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Anyone Make a 6 on 5.5 SD60 Unit Bearing for '05+?

Sean

Sean

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Feb 9, 2023
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I believe the 6 lug unit bearing Spidertrax makes only fits '04 and older SD knuckles.

I'm wondering if anyone makes a 6 lug unit bearing that will fit the '05+ SD60.....
 
Would have to be from scratch as the drive flange is 4.5”. Not enough room for studs and wheel surface for smaller bolt circle.

5CE62D00-24B6-4D24-A4D2-8A6D5FD8C754.jpeg
 
I wonder if theres enough room for the shoulder of the stud to clear on the back side.

Not having wheels is paying off for me, im just going to get metric rims.
 
I know the hub bore always seemed too big for either of the bolt patterns on a 5.5" bolt circle but I didn't have the exact numbers. I just checked - the center bore on 05+ super duty axles is 124.9mm = 4.917". So that would put the stud centerline 1/4" away from the hub center - no way.
 
AgitatedPancake said:
I know the hub bore always seemed too big for either of the bolt patterns on a 5.5" bolt circle but I didn't have the exact numbers. I just checked - the center bore on 05+ super duty axles is 124.9mm = 4.917". So that would put the stud centerline 1/4" away from the hub center - no way.
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Well, that answers that question, lol. Thanks so much for all the help guys.....avoids me mentally masturbating about the potential for keeping this set of wheels.
 
As stated above you are pretty much stuck with 8 lug hubs on the 05+ stuff, but a 6x6.5 pattern would work I think? Don't think anybody is offering an off the shelf UB with that pattern already drilled in it though but I could be wrong. In my "Hodge-Podge 609" thread I made the conversion knuckle for this exact reason. The knuckle converts the 05+ inner C geometry to the older UB to open up the 6x5.5 and 5x5.5 wheel option.
 
Simple'72CJ said:
As stated above you are pretty much stuck with 8 lug hubs on the 05+ stuff, but a 6x6.5 pattern would work I think? Don't think anybody is offering an off the shelf UB with that pattern already drilled in it though but I could be wrong. In my "Hodge-Podge 609" thread I made the conversion knuckle for this exact reason. The knuckle converts the 05+ inner C geometry to the older UB to open up the 6x5.5 and 5x5.5 wheel option.
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I can understand the reasoning....

I built this set of beadlocks and they don't leak and I like them a lot and don't want to try and build another with an 8 lug pattern since I'm not sure couple of places I had to source the components from are still around, but it is what it is.

8 lug makes a lot more sense....so I'll probably just go that route if I decide to 'upgrade' to a SD60 or 14B front.
 
I’ve thought long and hard about this. Even figured out something that should work with a decent size chunk of steel and a good bit of machining but I finally arrived at WHY. Just get 8x170 wheels and move on….
 
DesertCJ said:
I’ve thought long and hard about this. Even figured out something that should work with a decent size chunk of steel and a good bit of machining but I finally arrived at WHY. Just get 8x170 wheels and move on….
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If I do go this route, I'll pay the $150 extra to get the 170s redrilled to 8 on 6.5 since I'd likely run the same in the rear....unless I was planning to build a fabbed rear axle with the same 8x170 units.
 
Simple'72CJ said:
As stated above you are pretty much stuck with 8 lug hubs on the 05+ stuff, but a 6x6.5 pattern would work I think? Don't think anybody is offering an off the shelf UB with that pattern already drilled in it though but I could be wrong.
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6x6.5 will work on a 05+ UB and Spidertrax does offer such a bearing.
 
bunk said:
Then you will be stuck having to get machined UB's
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The bigger problem is the expensive wheels that you can't just buy on CL in most of the country let alone from a junkyard or tire shop in the middle of a trip.

Edit: mis-read and thought you were replying to Bebop. 8x170 is common as dirt these days. Wouldn't think twice about running it.
 
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Rangerrod said:
Or buy a $20 drill jig and do it yourself.
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Id do it on my Bridgeport. As i said before, im psyched im not working around preexisting wheels, cause unboxing a new UB and bolting it on is way more appealing to me. Too much custom will become a problem, eventually.
 
arse_sidewards said:
The bigger problem is the expensive wheels that you can't just buy on CL in most of the country let alone from a junkyard or tire shop in the middle of a trip.
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Yup, wheeling at a certain level is expensive. Thankfully i know a guy who works at a wheel business. I just wish i had a tire hookup, those fr's are expensive now.
 
bunk said:
Then you will be stuck having to get machined UB's
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For the uptick in cost, it doesn't seem to be that expensive...but that's today. Long term, you're likely correct.
arse_sidewards said:
The bigger problem is the expensive wheels that you can't just buy on CL in most of the country let alone from a junkyard or tire shop in the middle of a trip.
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Wait. Is the bore size not standard to clear a normal 8 on 6.5" wheel?....b/c if that's the case, yeah....I'd go 8 on 170mm at that point. Fuck, Ford really made this shit overly complicated with their one off pattern.
 
Sean said:
Wait. Is the bore size not standard to clear a normal 8 on 6.5" wheel?....b/c if that's the case, yeah....I'd go 8 on 170mm at that point. Fuck, Ford really made this shit overly complicated with their one off pattern.
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The bore is the same as the old 6.5 bore. i.e. Ford and Dodge wheels will fit but GM will need to be opened up.

I mis-spoke. I thought we were talking about 6 on 6.5 that Bebop mentioned hence my comments about rim availibility. That bolt pattern is the worst of both worlds at least in this situation.

Yeah, 8x170 wheels are dirt common. I'd have no problem double drilling both either end to 6.5 or 170 and running whichever rim I fancy.
 
arse_sidewards said:
The bore is the same as the old 6.5 bore. i.e. Ford and Dodge wheels will fit but GM will need to be opened up.

I mis-spoke. I thought we were talking about 6 on 6.5 that Bebop mentioned hence my comments about rim availibility. That bolt pattern is the worst of both worlds at least in this situation.

Yeah, 8x170 wheels are dirt common. I'd have no problem double drilling both either end to 6.5 or 170 and running whichever rim I fancy.
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Ah...thanks for the clarification.
 
bunk said:
Id do it on my Bridgeport. As i said before, im psyched im not working around preexisting wheels, cause unboxing a new UB and bolting it on is way more appealing to me. Too much custom will become a problem, eventually.
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I was in the same boat. And I asked a guy who had kept them 8x170mm if he would have done it again he said no. He needed to borrow a wheel to limp off the trail and it was a pain. If I was going to keep 8x170mm pattern I’d still drill the 8x6.5” pattern in the unit bearings in case I need to swap studs around to limp out on someone else’s wheel and tire if I thought that might happen down the road.
 
Rangerrod said:
I was in the same boat. And I asked a guy who had kept them 8x170mm if he would have done it again he said no. He needed to borrow a wheel to limp off the trail and it was a pain. If I was going to keep 8x170mm pattern I’d still drill the 8x6.5” pattern in the unit bearings in case I need to swap studs around to limp out on someone else’s wheel and tire if I thought that might happen down the road.
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I hear that. Im gonna have a spare. Swapping studs doesnt sound like much fun, plus your basically scrapping them and their bores by doing so.
 
Sean said:
Who makes a good quality drill jig for this out of curiosity?

Lots of options....seems the really cheap ones just give you the 8 on 6.5 pattern rather than both.

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I bought motobilt. I used it on 99-04 unit bearings. I bought eight 5/16” drill bushings to make it a truly reusable fixture. And it worked ok. You had to center it on the unit bearing as it didn’t fit tight to the hub I clamped it then dimpled all the holes then. Pulled it and drilled them all the way through so the chips wouldn’t move it when they pushed up.

I probably would have bought a better one or had someone make a sleeve that fit tight on the unit bearing journal. Maybe it fits tight on the 05+ bearings?

Only reason to run 99-04 stuff is smaller bolt pattern or to run a good locking hub. Although someone on here posted up 300m hub gear for 05+ stuff so that might have changed my thinking had I known.
 
The annoying part is you also have to drill your rotors. Granted they're hub centric so you can be a little sloppy there, but it sucks having to drill consumables like that, because if it's a rig that gets street miles too their lifetime might be counted in less than decades haha. And TBH the 8x170 is becoming more and more relevant as so many more super duty axles find their way under rigs. Personally, if you're set on pairing a 14b with a super duty front I think drilling the 14b hubs and rotors for the metric pattern are the better route. Hubs shouldn't really become a consumable, and rear rotors should just about last the lifetime of the rig
 
bunk said:
I hear that. Im gonna have a spare. Swapping studs doesnt sound like much fun, plus your basically scrapping them and their bores by doing so.
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Mainly I just want commonality with all my other 8 on 6.5 vehicles/trailers/wheels.
 
Rangerrod said:
I bought motobilt. I used it on 99-04 unit bearings. I bought eight 5/16” drill bushings to make it a truly reusable fixture. And it worked ok. You had to center it on the unit bearing as it didn’t fit tight to the hub I clamped it then dimpled all the holes then. Pulled it and drilled them all the way through so the chips wouldn’t move it when they pushed up.

I probably would have bought a better one or had someone make a sleeve that fit tight on the unit bearing journal. Maybe it fits tight on the 05+ bearings?

Only reason to run 99-04 stuff is smaller bolt pattern or to run a good locking hub. Although someone on here posted up 300m hub gear for 05+ stuff so that might have changed my thinking had I known.
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I hear ya. I even thought about running the 1480 size joint and '04 and older unit/knuckles since this project isn't super hard core anyway just to keep the 6 lug wheels.... Truth is, I'm just now wanting to avoid what I should have all along....fucking leaking closed Toyota FJ80 knuckles, lol.
 
AgitatedPancake said:
The annoying part is you also have to drill your rotors. Granted they're hub centric so you can be a little sloppy there, but it sucks having to drill consumables like that, because if it's a rig that gets street miles too their lifetime might be counted in less than decades haha. And TBH the 8x170 is becoming more and more relevant as so many more super duty axles find their way under rigs. Personally, if you're set on pairing a 14b with a super duty front I think drilling the 14b hubs and rotors for the metric pattern are the better route. Hubs shouldn't really become a consumable, and rear rotors should just about last the lifetime of the rig
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And that makes a lot of sense too....it would be my only 8 on 170mm rig though. I do think you're right otherwise....8 on 170 for the 14B probably makes more sense for this application than converting the front since you'll likely never change the rear rotors (especially on something that isn't a daily).
 
Sean said:
I hear ya. I even thought about running the 1480 size joint and '04 and older unit/knuckles since this project isn't super hard core anyway just to keep the 6 lug wheels.... Truth is, I'm just now wanting to avoid what I should have all along....fucking leaking closed Toyota FJ80 knuckles, lol.
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I had a project where I wanted to keep 6 lug wheels. The unit bearings are almost the same cost as new wheels then bling brakes it didn’t make sense for that project.

Pic of my drill jog for those who are interested.
IMG_3065.jpeg
 
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