Five-lug front hubs

[DAW]

I'm considering my options for a five-lug conversion coupled with brake upgrade. Budget constraints limit me to salvage yard parts sourcing. I looked at

[Guest Anonymous]

Daw,

 

I was wondering the same thing, I had just written DavyZ last week about brake swapping. I wondered if there was a way if one were to upgrade the fronts to something bigger to recycle the front rotors onto the backs, I know they're not vented, but hey its on the rear, keep my toyota calipers and just build a bracket? I know it would need spot calipers for E-brake but most of these swaps are requiring that anyway. I just don't have a extra rotor to check against the back to see if its possible. Seems like an idea, although I'm sure if it were possible Mike SCCA would have been doing it already.

 

Regards,

 

Lone

[DavyZ]

Lone speaks the truth--we did discuss that. And, Lone brings up a good point worth looking into: how about swapping the fronts for the back--what would it take to make it work. Lone, good point on the e-brake. It would be interesting to hear Mike scca and Terry Oxandale's take on the idea. As you said, it probably has been thought of before.

 

Davy

[blueovalz]

Without re-measuring the dimensions, I think I tried this after swapping the fronts. If memory serves me correctly I did not do this because the inside diameter of the hat section was too small to fit over the rear hub. Secondly, and this can also answer another posting I saw, the bolt pattern for the rotor is of a smaller diameter than the wheel lug pattern, thus redrilling would be necessary for the fit (this is true of all rotors from '70-'85, even if one was ambitous enough to instead fit the rotor on the back side of the flange (i.e the front mounting method). The ZX rotor swap is just too easy, as is the Maxima front to rear swap. Mounting the front calipers on the back is a good idea (provided the rotor offset allows this without wheel interference), and no matter what you choose for a rotor on the back, caliper mounting modifications are always going to be a necessity, so choose your poison.

[Modern Motorsports Ltd]

As Terry says: the bolt pattern's are different (smaller than 4x4.5) and the mounting method quite different. Just sell them to someone with a Z in need and spread the good karma. New rotors aren't that pricey if you can't find suitable ones in a yard. Slip on rotors are easier to service (no need to expose bearings/wrench on the inner hat bolts etc) if ever need be and can't be beat for ease of install.

[BLKMGK]

Guys, rear rotors in a 5lug config are like $90 apiece. The calipers from Mike are about $125 each (guesstimate), and I'm not sure about the mounts but honestly except for the initial labor there's not much to them - he did a good job! For the rear Mike has some good options IMO - I went with solid 11inch rotors and I think they will work VERY well.

 

Fronts were more trouble. I did indeed go with 300ZX hubs, not sure if they're T or not. They bolted right on after I drilled out the holes for new studs. I'm not sure where he's sourcinf the rotors but they're off the shelf and he sells nice Brembo units for a reasonable price. Calipers are more expensive than the rear and the mounts were a little more work if memory serves. The hardware is all excellent too. If the fronts are too expensive look into some sort of 5lug Toy upgrade. I think Mike has mounts for that - check with him. The 12inch rotors up front are probably overkill but I like it 5lug opens up many doors so if you're considering brakes and wheels I think it's worth your while to look at this option. Some of th eparts like the hubs can be gotten from a boneyard or as in my case Mike had some around and they were pretty cheap. (shrug) New seals, new bearings, whee!

 

Oh yeah, rear brakes took less than an hoour to bolt on - literally! That's with the holes drilled and old drum stuff off but for me it was cake. I'll snap some shots as soon as I can, need to get a stud to seat on the rear first as I managwed to damage one..

[Guest scca]

1) z are 3.5" b.c. (bolt circle on the caliper)

 

2) rear rotors in 5lug 11" solid are only like $55 ea not $90 like Jim thought...(at least as i recall )

 

3)front z rotors wont work on rear - offset wrong and generally just wont fit .

 

4) the back bolt pattern on 85 and prior hubs is NOT 5/4.5" is like 5/4.070 or so .. the idea of a ford rotor will NOT bolt onto the back without redrilliing and hassle. i tried a 12" mustang rotor once to see how it would work and they are like $85 ea new and needed redrilling and the offset was wrong in the end it would have been maybe $100 less than the big 12x1.25" rotors and IMO the look of the big stuff is WAY more than $100 worth....

 

4 runner stuff is cheap, to go bigger then you are limited to a 11.2" OD rotor if you want to have the caliper BOLT on to the oem nissan mounts.

figure it out, how much are used BMW calipers? $100 pr will they need rebuilding? obviously i'm biased but the outlaws at $125 ea for new seems like a better deal than rx7/corvette or whatever that you may get and then need to rebuild. the cost savings doesnt seem to be that large on the caliper end. its the rotor issue that needs to be made cheaper (if it can)

 

i wont spend the time to look but IF you could find a rotor that would allow the outlaw caliepr to bolt on and use a oem rotor for like $30 ea or so and a MINIMAL spacer then it would end up less...

but i really doubt one will find that..

 

 

oh and i have some 87 5 lug hubs here with the semi floater rotor- they would be a PITA to use on a early car, someone like Terry or myself who is willing to weld on ears and such could use them but a "bolt on" would be very difficult i think..

 

[ July 20, 2001: Message edited by: scca ]