6 lug/ 5 lug?

[SeanPaintsFlames]

This 65 GMC I just picked up has the factory 6 lug drums in the front, but it's had a rearend switched into it from who-knows-what with 5 lug drums. What's the cheapest way to make them match? I'm looking at 5 lug disc brake conversions, but they're more than I want to drop into this truck. Are there 5 lug drums that fit for the front?

[daverod]

Search craigs list for a 70-80 1/2 beater for $100- $250 and swap out the whole front cross member. If you lucky you can use the power steering and power brakes also.

[joe231]

you don't even have to swap the whole cross-member, just the A-arms out to have 5 lug discs.

[daverod]

Da, what was I thinking. That would even be easier.

[SeanPaintsFlames]

Excellent! Thanks!
What if I wanted to keep the drums? Is there a known drum that fits but has a 5 lug pattern?

[joe231]

I don't think so, you would have to find a drum hub that was five lug and fit your spindle, but when Chevy went to 5 lug on the trucks (5 x 5 pattern) they went to disc brakes on the front...not to mention the 6 lug drums are pretty narrow.
you might be able to drill your hub and machine down a rear 5 lug drum...but by the time you did all that work a disc swap would have been cheaper and much less work...

[protrash64]

Be sure to check the bolt pattern first, just in case its 5x4.75''.

[daverod]

What the diff between 5x5 and 5x4.75 I know .25 but is it the distance between the studs?

[protrash64]

Originally Posted by daverod

What the diff between 5x5 and 5x4.75 I know .25 but is it the distance between the studs?

Yes, its a smaller bolt circle.....Ive seen some trucks sportin' passenger car rears in them. Just never know, thats why I mentioned it.

[daverod]

It true you never know what you'll find. I found a mouse nest with 4 babies in it my car today.

[SeanPaintsFlames]

gross. What did you do with them?

[daverod]

Well at first I gently removed the nest from my car. Then I carefully placed it on the soft ground. Then with the utmost care:

[TwiggyTheDrummer]

Haha. If you want five lug just switch the front end out from a parts yard. If you want matching 6 lug, find one at the yard and pull the axle. I prefer the 6 lug though, just because that's all I've ever had and have became a pro at finding wheels for them.

[198plus]

This is what I'm doing on my 65.............

You can use (72-87) truck spindles. You just change the upper and lower balljoints to same year as "new" spindles (72-87). Also you will need the outer tie rod ends to match the spindles AND a special sleeve to adjust the toe-in. Take your old tie rods and flip outside to inside, add the adapter sleeves and new outer ends.

Note: 71-80 1/2 ton trucks are more likely to have the heavy duty (1 1/4 inch thick) rotors that are most desirable for this conversion.

Link to tie rod adjusting sleeve:

http://www.classicperform.com/Store/1960_1972_Chev..

[SeanPaintsFlames]

See, I'd much rather get all new parts than have to deal with a junkyard. I've seen the drop spindles, which I could do, but then I'd have to get the calipers, caliper brackets?, pads, hoses.. and I guess a bunch of miscellaneous hardware. I'm much more of an ebay-kit sorta guy.

I do like the idea of just changing the axles, though. That shouldn't be too expensive, I imagine.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by SeanPaintsFlames

See, I'd much rather get all new parts than have to deal with a junkyard. I've seen the drop spindles, which I could do, but then I'd have to get the calipers, caliper brackets?, pads, hoses.. and I guess a bunch of miscellaneous hardware. I'm much more of an ebay-kit sorta guy.

I do like the idea of just changing the axles, though. That shouldn't be too expensive, I imagine.

If you're a 'kit' kinda' guy, board supporting vendors GMC Pauls & ClassisHeartbeat offer disc brake swap kits as do major players ECE & CPP.

For the rears, ECE & CPP definitely offer 5-lug axle swap pkg's or try Moser Engineering for axles & use your local parts place for the drums (71-72 truck drums). I did the Moser route on my 68 & it was about $300 (in '00 dollars).

[TwiggyTheDrummer]

Yeah I'd just do the axle swap. Much easier, just find a matching 6-lug from the same year or a new truck.

[ruffrida2005]

First off what lug pattern do you want. 6 or 5 lug. If 6 lug. I bought my front kit from performanceonline.com it came with 73-87 2 1/2 drop spindle, caliper, rotor, pads, hoses, everything to mount it. You can use the same control arms that you have as well, because the kit comes with ball joints to fit the spindle and tierod ends as well. You can also get the kit to fit the 71-72 spindle, it comes with the correct ball joints for it. Every kit that comes with 6 lug comes with custom rotors to fit the spindle. If you want 5 lug, since you already have the rear end. Make sure you know which bolt pattern you have. All the companys that sell the disc conversion sell either the 5x5 or 5x4.5. These kits run anywhere from 600-700 for a basic kit. You will pay close to $100 for shipping since these are heavy Items. As far as the rear end if you dont know how to change all the stuff, get a pro very easy to destroy a rear end if not right! Also I would try to stay away from classicperformance if possible, a lot of people have been having problems with them and they have very bad customer service. Check with a lot of vendors on here since they give forum discounts!

[ruffrida2005]

I should have said if you want the 5 lug 5x5 best thing to do is buy a parts truck for a couple hundred and swap the whole front end except the crossmember, Most people perfer 73-87. getting a donor truck you can save a lot of money since the frames are the same you can reuse all the brake lines MC/PB. Swap out the steering as well! And sorry for the long novels!

[198plus]

Isn't that front end ..........1.5" wider ??????

Originally Posted by ruffrida2005

I should have said if you want the 5 lug 5x5 best thing to do is buy a parts truck for a couple hundred and swap the whole front end except the crossmember, Most people perfer 73-87. getting a donor truck you can save a lot of money since the frames are the same you can reuse all the brake lines MC/PB. Swap out the steering as well! And sorry for the long novels!

[Captainfab]

Originally Posted by 198plus

Isn't that front end ..........1.5" wider ??????

I've never checked the track width on the front, but I do know that the rear differential is 1.5" wider. If the front is indeed wider it wouldn't be as much of an issue as the rear differential. However that can be taken care of with different backspacing wheels. Lots of people use the '73-'87 front suspensions and I haven't heard of any width issues.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by 198plus

Isn't that front end ..........1.5" wider ??????

Not quite. The crossmembers & all attached hardware interchange. Even if you don't swap c.members, all disc brake spindles (disc brake conversions using GM 1/2 ton spec'd parts) will widen the track width ~1.00" unless you purchase the spindles that are specifically made not to (CPP's 'modular' spindle).

Originally Posted by ruffrida2005

As far as the rear end if you dont know how to change all the stuff, get a pro very easy to destroy a rear end if not right!

Swapping axles won't interfere w/the R&P which is where most mishaps occur (just keep from disturbing the internals during the swap).

SeanPaintsFlames . . .... For the axle swap: Pop the rear cover & drain the fluid, remove the retaining pin, push the axles in slightly, plop the c-clips out, slide the old 6-lug axles out, slide the new 5-lug axles in, re-install the c-clips, tug the axles out slightly to ensure the c-clips are seated, re-install the retaining pin, re-install the rear cover, add fluid.

You could do some further maint work & replace the axle seals but it's not mandatory. The benefit of doing the aftermarket axle swap is the replacement axles are of higher quality vs. the originals & they don't have 35+ years of wear @ the bearing surfaces.

[joe231]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Not quite. The crossmembers & all attached hardware interchange. Even if you don't swap c.members, all disc brake spindles (disc brake conversions using GM 1/2 ton spec'd parts) will widen the track width ~1.00" unless you purchase the spindles that are specifically made not to (CPP's 'modular' spindle).

Swapping axles won't interfere w/the R&P which is where most mishaps occur (just keep from disturbing the internals during the swap).

SeanPaintsFlames . . .... For the axle swap: Pop the rear cover & drain the fluid, remove the retaining pin, push the axles in slightly, plop the c-clips out, slide the old 6-lug axles out, slide the new 5-lug axles in, re-install the c-clips, tug the axles out slightly to ensure the c-clips are seated, re-install the retaining pin, re-install the rear cover, add fluid.

You could do some further maint work & replace the axle seals but it's not mandatory. The benefit of doing the aftermarket axle swap is the replacement axles are of higher quality vs. the originals & they don't have 35+ years of wear @ the bearing surfaces.

That is all good info, but I think he is wanting to convert the rear back to six lug from a previous five lug swap
Do they make 6 lug axles to fit 5 lug diffs?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by joe231

That is all good info, but I think he is wanting to convert the rear back to six lug from a previous five lug swap
Do they make 6 lug axles to fit 5 lug diffs?

I mis-read & thought he was wanting to go 5-lug all around.

[ruffrida2005]

I haven't heard anything about the front being wider at all. As for the back I believe 71 the rear end got 1.5" wider. Not an isue as long as you know what you have and get the correct BackSpacing front and rear.