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Old 02-06-2020, 04:16 AM   #1
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Wheel Adapters vs Spacers?

Will be installing a full floating rear axle in my '05 E350 EB, desperately want to keep the stock-style dog dish wheel covers. The axle I have almost ready to install won't allow their use--the hubs protrude outward too far. As best I can determine in a preliminary way I'll need to move the stock 16" steel wheel out about 1.5" for all this to work.

I'm looking at BORA wheel spacers/adapters and would like to know if there'd be any downsides to a spacer? Would I be better off going with an adapter?

Naturally retaining strength and safety is an absolute need and don't want to compromise any aspect there.

TIA

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Old 02-06-2020, 08:40 AM   #2
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I have BORA adapters (2" I think) on my 2010 E350 4x4 with Semifloat and 4.5" back space rims. Granted that i do not carry a lot of weight, but this set up is working great for two years and some off-roading.
With a full floater and stock rims I do not think you will have any issues with adapters. Just make sure the original lugs do not stick out pass the surface of the adapter.

If by spacer you mean the ring that uses very long lugs, I think that 1.5" is pushing them a little bit too far.
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Old 02-06-2020, 09:11 AM   #3
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I put 2" adapter on my dad's van (Full-float D70), to even out the track width and improve stability (along with a large rear sway bar). No issues, but you at 2" you have to make sure the wheels don't bear on the tips of the stock studs. Sometimes you have to grind them slightly. Definitely would need to trim them with 1.5" adpaters.

I don't have any experience with BORA. I bought from Fred @ wheeladapter.com
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Old 02-06-2020, 10:40 AM   #4
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I must confess that I wish I was installing a full float axle in my SMB. I have used wheel adapters(captive lug bolts in adapter), not spacers (single set of longer lug bolts), for different reasons on several vehicles and have never had a failure. However, if I was going through all the work and money to replace my rear axle, elimination of the need for wheel spacers would be a requirement of the project. It just seems like a step backward to me.

- Eric
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Old 02-06-2020, 03:30 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Houstonredrider View Post

If by spacer you mean the ring that uses very long lugs, I think that 1.5" is pushing them a little bit too far.
By spacer I mean the flat discs which don't have captive studs. I don't believe I'd need those open ended or long lug nuts.

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Originally Posted by carringb View Post

I don't have any experience with BORA. I bought from Fred @ wheeladapter.com
I recall this name from here before-----Fred'll be one of my contacts for sure.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ShuttlePilot View Post
I must confess that I wish I was installing a full float axle in my SMB. I have used wheel adapters(captive lug bolts in adapter), not spacers (single set of longer lug bolts), for different reasons on several vehicles and have never had a failure. However, if I was going through all the work and money to replace my rear axle, elimination of the need for wheel spacers would be a requirement of the project. It just seems like a step backward to me.

- Eric
I need a spacer or adapter only to allow use of the factory dog dish wheel covers. There's no need or desire to modify track width etc for any other reason. I've had no luck locating another type of factory cover that looks the same but will fit over the full float axle ends.

Measuring the thickness of the spacer I'd need comes out to 3/4" inch, half of what I was guessing I'd need. My "test" was simply installing two unused lug nuts over the wheel studs and snugging them up against the rotor. I installed a factory wheel and tightened two lug nuts against those already installed. The desired dog dish wheel cover fit perfectly.

I'm including a few photos of this "test" and hope you'll reply with the typical sage and learned advice.

Photo 1 showing "spacer" (lug nut) installed against rotor:



Photo 2 showing stud length with "spacer" installed and factory 16" steel wheel installed:



Photo 3 showing lug nut installed (not yet torqued) over above "test" set up.




With this arrangement would I need adapters with captive studs or plain flat spacers?

BTW if I will use the hub-centric option if/when available for whichever choice I make.

Thanks guys!
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Old 02-06-2020, 03:48 PM   #6
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Not sure if this is the same wheel you are talking about, but I have a full floater with the stock steel wheels and the metal caps. They fit over the axle with no problem. I have painted my wheels but otherwise they are stock.
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Old 02-06-2020, 06:22 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dokaman View Post
Not sure if this is the same wheel you are talking about, but I have a full floater with the stock steel wheels and the metal caps. They fit over the axle with no problem. I have painted my wheels but otherwise they are stock.
That's fascinating---on FTE there's a member with a '98 or so E350 EB who says the same. I'd be curious to know how far the hubs protrude past the wheel as its seated against the rotor and how deep the wheel covers are. I'll take those dimensions again in the morning.

I'll reassemble the wheels on the axle without the "spacers" I show here---perhaps I'm missing something? I do know my first attempt at installing stock wheels and using my preferred wheel covers had an interference between the hubs and covers.
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Old 02-13-2020, 05:08 PM   #8
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By the way:
How much space the wheeladapters have to fill per axle to adapt the original E-350 rear axle to the wider new F-350 front axle?
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Old 02-13-2020, 05:14 PM   #9
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And what size is the bolt thread?
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Old 02-14-2020, 04:20 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Malamoque View Post
By the way:
How much space the wheeladapters have to fill per axle to adapt the original E-350 rear axle to the wider new F-350 front axle?
I don't know the answer as that's not what this thread is about---my van is totally completely stock in all suspension aspects.

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And what size is the bolt thread?
My studs are 9/16" x 18 thread on a 8 x 6.5 bolt circle pattern.
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