Benefits of 5 stud conversion?

[Ridgeclimber]

Well I just bought a 1968 short box step side, the same truck I had as a teenager in hi school. I'm already taking out the 250 six cylinder with the three on the tree. I'm getting a ls 4.8 and a 4l60e trani ready to put in it. Just waiting for the motor mount kit, cam kit to get here. I find myself awake at night planning my next step to do on my new project. I eventually want to put a single turbo kit on it aswell. So I am going to put p/s and a hydro boost brake booster on it so its ready when the turbo is on it. The only undecided question now is what to do with the engine/trani wiring harness and ECM, either get a stock harness and modify it or get a aftermarket one. The next question I have is when I upgrade the drum brakes to discs what number of wheel studs to use. What is the advantage to switching to five stud wheels. Now you can get the six stud disc brake kits. The only advantage I can think of is maybe there is more selection of five stud wheels. Thanks in advance for any advice you have for me.
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[RenoKeene]

Thats it, more wheel choices.

[faribran]

good to see someone is choosing the 4.8... underdog....... i like

[brad_man_72]

Yup I've never seen a set of 6 lug wheels that didn't look like "truck" wheels.
I converted to disc by using a donor truck that already had wheels ant tires so I saved a ton of money over buying a kit.
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[dhughins]

I see no benefit. Most of the wheels I like are available in 6 lug. Right now I have mismatched wheels cause I "had" to go with 5 lugs on the front, and am having to save up to do something to the rear.
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[dhaymaker]

For years everyone wanted to use 5-lug suspension pieces because they could convert to disc brakes using those factory pieces. Now, with the availability of aftermarket pieces you can maintain your 6-lug look, but still get the efficiency of disc brakes. As several have stated, many people feel there are more options in 5-lug wheels, but I have seen some really nice looking 6-lug wheels!

[dhughins]

I did think of 1 thing. I bought my kit from ECE and am very happy with it. I think I can buy new 5 lug rotors from the local auto places, but you would have to get new 6 lug rotors from ECE at $79 each.

[68shortfleet]

The two things that i dont like about keeping the 6 lugs when switching to discs is wheel selection and parts availability.

Yes, there are lots of nice looking six lug wheels, and they are making more everyday since GM switched all the 1/2 ton truck chassis's back to six lug. The problem is that almost all of those wheels are the wrong offset for our trucks, which causes them to be too far inboard in the wheel-well (narrowed track width).
The second problem of parts availability, it just doesn't make sense to me to have a wear item like a rotor be a special order item from one manufacturer.

[ERASER5]

Originally Posted by 68shortfleet

The second problem of parts availability, it just doesn't make sense to me to have a wear item like a rotor be a special order item from one manufacturer.

It makes sense to me. Just how many miles are most guys going to put on their "like new" restored, painted, modified, lowered spotless baby? Those rotors can go 50k miles with good maintainance. So 5 to 15 years from now I might have to order a part or 2. Big deal.

Compare that with fully replaced front and rear by PB or any other manufacture. Virtually NO OEM parts. And we all like it. But somehow ordering rotors is a problem. I don't get it.

[lolife99]

If only one company in the entire world, made the aftermarket 6-lug rotors,... I would be worried.
But everyone makes them now.
(ECE, CPP, Performance Online, McGaughy's, etc)
And ordering parts online is no big deal.
Ever order from Rock Auto?
You can save a ton of money.

I like 5-lug for wheel selection.
Like previously mentioned,... alot of the 6-lug wheels are offset to fit the 99-2013 trucks, that also have the small center bore.
(that won't fit our 67-87 trucks)

[kieth]

Originally Posted by Ridgeclimber

Well I just bought a 1968 short box step side, the same truck I had as a teenager in hi school. I'm already taking out the 250 six cylinder with the three on the tree. I'm getting a ls 4.8 and a 4l60e trani ready to put in it. Just waiting for the motor mount kit, cam kit to get here. I find myself awake at night planning my next step to do on my new project. I eventually want to put a single turbo kit on it aswell. So I am going to put p/s and a hydro boost brake booster on it so its ready when the turbo is on it. The only undecided question now is what to do with the engine/trani wiring harness and ECM, either get a stock harness and modify it or get a aftermarket one. The next question I have is when I upgrade the drum brakes to discs what number of wheel studs to use. What is the advantage to switching to five stud wheels. Now you can get the six stud disc brake kits. The only advantage I can think of is maybe there is more selection of five stud wheels. Thanks in advance for any advice you have for me.
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I think it maybe because most of us do the front crossmember swap, I used a 91 burb front end, heavy sway bar, Mcgaughy front 2.5" drop spindles. this added 3/4" per side to my front width and let me purchase used wheels (17" cragars 9" wide) for $600.00 only had to drill the rear hubs to change the rear end. I bought the 91 burb for 900.00, used the TBI engine, 700r4, power steering box, ps pump, disc brakes, wiring harness, tilt wheel, sway bar, lots of bang for the buck....donor trucks rule....Kieth

[BigCountryx]

The front disc swap adds 1.5" to the track width that is already wider than the stock rear end. Swapping to 5 lugs allows you to swap in a stock 71/72 5 lug rear that is wider than the 67-early 70 rear to help compensate for the difference. If aftermarket wheels with the correct offset are being used, then this point is moot.
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[Tinkermc]

I am rinning 5 lug 5x5 wheels and parts are very easy to find on the shelf at my local parts store. I didn't notice anyone else say but welcome to the forum, glad to have another member

[Tim Christian]

I love my 6-lug!

[Hubscrub]

steelies come in five and six lugs i see no benefit, but i agree with an above post i don't like putting alot of special order parts on my rigs i don't want to be out somewhere waiting on a special part i need to get going again.