5x5 bolt pattern rear conversion

[Bazooka]

Whos got the best deals on the parts to go about switching to 5x5 bolt pattern in the rear?

I want to use the original rearend thats in it...

I know I need to buy axles and get New drums..

Early Classics is like 20 min from my house so I can pick everything up in person and save on shipping charges. I will have to pay taxes tho..

Early Classics has the axle kit with bearing and seals for $320

They also have the brake kit with everything needed to redo the brakes for $289

[leftcoast66]

Originally Posted by Bazooka

Whos got the best deals on the parts to go about switching to 5x5 bolt pattern in the rear?

I want to use the original rearend thats in it...

I know I need to buy axles and get New drums..

Early Classics is like 20 min from my house so I can pick everything up in person and save on shipping charges. I will have to pay taxes tho..

Early Classics has the axle kit with bearing and seals for $320

They also have the brake kit with everything needed to redo the brakes for $289

Toms differentials has a good deal on axle's. Its 225 if I remember for the two axle's from them. I went to the junkyard and found the drums and just bought the brakes for those drums. I haven't put it all together yet though.
Rear axles

[Bazooka]

Guys If I use brakes for a 71 Pickup Will I also need the backing plates from the 71? I just priced everything except the backing plates from autozone and its WAY cheaper then buying the kit... About $135 cheaper!!

[joe231]

Not sure, but measure your drums and compare to the '71's
you could possibly use your brake stuff with the '71 drums.
I don't think you will need to change the backing plate to use the '71 stuff,
the different years should be very similar, I don't think drum brakes have changed much through out the '60's, '70's, and '80's

[Bazooka]

It would be awesome if I could get away with just switching the drums and axles!!

Has anyone done this and retained there original backing plates??

Autozones site says that 63 and 71 both have 11x2 inch brakes..

[billydonn]

Originally Posted by Bazooka

It would be awesome if I could get away with just switching the drums and axles!!

Has anyone done this and retained there original backing plates??

Autozones site says that 63 and 71 both have 11x2 inch brakes..

It's been many years but I'm pretty sure I just changed the drums and redrilled the axles. You certainly don't need the bearings and seals unless you just want to change them. You might check and see if the wheel cyllinder part numbers are the same for the 63-71s.

[Captainfab]

I haven't done the swap but I think you should be able to use the backing plates on your '63 since the brake shoes are the same. Along about '75 or so GM went to 2 1/2" x 11" brakes on the C10's. One thing you may not be aware of is that your '63 has 17 spline axles and AFAIK all the 5 lug conversion axles are 30 spline. This means you'll have to swap your 17 spline spider gears for the 30 spline ones. That is unless the axles you are looking at come in either spline.

[joe231]

what is AFAIK?

[Captainfab]

Originally Posted by joe231

what is AFAIK?

As Far As I Know....

[joe231]

ok, now i see...thanks

[Captainfab]

This is the only kit I could find doing a quick search....it's a little spendy but it includes everything and it gives you an idea what I'm talking about.
http://www.brotherstrucks.com/prodin...number=RAC6364

Before you get too excited, I'd check and see just what is in your diff. in case someone has changed it during it's lifetime. If your backing plates are pressed onto the axle tubes it is an original '63 diff......but I'd still check the internals.

[HotRodYJ]

Just redrill what you've got, axles and drums both.

[billydonn]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

This is the only kit I could find doing a quick search....it's a little spendy but it includes everything and it gives you an idea what I'm talking about.
http://www.brotherstrucks.com/prodin...number=RAC6364

Before you get too excited, I'd check and see just what is in your diff. in case someone has changed it during it's lifetime. If your backing plates are pressed onto the axle tubes it is an original '63 diff......but I'd still check the internals.

Good point on the need to change spyder gears... I forgot about that.

[kevindtimm]

Originally Posted by HotRodYJ

Just redrill what you've got, axles and drums both.

That's what I'm going to do. IIRC about $100 (+/-)

[HotRodYJ]

Originally Posted by kevindtimm

That's what I'm going to do. IIRC about $100 (+/-)

If you have a good drill press so you can get the holes straight you can do it yourself for free. Most factory steel wheels are hub-syntric meaning they fit really well around the center hub and don't depend just on the lugs for centering. Because of this, you can use a wheel as a guide for where your new holes need to be. The wheels fit plenty tight enough on the center hub to insure you are centered and true.

[Bazooka]

Yesterday evening I just made the decision to run a different set of wheels for now... so I ordered a set of (4) 15x6 smoothies that will work with my mismatch bolt patterns. I already have a set of baby moon caps to use with them to cover the lugs.. So that will save me some money.. The wheels only cost me $212 dollars for the whole set of 4. Cheaper then the wheels i was going to run if I had changed the bolt pattern. I have ran smoothies before on my old 51 Chevy pickup and like the look of them so it's all good. I am going to sell the wheels that are on my truck now to get my $$ back. So it's going to end up not costing me anything.

My truck is going to be in the shop soon for some extensive work and I needed some wheels that would tuck The offset and width on my current wheels wouldn't work

[kevindtimm]

Originally Posted by HotRodYJ

If you have a good drill press so you can get the holes straight you can do it yourself for free. Most factory steel wheels are hub-syntric meaning they fit really well around the center hub and don't depend just on the lugs for centering. Because of this, you can use a wheel as a guide for where your new holes need to be. The wheels fit plenty tight enough on the center hub to insure you are centered and true.

Aren't the hubs and the drums typically hardened? (At least the hubs). I'm thinking I'll need a heck of a drill press and a lot of time to drill 10 holes in those hubs (never mind filling the six holes).

Seems well worth the $100 to get it done

[HotRodYJ]

Originally Posted by kevindtimm

Aren't the hubs and the drums typically hardened? (At least the hubs). I'm thinking I'll need a heck of a drill press and a lot of time to drill 10 holes in those hubs (never mind filling the six holes).

Seems well worth the $100 to get it done

Never been a problem for the ones I have done.

[raggedjim]

Originally Posted by HotRodYJ

If you have a good drill press so you can get the holes straight you can do it yourself for free. Most factory steel wheels are hub-syntric meaning they fit really well around the center hub and don't depend just on the lugs for centering. Because of this, you can use a wheel as a guide for where your new holes need to be. The wheels fit plenty tight enough on the center hub to insure you are centered and true.

The factory wheels are hub centric but every after market wheel I've ever seen for these trucks has a 4" center bore and are lug centric. Not a problem as long as you stick with oem steel wheels.

If it was me, I'd find a rear end out of a 71-72 chevy truck and bolt the whole thing in. I've done it twice and it's easier than drilling the axles (I've done that also)

Rg

[joe231]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

The factory wheels are hub centric but every after market wheel I've ever seen for these trucks has a 4" center bore and are lug centric. Not a problem as long as you stick with oem steel wheels.

If it was me, I'd find a rear end out of a 71-72 chevy truck and bolt the whole thing in. I've done it twice and it's easier than drilling the axles (I've done that also)

Rg

you could use the stock wheel to locate where to drill, then it wouldn't matter when you get after market wheels. The holes would be right.
if you have the stuff to cut and weld you can put practically any 5 on 5 junkyard axle in there cheap, if you can find the right width anyway.
scott62 is using a 9 inch F**d from a mid-late Li**oln Versailles, complete with rear disc brakes, said it cost him $150

[raggedjim]

Originally Posted by joe231

you could use the stock wheel to locate where to drill, then it wouldn't matter when you get after market wheels. The holes would be right.
if you have the stuff to cut and weld you can put practically any 5 on 5 junkyard axle in there cheap, if you can find the right width anyway.
scott62 is using a 9 inch F**d from a mid-late Li**oln Versailles, complete with rear disc brakes, said it cost him $150

Yeah, I took an axle from a '77 truck and cut the axle perches off and welded on the ones from the '64 (as well as the panhard bar mount) before. But the easiest by far is the 71-72 rearend swap (from a trailing arm truck) as the axle perches and panhard bar mountings are all there already.

Rg

[olsofti]

What size drill bit do you use for the lug bolt holes?

[kevindtimm]

Originally Posted by HotRodYJ

Never been a problem for the ones I have done.

Interesting, so it hasn't been your experience that these are hardened? If that's the case, it seems like a wonderful weekend project.

[raggedjim]

Originally Posted by olsofti

What size drill bit do you use for the lug bolt holes?

Here's the lug bolts you would use

http://www.autozone.com/R,1938929/ve...ductDetail.htm

They are 1/2-20unc vs the 7/16-20 on the 6-luggers

On Papco's website they show the same bolt and say the knurled diameter is .535". I would figure you need a bit slightly smaller to get a good press fit.

Good luck, Rg

[Captainfab]

I would suggest having the studs you're going to use in hand before you drill and measure them. Then use the appropriate drill to give you .003 to .005 of an interference fit. Just my .02