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Five pin adapter problem
Has anyone had any problems aligning the five-pin GM hub pins to their wheels? Is there any trick to getting the wheels to line up? I have a set of Trigo wheels and adapters but can't seem to line up the stud/pins properly. Any help or tips appreciated.:confused:
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When we did the 5-pin installations, we ended up hand-fitting with blueing and a die-grinder. The guys really didn't like to do it...
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Trigo makes, or used to make, an alignment tool which slips over all five pins at the same time so you can maintain alignment while you tighten them .
Lowell |
I have the tool...it's just a ring with hole patterns in it. I guess I'll have to do as Bob says and grind edges of the pins to fit. Any other suggestions? I would think the manufacturers should step in here and give us their seven cents worth, seeing how they have too much to lose if this thread gets around too much.
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They probably have nothing to do with this website. Trigo was sold to ,I believe, So.Cal. Speed shop.
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pin alignment
Have the same setup on my car. Didn't really have too much trouble with the alignmment from the beginning. I was able to make slight adjustments in the alignment by actually tweeking the original threaded studs. Assuming that the original studs are pressed in straight and even is a mistake! Having to "grind" on the screw-on pins would be a last resort for me!
Once I made everything close, I did take some emery cloth and slightly sand the inside of the pin holes in the wheels. This, along with using "never-seize" every time I mount the wheels, has made the job very easy. After mounting and dismounting the wheels a half dozen times, the process has become simple, without any problems at all. Hope that helps. |
I recently changed out a bunch of stuff and had to re-align the pins. Using the Trigo pin tool I was able to get the pins in alignment until I put the final torque on the pin. Then they would "move" every time and I would be unable to get the alignment tool or the wheel on the pins. After a bunch of head scratching I came up with a simple plan. Using the pin tool to determine which way the pin had moved/needed to move I took a dead blow hammer and tapped the pin. I didn't hit them, only tapped them. Worked fine and the wheels mount perfectly.
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A 2' piece of pipe that just fits over the pins is a good alignment tool to move the pins whichever way each one needs to be moved to line up. I used anti-seize instead of dye: try the wheel, look at the marks (dye or anti-seize) to find out which pin(s) need to move and which direction, move the pin(s) a bit, clean off the anti-seize or dye and try again...I started with one pin, worked to align one more, went to a third, etc.
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I found that by slipping the tool on as i turned the pins down and doing them each a couple turns at a time and then doing the final torquing with the tool on near the ends of the pins averything lines up perfectly every time.
Maybe I just got lucky, but the first time I did it by haphazardly tightening things down they wouldn't line up. Leaving the tool on the whole time worked like a charm every time I used it. |
Make sure you didn't over-tighten any of the pins and slightly mushroom the ends. You only need to screw up one pin (and the mushrooming is really not noticable without a really close look) and there will be no way that rim will mate to the hub. You can lightly grind the circumference of a mushroomed pin at the end, but it's typically not recommended.
-Dean |
These are really good suggestions. Yes, I overtightened and ruined a few pins at first. Lucky I just tried one wheel. Now I'll just start over using the alignment tool and size them one pin at a time. Thanks guys. Time to order some new pins.
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Are you using an Allen head tool to tighten the pins? They are not torx heads.
A guy on are website found out the hard way and ruined a bunch of pins. |
The older pins are allen head. The newer pins are 12-point. I ended up buying both tools because you never know which supplier will sell you which ones?!? I have some 12-point on one wheel and allen on the rest....crazy.
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All this and they're liable to fly off at any time without notice. Dang it, I think I'm missing out on a good time.:rolleyes:
Frank |
Go check your (lug) nuts, Frank. :LOL:
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The problems I had with alignment were with the front hubs only...I installed the rears and they were dead-nuts perfect (no pun intended). Go figure.
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Yetiman has the right idea: Tool out at the ends of the pins, tighten a little at a time, don't forget the anti-seize. I think the recommended torque was 70 ft # but I'm not sure. If you use a good 1/2" drive Allen bit rather than a hex key, you can support it as you tighten or loosen the pin and decrease the likelihood of fuggering up the internal hex or pulling the pin off to one side.
Lowell |
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