may not be enough diameter on the face to re-drill to 5.5 B.C. But if the car bub fits you could use billet wheel adaptors.

Worth a look at.

Charlie