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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Wallingford, PA
Posts: 186
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New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
Hey everyone. I am a proud new owner of a 70 LWB 1/2 ton. I bought the truck a few weeks ago and brought it home last weekend. I've found this site a few weeks ago, lots of good information and a good group of people. I guess you could say I've been studying all the info on here.
So my plans for the truck... First off... drive it, not my daily driver but I want to enjoy it. It's in good running condition and I want to do a "rolling restoration". I don't want it to be apart for long periods of time. So this leads me to my first question or to get opinions. I want to start with suspension rebuild, disk brakes, and a drop and I want to do it all at the same time. I'll probably buy a kit to do it. The truck is the original 6 lugs but the PO threw in a 5 lug rear which he said is in good shape, better than the one on the truck but I haven't opened it up to take a look yet. It has the trailing arm perches so I thinking it must be from a 71-72 because I think the 73-87 had leafs??? So do you think I should use the 5 lug rear and get the front rotors in 5 lug? Or keep the 6 lug rear and get a 6 lug disk brake kit? I have my eye on Torq Thrust wheels eventually so 5 lug seems the way to go but I don't want to spend the $$$ right now. So if I do the 5 lug swap I'll need to get a set of new wheels. So really the only extra cost in making the swap is getting a set of 5 lug beater wheels at this point. Any opinions would be appreciated. Here is a pic of the truck (quality is bad, camera phone), and one messing around at work blocking in a coworkers new Civic, haha |
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#2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Muskegon,MI,USA
Posts: 6,026
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Re: New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
Welcome to the 67-72 Chevrolet Truck board from West Michigan!
If you are looking at wheel selection as being important, (5) lug is the way to go as there is more variety. Jim
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1971 Shortbox step side 4x4, 350 sbc, 3:07 rear end 1965 Impala SS 400 sbc, Muncie rock crusher 1966 Impala SS 396 bbc, TH 400 1969 El Camino, 350 sbc, TH 350 1971 Snowplow built on a Blazer frame 1972 GMC Short bed, stepside, TH 400, 427 BBC |
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#3 |
Grandpa in the rustmobile...
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Spokane WA/Viola TN
Posts: 11,422
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Re: New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
its tricky finding a rearend (for me), well im cheap. And welcome!
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John Goose-1968 C10 355,9.32-1CR, Vortec Heads ,262 voodoo, 3.73:1 3OTT (HS ride/beater/farm truck) http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=317684 Grams 53-1953 Chevrolet Belair http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post4327784 1969 Chevy C10 Shortbed 4.5/6?" Frame off resto http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=548136 1999 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 |
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#4 |
dazed and confused
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: marion nc
Posts: 1,649
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Re: New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
i think honestly it depends on your wheel choice. i dont think one is better than he other. and welcome!
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members met: redbaron69, billsbowtie,nc67 |
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: San Francisco, CA USA
Posts: 2,454
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Re: New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
I used to believe that 5 lug was better because of rotor availability (5 lug was a factory part, but 6 lug was an aftermarket specialty item). Since then I found a post on this board that said there was a later (88-up) 6 lug rotor that would fit our spindles. Now I think its just a matter of whichever style wheels you like best.
Ray |
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#6 |
Has more rust than truck...
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Ivanhoe, MN
Posts: 2,421
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Re: New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
Honestly, I'd stick with 6. With all of the 99+ trucks being 6 lug, alot more rims have come out. Plus you dont have to touch the rear when converting to disc up front.
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#7 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Albuquerque NM
Posts: 7,848
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Re: New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
the 99 and up chevy wheels will not fit our hubs, also if you switch to discs and keepit 6 lug, you might notice the rear tires do not stick out as much as the fronts, but then again you have a 70 so chances are you have a longer 6 lug rear end. (1 year only)
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1967custom |
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Wallingford, PA
Posts: 186
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Re: New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
Thanks for the welcome. I heard that the 71-72 rear ends were narrower but I didn't realize that a 70 may be as well...so I measured and the 6 lug in my truck is the same width as the 5 lug...hmm. I should probably figure out the ratio on the rears... but that might make the decision a little harder.
Does anyone know the measurements of the rear ends? I may be measuring wrong but I got 58" between the plates that the brakes mount to (not sure I know the name of that) Last edited by swierker; 06-02-2010 at 06:58 PM. |
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#9 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: San Francisco, CA USA
Posts: 2,454
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Re: New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
Quote:
Ray |
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Wallingford, PA
Posts: 186
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Re: New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
I realized that the newer 5 lug rear is wider and not narrower as I previously stated. So I measured again and my 6 lug is narrower.
So converting to front disks will widen the front track vs the stock drums regardless of 5 lug or 6? If the 71 later rear was widened to even this out for front disks then that's another plus for the 5 lug rear swap. Just trying to think this all through before making a decision. |
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#11 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Toppenish, WA
Posts: 15,520
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Re: New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
It the five lug rear end you have is good and the right ratio you have half the battle won in doing a swap to five lug. The other half is finding the pieces off a 71/72 to complete the swap.
I'm the kind of guy who prefers that the wear parts for a rig that I might have to depend on are pretty easy to get if I need them and that includes brake hubs and rotors. The aftermarket 6 lug units may be great and all but if for some reason you ruined a hub or spindle on the road a few hundred miles from home you might be stuck for a couple of days while you waited for a specially shipped part from the outfit that you ordered the pieces from in the first place. With factory style pieces it's go to a parts house or wrecking yard and get the part and be back on the road again. That's just my take on it. |
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#12 |
Grandpa in the rustmobile...
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Spokane WA/Viola TN
Posts: 11,422
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Re: New member...should I go with 5 lugs or stay with 6?
If I had a wide 70 rear id swap axles out lol
__________________
John Goose-1968 C10 355,9.32-1CR, Vortec Heads ,262 voodoo, 3.73:1 3OTT (HS ride/beater/farm truck) http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=317684 Grams 53-1953 Chevrolet Belair http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post4327784 1969 Chevy C10 Shortbed 4.5/6?" Frame off resto http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=548136 1999 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 |
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