5 lug conversion for front drums

[ampsyco]

if i wanted to go with 5 lug in the front without the disc conversion, where would i get the hubs and drums ??? from what years would they fit from. i have a 66 chassis.

id like to have the choice of 5 lug wheels. but i dont really care for the disc brakes.

[jchav62]

I'm not sure if there are any 5 lug drums that would work. When Chevy half ton trucks went from 6 lug to 5 lug is when they went to disk front brakes. Just go disks, you can't beat them...and it's not that difficult of a swap...

[protrash64]

............I suppose you could go to the car pattern; 5x4.75". You would have many options .........I had a 69 Chevelle w/ front drums. I dont know if the Impalas had the 5" pattern or not. This is out side my experience w/ ball joints and front end geometry.........I know the bolt patterns and thats it. I agree that discs are simple.

[ampsyco]

simple yes, cheap , no.

i feel no need to spend 500 bucks on something i dont really need. if i could get the parts used maybe. but i cant find any locally. and shipping will drive the cost of the used parts up way too much.

my drum brakes are power and stop great. i agree that disc's are better. but im too cheap to spend that money when i dont consider them a need.

[aggie91]

I do not recommend this, but I think that I have seen some six lug to 5 lug billet aluminum adapters some where.

I would swap to discs. $500 seems reasonable, but I think if you shopped around you could get the parts for less. I did mine with used spindles, but bought rebuilt calipers, new rotors, flex lines, and bearings from a parts house like Auto Zone.

[LILRED66]

Not sure why you would want to convert the front to five lug, if you are staying with drums...are you keeping the rear six lug drum setup?

[ampsyco]

i mean to do all 4. but i just dont feel like spending the money for discs in front.

i only want the 5 lug for more choices of wheels.

Originally Posted by LILRED66

Not sure why you would want to convert the front to five lug, if you are staying with drums...are you keeping the rear six lug drum setup?

[LILRED66]

Every wheel manufacturer carries a complete line of six lug wheels that will bolt on the '60-'66 Chevy trucks, without rubbing. There is a misnomer about limited wheel choices for six lug over five lug styles.

[Chevy Fleetside]

You have to remember that GM switched back to a 6 lug pattern on their trucks so there should be more choices out there.
As for a disc swap. I found a guy who sold me the whole front end from a 75 chevy truck for $60 and I used it all. I put new rotors, bearings, hoses and rebuilt calipers on it and I also got a power brake booster from pick and pull for $20. All in all the swap cost me about $400, and that was with new parts from the parts house. If the parts were good it would have been $285 less.

[badriand]

Take you time and look around sometimes people will let you have stuff just to get it off their property. I found and 87 suburban behind a firestation, chief said they would take 200$ for the parts, i took the upper/lower arms, booster, pro valve, brakes calipers, rotors, spindles etc. I called back when i was done and left a message as to whom to pay and never heard back.

[slepysal]

I agree with fleetside ,there are a lot of 6 lug choices,sine gm went back to 6 lugs BUT the new 6 lugs have a smaaler hub so OE wheels will not fit. Most wheel co make the hubs bigger and use "hub centric" rings.
I also agree that changing to 5 lug drums can be done , but not cheep. Good lug let us know what you decide

[kris's66lwb]

id stay with drums just cuz everyone seems to hate them and say there too complex to do brakes on people tell me that and i say you only say that cuz you dont know a brake shoe from a hockey puck

i also have seen people try to replace the seal on the piston on the caliper and it sucks so much take forever and if not done right it will have to be redone and i have seen how they get the piston out at my school we use compessed air and blow it out and its juts like a bullet and to ne its more caliming to play with the springs of a rum that mess with the caliper

[ampsyco]

yes there are alot of choices of 6 lug wheels, but there are alot of wheels they dont make in 6 lug.

you cant buy 15 in or 16 in torque thrusts, or cragars.

im trying to stay with the older look. alot of the 16 inch wheels they make are modern looking.

id love to convert to discs if i could find the used parts, but i cant find them locally.

and i dont mind the drums. drum brakes work good. it not like its a slalom truck.


if anyone knows of any wheel places on the net that have good looking 6 lug wheels post a link.

[kris's66lwb]

go to www.americanracingwheel.com

or www.centerline.com

[ampsyco]

neither one of those goes to a web site. just a page of links.

[502tripower]

Originally Posted by protrash64

............I suppose you could go to the car pattern; 5x4.75". You would have many options .........I had a 69 Chevelle w/ front drums. I dont know if the Impalas had the 5" pattern or not. This is out side my experience w/ ball joints and front end geometry.........I know the bolt patterns and thats it. I agree that discs are simple.

This is not a option unless you wanted to do a front clip, Nova, Chevelle, Camaro. Your best bet is to bite the bullet and do the swap if you want the five spoke wheels. Find a donor parts truck. Otherwise the 6-lug steel wheels with the dog dish hubcaps and beauty rings look sweet.

These look sweet and even better in chrome.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHEVR...spagenameZWDVW

[ampsyco]

those are sweet.

i've been thinking of going with the chrome smoothie look. or the chrome ralley look.

im not sure which one yet.

Originally Posted by 502tripower

This is not a option unless you wanted to do a front clip, Nova, Chevelle, Camaro. Your best bet is to bite the bullet and do the swap if you want the five spoke wheels. Find a donor parts truck. Otherwise the 6-lug steel wheels with the dog dish hubcaps and beauty rings look sweet.

These look sweet and even better in chrome.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHEVR...spagenameZWDVW

[kris's66lwb]

sorry i forgot the websties names

http://www.centerlinewheels.com/

http://www.americanracing.com/

[Heater63]

Unless you just parade your truck, At some point you may need to stop as quickly as that modern car in front of you! If he can stop in X number of feet, and you can't.....you've just rear ended him. Spend the $ and put discs up front.

[PrerunnerRob]

Originally Posted by Heater63

Unless you just parade your truck, At some point you may need to stop as quickly as that modern car in front of you! If he can stop in X number of feet, and you can't.....you've just rear ended him. Spend the $ and put discs up front.

Drums are actually more efficient at stopping(due to the increased surface area over a disc), but they retain heat more, negating the larger braking surface area. Guess you can't have it all right?
I swear I saw some drum 5 lug 67-72 chevy trucks at pick n pull in fremont a while ago, but I may be wrong.

[ChiefRocka]

If you really want 5-lug drums, you can run Impala spindles/drums...but you will have to change out the ball-joints...which would involve searching for a joint that will fit the spindle and a-arm correctly...or some modifications.

[protrash64]

.........thanks John.........this is what I suspected; I dont know the parts on all the vehicles to be able to x-reference parts.

In my experience the time and frustration of trying to figure this type of stuff out is not worth it. Just an observation.

[ryan913]

I would look into the front drums from a 68-69 olds 88 or 98. They use the same bearings and bolt pattern.