Repair of wallowed out rear wheel disk bolt holes

[PILOON]

If the damage is limited to 'out of round holes' why not simply weld some HD washers over the damaged area.

 

[Husaberger]

If the damage is limited to 'out of round holes' why not simply weld some HD washers over the damaged area.

Have you tried that before?
Wondering how long they would last

 

[PILOON]

Have you tried that before?
Wondering how long they would last

Yep, served me well.
Another option is to create a new center 'plate'.
Use the other wheel as your drill guide and make a big 'washer' with the holes properly located.

I messed my fronts rims from snow plowing as they often were crabbed due to the side load from my angled plow.
I made nice big 'washers' (3/8" thick) to fit my rims and drilled out the stud holes.
OK, I weld so have that advantage but I assure U my rim holes will never again elongate.

Off topic:
Once had a local garage swap over my mounted winter tires but his compressor was faulty.
My rims were so badly mangled we had to drill out the studs as they'd spun lose.
It was the crazy front end wobble that clued me in.
They did make good paying for a new rim and brake drum.

 

[LD1]

If where the bolt holes are is actually flat and not stamped, just rotate the wheel 15 or 20 degrees and drill new holes

 

[Husaberger]

Yep, served me well.
Another option is to create a new center 'plate'.
Use the other wheel as your drill guide and make a big 'washer' with the holes properly located.

I messed my fronts rims from snow plowing as they often were crabbed due to the side load from my angled plow.
I made nice big 'washers' (3/8" thick) to fit my rims and drilled out the stud holes.
OK, I weld so have that advantage but I assure U my rim holes will never again elongate.

Off topic:
Once had a local garage swap over my mounted winter tires but his compressor was faulty.
My rims were so badly mangled we had to drill out the studs as they'd spun lose.
It was the crazy front end wobble that clued me in.
They did make good paying for a new rim and brake drum.

I think your center plates/washer are similar to what LouNY is calling a wheel reinforcing ring
See post #4

 

[Husaberger]

If where the bolt holes are is actually flat and not stamped, just rotate the wheel 15 or 20 degrees and drill new holes

Not a bad idea
Will have to see if there's enough metal there to prevent catastrophic failure

 

[LouNY]

One thing to keep in mind is that many lug nut or bolt holes are tapered and your lug nuts or bolts have a taper.
This is to help keep the rim centered and tight, and not working back and forth in the hole as they can do with a straight
non tapered hole.

 

[Husaberger]

One thing to keep in mind is that many lug nut or bolt holes are tapered and your lug nuts or bolts have a taper.
This is to help keep the rim centered and tight, and not working back and forth in the hole as they can do with a straight
non tapered hole.

Good point
Mine are not which makes things a little easier

 

[DJ54]

I made a set of new backup center plates for my old Case 310B backhoe approx. 10 years ago, out of 3/16" plate. They are load bearing wheels, so had to cut the center right on the money to slip over the end of the axle. Fairly easy to do with the plasma cutter w/circle cutting attachment. O.D. was cut to match the curvature in the wheel to mount/weld to, so it would set flush on the back inside on the wheel. That was easy, just using a short straight edge, laying across the high parts of the inside back of the wheel. Marked it with a sharpie pen 180º across from each other, then measured across.

I then measured for the lug spacing, and may have even checked online to find that spacing, to make sure. I started with an oddball piece that had a square edge. Struck a line across for center, then measured center to center punch a starting place. Being these wheels were 6 hole, I used my 30º/60º triangle from high school drafting class, to mark lines at 30º, 60º, and 90º for the lug holes. Using the center punched hole, used my compass to mark the circle. Where those lines intersected, took a good center punch, and marked those intersections to drill. I started with like a 1/4" bit to get started, then jumped a few sizes to finish out, oversizing 1/64th, so the wheel studs would just clear. I made the taper with a larger bit, just went a bit at a time, until the stud seated nice. This had tapered wheel bolts, nut studs in the end of the axle. I put the ring on, and ran the bolts in, before welding it to the wheel. It fit perfect, and had no slop.

I drilled 3 more holes, about 1/2" in between the lug holes, so as to weld to the back of the wheel, on the high spots filling in the holes. Clamped it in the wheel, with the holes lined up, and clamped it pretty tight. Tacked it in 4 places so it wouldn't move, then proceeded to weld them in place.

Fortunately, a PO had broken several of the bolts, and had replaced them with like 1/4"-3/8" longer bolts, which actually stuck through the axle end holes 3/8" to 1/2". With the added 3/16" plate the longer bolts stuck through maybe a 1/4" while the shorter bolts were too short, lacking maybe 1/4" of coming clear through. Went to NAPA, and got bolts to match the longer ones. As I recall, seems I cleaned the threads up real well, then applied blue Loc-Tite to them, to keep from loosening up.

I used it enough to load out 3500 tons of bank run gravel for pads, for my new buildings, plus other odds and ends before selling it to my neighbor 8 years ago. I carried a breaker bar, and socket in my dump truck to check them every couple of days while loading out, and the bolts never loosened up. He still uses it occasionally. But I did remind them to check those wheel bolts every now and then.

Hopefully, this will give you some food for thought on yours.

 

[Husaberger]

I made a set of new backup center plates for my old Case 310B backhoe approx. 10 years ago, out of 3/16" plate. They are load bearing wheels, so had to cut the center right on the money to slip over the end of the axle. Fairly easy to do with the plasma cutter w/circle cutting attachment. O.D. was cut to match the curvature in the wheel to mount/weld to, so it would set flush on the back inside on the wheel. That was easy, just using a short straight edge, laying across the high parts of the inside back of the wheel. Marked it with a sharpie pen 180º across from each other, then measured across.

I then measured for the lug spacing, and may have even checked online to find that spacing, to make sure. I started with an oddball piece that had a square edge. Struck a line across for center, then measured center to center punch a starting place. Being these wheels were 6 hole, I used my 30º/60º triangle from high school drafting class, to mark lines at 30º, 60º, and 90º for the lug holes. Using the center punched hole, used my compass to mark the circle. Where those lines intersected, took a good center punch, and marked those intersections to drill. I started with like a 1/4" bit to get started, then jumped a few sizes to finish out, oversizing 1/64th, so the wheel studs would just clear. I made the taper with a larger bit, just went a bit at a time, until the stud seated nice. This had tapered wheel bolts, nut studs in the end of the axle. I put the ring on, and ran the bolts in, before welding it to the wheel. It fit perfect, and had no slop.

I drilled 3 more holes, about 1/2" in between the lug holes, so as to weld to the back of the wheel, on the high spots filling in the holes. Clamped it in the wheel, with the holes lined up, and clamped it pretty tight. Tacked it in 4 places so it wouldn't move, then proceeded to weld them in place.

Fortunately, a PO had broken several of the bolts, and had replaced them with like 1/4"-3/8" longer bolts, which actually stuck through the axle end holes 3/8" to 1/2". With the added 3/16" plate the longer bolts stuck through maybe a 1/4" while the shorter bolts were too short, lacking maybe 1/4" of coming clear through. Went to NAPA, and got bolts to match the longer ones. As I recall, seems I cleaned the threads up real well, then applied blue Loc-Tite to them, to keep from loosening up.

I used it enough to load out 3500 tons of bank run gravel for pads, for my new buildings, plus other odds and ends before selling it to my neighbor 8 years ago. I carried a breaker bar, and socket in my dump truck to check them every couple of days while loading out, and the bolts never loosened up. He still uses it occasionally. But I did remind them to check those wheel bolts every now and then.

Hopefully, this will give you some food for thought on yours.

Thanks for that detailed post DJ