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I might be crazy even considering this...5 lug conversion


Kramer1981

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Ok, rear is straightforward, I have the 5 lug bolt circle template. I want to go 5 on 4.5 on my car to open up my wheel selection...

 

obviously a pair of adapters on the front would be easy, however not very safe and screw up the geometry.

 

Is there a factory hub that will work here? Or maybe on 280ZX strut assemblies?

 

Am I off to see my friend with all the cnc equipment?

 

Should I just accept my small selection of wheels and get over it?

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Ok, rear is straightforward, I have the 5 lug bolt circle template. I want to go 5 on 4.5 on my car to open up my wheel selection...

 

obviously a pair of adapters on the front would be easy, however not very safe and screw up the geometry.

 

Is there a factory hub that will work here? Or maybe on 280ZX strut assemblies?

 

 

'85-87ish 300ZX struts would likely be your best bet. Gets you 11" rotors, and 5-lug hubs. If you can fab some caliper brackets, you could get the rear brakes from the same 300ZX for after you redrill the axles to 5-lug.

 

 

If you already have 280ZX struts (can't recall), you can just swap the 300ZX hubs/rotors onto the 280ZX strut (you need to install a 280ZX bearing seal in the 300ZX hub), but you'll need to fab a simple adapter to mount the calipers.

 

 

If you really want to go all out, you can use the '85-87 300ZX hubs/rotors, on an '86-88 200SX V6 strut, with early Z32 300ZX 4-piston calipers. That formula is reputed to bolt right together (about to try it myself). Then you'd have 5-lug and monster brakes.

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'85-87ish 300ZX struts would likely be your best bet. Gets you 11" rotors, and 5-lug hubs. If you can fab some caliper brackets, you could get the rear brakes from the same 300ZX for after you redrill the axles to 5-lug.

 

 

If you already have 280ZX struts (can't recall), you can just swap the 300ZX hubs/rotors onto the 280ZX strut (you need to install a 280ZX bearing seal in the 300ZX hub), but you'll need to fab a simple adapter to mount the calipers.

 

 

If you really want to go all out, you can use the '85-87 300ZX hubs/rotors, on an '86-88 200SX V6 strut, with early Z32 300ZX 4-piston calipers. That formula is reputed to bolt right together (about to try it myself). Then you'd have 5-lug and monster brakes.

 

Ok, now will 11 inch rotors clear 14 inch wheels?

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14s limit wheel choice to older wheels. Common wheels (15, 16, 17, 18) will clear them and fit on a B210.

 

By the way all these strut/hub swaps will "screw up the geometry" more than adapters do. Adapters with the right wheel offset will preserve the original factory geometry.

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I didnt think 14s would clear 11 inch rotors, hell they barely clear 11 inch drums.

 

I have some cool old 5 spokes that would make the little B look a bit more muscular, but they are 5x 4.5. I originally wanted swastika wheels until I realized they were 15s and all i had was 14 inch tires...hence the Iron crosses...

 

I DO, however, have a set of 5 spoke Fittipaldis in 16s I am now considering, wide in the rear, narrower up front. I will have to jack the car up and get out the tape measure tomorrow. See if this is even reasonable or if I should just stick with small 4 lug wheels

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I didnt think 14s would clear 11 inch rotors, hell they barely clear 11 inch drums.

 

You might be surprised. Cast aluminum 14" wheels? No way. But some steel 14" wheels might...

 

I've used 13x7 +0 Diamond Racing steel wheels on 280ZX brakes (10.1"), so it stands to reason the 14x7 version might clear the 11" brakes? ^_^

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it does stand to reason...and hey, theres always a side grinder with a flapper disk if it needs a little clearance....a litle, like a 1/16, not a 1/4

 

Indeed. Been there. Done that. B)

 

FWIW, if you're making a caliper mounting bracket anyway, it's only one more step to make a spacer for the rotor? Rotors bolts up to the back side of the hub, so you can make a spacer (looks like a wheel spacer) to move the rotor further in, and the caliper moves with it. This would give you a bit more wheel clearance. Just a thought...

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I'm running 240SX front struts, spindles, lower control arms etc... the only B parts are the tension rods and tie rod/center link at this point. I'm not sure what has changed with my scrub radius but the car drives a ton better and I still have no caster dialed in.

 

Also to throw this swap in your mix, you get all the options of 5 lug from hub swaps and all the modern brake options from Z32 300's, J30's, Q45's 240sx's and all of the aftermarket that goes along with these cars.

 

 

/Lurk

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* If you don't have any caster the car will wander (not track straight) on the highway.

* Most of these swaps will give you less camber -- which is a good thing for today's tires and today's roads.

* Scrub radius is usually not a big deal. Most FWD cars are really off but they drive OK.

* Swapping different knuckle arms messes up the ackermann, but again, not a big deal except maybe more tire wear.

 

So a swap will mess with the factory geometry -- often for the better.

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* If you don't have any caster the car will wander (not track straight) on the highway.

* Most of these swaps will give you less camber -- which is a good thing for today's tires and today's roads.

* Scrub radius is usually not a big deal. Most FWD cars are really off but they drive OK.

* Swapping different knuckle arms messes up the ackermann, but again, not a big deal except maybe more tire wear.

 

So a swap will mess with the factory geometry -- often for the better.

 

Yes, i am well aware +6 caster is ideal to reduce bumpsteer and let the sterring wheel naturally return to center, camber, as long as it doesnt look ridiculous(think ford ranger dropped anything more than 3 inches0, im ok with that.

 

Scrub radii as I understand it, has to do with the wheels pivoting as they steer instead of rolling in an arc. Meaning that the steering tires should not rotate as they turn.

 

Ackermann angle, Ive heard of it and I have no idea what the hell it is

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