...or as Nate would say, "This old saw again?" I've been all through this site with one eye open, and I just can't find the info I thought was here. I'm looking for a 6 lug, disc brake, 60" mounting to mounting surface, low 3s rear end. Apparently the Blazer is 6 lug disc brakes, but it has a 4:10 gear ratio. No, wait~ that's a shotgun, right? Spring is getting close, (to some part of this country) and this is the only piece of the puzzle I STILL have not figured out. If I wanted to loose my stock rims, I found out (after all these years) that my beloved Jeep has a 60" surface to surface mounting space AND disc brakes... But I don't want to go 5 lug unless I have to. So tell me, please. If you know of any 60", 6 lug, disc brake, low 3s rear ends, could you please let me know what they come from so I can get one and ...be happy! Thanks, all!
Hi Zig. It might be because I deal with custom rearend housings more often, but would it would be easier to find/use the rearend housing you have, then change out the gear set and, if needed, have a new set of axles cut with the 6-lug flange? Let me know if I'm missing something here. In a similar situation a couple of months ago, a friend was trying to swap out his 6-lug rear for a rear end with a 5-lug pattern to use a set of vintage wheels that were 5-lug. When he told me what he was doing, I told him to just have new axles cut with a 5-lug flange. $200 later, we was set and he never had to pull the rearend.
why dont you pull you axles and have them repunched with the bolt pattern you want? and just buy the right rotors to fit. or just repunch them to if you can.
Zig, Just another option for you... Stockton Wheel can manufacturer (at least it seems) just about any wheel in varying lug patterns. They end up being a custom build, but that was my plan. I have to go to a 5 on 5" lug pattern for front and rear and was hoping to go 16x8 front and rear if possible. Then I was going to use the factory hubcaps for a nice original look...we'll see if that pans out but its an option... Andy
Thanks for the ideas, guys. Here's the thing I forgot to mention. It is currently a big a$$ 3/4 rear end. (8 lugs~ don't want them) So, I want to get rid of the whole shootin' match and put in a much newer rear end. Thanks again for the ideas though! By the way, Vin63~ COOL picture of the 63!
Thanks! OK...gotcha. I wouldn't be too concerned with the bolt pattern, you can have new axles cut with whatever bolt pattern you want, and there are disc brake conversions and replacement kits for most of the rearend types you are considering.
Thanks Ken~ That was one of those that I poured over with one eye opened. I was way back in the pages... I didn't see any 6 lug, disc brake, low 3, 60" axles though. I'll check it again tonight. That is some great info though!
Found something I have been spending more time going over old threads and the stovebolt pages. I'm starting to weaken my stance on rear disks, due to options. I just need to find that perfect match so I'll know if my MC needs to be disc/drum or disc/disc. I don't want to go to all the work for something I won't be happy with, so Chris~ if you're out there, could you let me know what this came out of? What year? Many tanks! Hey Zig, I was planning on converting my gmc in my aviator to 1/2 ton. I have a 3:42 12 bolt rear, and was just going to put a 1/2 ton front axle under it, the springs are the same. Also bought a 302 for it to replace my broken 248. Chris
Hi Zig, I'm thinking that your back on track ditching the idea of the rear disks. Front disk rear drum is the right way to go, In my opinion... The front brakes do the most of the braking anyway. CPP has disk brake convertion kits that make it pretty easy. That is what I used on my 50 GMC. I used the 5x4-3/4 bolt pattern kit. You use the rotors and calipers from a 70-77 camaro. The rear axle from the same car would probably work for you also. CPP and Classic parts has a kit that has the parts to do the rear axle. I got the 50 made into a short bed 1/2 ton and it has disks up front drums in the back. Chris
Zig, if it was in my shop and you wanted discs on all four corners here is the approach I'd take. First a 58" wide Ford CAR rear end or the same width Chrysler rear as long as it has the 4 1/2" bolt pattern. The 9 inch Ford is the universal rear end so gear ratios are unlimited and much cheaper than the Chrysler Dana stuff. The only 58" unit that come to mind is the Versailles/Granada and they have been pretty much all snapped up. The 57-59 is in that range but, same story. For any axle or housing work use Moser Engineering rather than Currie or Strange: just as good and much more reasonable. We do our own but the last axles I sent to Moser were still $85 to shorten and respline. This info is in case you have to have a longer rear end housing cut down and axles redone. Now for the 58" wide rear--get a set of 1" thick STEEL adaptors that go from 5 on 4 1/2 to 6 on 5 1/2 and you have your 60" width. Don't let anyone tell you that adaptors aren't safe if made from the same metal, it was the aluminum adaptors that earned a bad rap. We have S10 conversions we've done that have 2 1/4" thick adaptors on them that are driven in a way that would make you cry--zero problems. Now to wrap up this saga, get a rear disc kit from Speedway: $140 for the basic kit (910-31920) or $240 for the complete one (910-31936), or you might go with the GM metric option since the newer ones are easier to scout up parts. Finally, you slip the hat the rotor bolts to over the 4 1/2 inch bolt circle on the axle, then the five to six adaptor is secured using the Ford lug nuts and then the 6 lug wheel is bolted on. By using the 4 1/2" bolt circle it allows both the 5 and 6 bolt circles to be used without overlapping. I took a shot of an adaptor I ran on several of my V8 Luvs that had the snot driven out of them, note that with the 4 3/4" chevy pattern that the holes in the 4 oclock and 6 oclock position clash.
Oops, these went from 6 to 5 but would be the same, just the 6 lug pattern would have the counter sunk bolt holes.
Thanks Guys! Chris~ I was wondering what rear end you ended up using? What did it come from? (year/model) AND, I'm happy to know that truck is up and running! Did you use the 3/4's front leaf springs with the 1/2 ton axle? That's the kind of ride Gater needs! Evan~ Thank you for your info as well! So the spacer can be drilled out to work for a ...Chrysler..., but not a Chevy, because the holes overlap? I surely don't have a problem with spacers. I won't be lighting my tires up or driving down pot-hole filled roads, so~ As a matter of fact, If I used and axle that had the same mount-to-mount distance, I wouldn't mind pushing the wheels out another inch either way.
Versailles / Granada Rear Ends ? All snapped up ? where ? . Are you saying that the plebian Granda had a 9" disc brake rear end ? . the Pick-A-Part junkyards in So. Cal. are still loaded with Granadas.... I know the Lincolns have the rear ends vanish in one day , that just means you have to be agressive about going past on the way home from work , every day for a week until you find whatever it is you need . Zig , 3/4 T. springs are _wider) than 1/2 T. springs are so they won't fit without more fiddles . I found the dual exhaust photograph and as soon as I find the post you were asking about it in , I'll post it up .
Sickness or love? OK~ so when you find yourself at a car lot on a Sunday afternoon with a tape in your hand looking for 6 lug prey, is it sickness or love? A trip to a local rip-off lot turned up a 2001 Toyota Tacoma. It has an auto, V6, and 6 lug, 5 1/2" centers. Hmmmmmmmm. Also found a 2002 Nissan XTerra. It's an auto with a who-knows V-8 or V6. It's mount-to-mount surface is 62"... An extra inch on both sides... Again, 6 lug, 51/2" centers. Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Both are drum brakes, but who cares. Like Chris said, what's up front does more work anyway. Now it's just a matter of finding out ratio. Iffin' any of you know about what these are, I'd appreciate knowing! Many tanks!
Spring widths?? I have 1/2, 3/4 and 1-ton trucks so I just got done measuring the front springs. The 1/2 and 3/4 have 1-3/4" wide springs, the one ton has 2" wide leaves. The only differance that I can see is the 3/4 ton U-bolts are 1/2" and the 1/2 ton is 7/16. Zig another option for a rear axle would be to find a early 1/2 ton chevy p/u. Say around a 65 to 69, or 70 to 86 four wheel drive. These all have the 6 bolt pattern your after, and they are plentiful. The axle that I have under my 50 GMC is out of a 77 1/2 ton p/u. A good gear ratio could be 3.73 or 3.42. Chris
Forgot to mention that the outside spring measurment was the same for the 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks at 28". Chris
Thanks Chris I thought the only difference was the u-bolt. The 3/4 was fatter. I think just a reaming on the axle plate where the bolts pass through would work fine. On the 70ish rear ends... would much need to be done to them to get, say, another 80k out of them? I know that 70 1/2 tons have the kind of ratio that we're talking about. I just was thinking that newer would save me having to do a bunch of stuff I may, or may not be ready for. Time is money, but for me, I am looking at a bunch of time spent behind a sander/3M wheel. I'd love to be able to slip a good butt under my rig and only worry about pinion angle... (Also - and most importantly - know that my original wheels will slip over those 6 studs.) (My original wheels are off of that 1/2 ton Chevy frame I had, so "original" is a stretch, but you know what I mean.) As much as my beloved Chiefs keep screwing up, I'm still stuck on red, white, and yellow. Those wheels would be kickin' with some pen striping like Ken laid down! Anyway~ thanks again for all the help!
Yep, they did offer a rear disc option on the Granada, usually found on an "old folks" 4dr sedan with every option. Have one under my 34 chevy 5w coupe. The Versailles was just a gussied up Granada but all had the 9 inch rear disc while it is rare on the Granada.
