Has anyone had any experience/luck with wheel adaptors? I'm trying them for the first time and Id really like a good experience, But most of all Id like a safe experience. Any feedback is appreciated,

 

I've had adapters on my Blazer for around 6 years with no problems at all. The major key is to make sure you torque the lugs to factory specs, and make sure you pull your rims off after 100 miles or so and re-torque all the lugs. Some people use locktite on the threads as well, just as insurance against the lugs moving.

 

yea ive heard about the Loctite. ive had some 2" spacers on my first gen about 3 months now. ive been restoring so I haven't been doing a lot of driving. about 20 miles into them the left front tire came off lugs and all. Ive never seen anything like it. I put it back on and on the way back the same one came shooting off the same way. obviously I had to replace the hub so I just chalked it up to the studs on the old hub being wore out since I haven't had an issue with any of the others. it obviously got my attention which is why im asking. do the lugnuts you use on the adaptor matter? is there some kind of unwritten law I don't know?

 

I used the lug nuts that came with the adapter to attach the adapter to the hub, and then just used my factory lugs to the attach the wheel to the adapter. Looking at your signature, I assume your adapters are for a 5x120mm to 5x4.75" bolt pattern? Not doubting your skills and knowledge, but here's a couple questions: Are you tightening the lugs with a torque wrench to make sure you have all the lugs at proper factory torque specs? Do your adapters have the hub lip on the outside face to mate with the wheel? This is important for centering the wheel and bearing the load of the vehicle. If your tire came off, it makes me wonder if the lugs were torqued properly, and in the proper pattern. Correct torque and tightening pattern are especially important if you don't have the hub lip on the face of the adapters because your wheel could be slightly off-center which would cause excess vibrations and could easly cause the lugs to back off.

 

Well mine is hubcentric. But its a 12mm to a 14mm lug conversion and yes they are matched to the rimms. I've been using an air gun torque wrench so I wouldn't think that torque would be the issue. I mean it was the same tire doing it, the others haven't budged. The wheels match up fine and get snug. That's why I think it was the hub and not the spacers. But at the same time this is my first experience with them so Im open to any sugestions with out being offended I assure you. My busy talked me into getting them and him and his dad have been doing front end work at the biggest rimm shop around this area for years and he assured me I had the right stuff.

 

is there any rust or corrosion on the back of the rim maybe not getting on perfectly strait? ive had mine on the rear for almost an oil change now and ive had the wheels on and off 3-4 times with no issues at all. i torqued my spacers to about 130ft/lb and i do all my wheels to 120ft/lb

 

No the rimms are brand new. I mean other than the one I haven't had any problems with the rest of them.

 

I am not an expert by any stretch, but my guess would be there is something about that hub/adapter/rim/tire combination that is not 100% true in rotation, and is causing a vibration or something that is backing the lugs out. Sorry, but that's the best I have to offer. I don't really know what else to suggest for you. What has your friend with the tire shop suggested?

 

He agreed that the studs wouldn't hold up. I've driven it about 10 miles since I replaced the hub and it rode smooth. Ive got it loctite now so I'm pretty confident that unless the studs brake its on as long as I want.