ok, so here's the deal. I need 2 1/2in dropped spindles for the front on my '66. Seems that all the dropped spindles are made to use 5 lug rotors. Then what do you do for the rear? Does someone make a disc conversion with a 5 lug pattern for the rear? What pattern are the 5 lug discs then, 5 on 5 1/2? Thanks Frank
Our host offers drop spindle set up in either 6 or 5 bolt. another place is CPP. I have 6 bolt drop disc with 2.5 drop spindles on my 66 as far as rear disc brake setups are available in both 6/5 bolt. Kilroy was here!!!!!!
5 lug is just a popular swap since your wheel choices are endless. To change the rear end to five lug you have to change the axles and drums.
So does the originator of this setup for our trucks, Early Classic Ent. http://www.earlyclassic.com Val
Thanks guys. The 6 lug bolt pattern is the same as the one on the newer chevy trucks/suvs? I had one of my steel wheels at a tire place and they were putting some 22's on a newer tahoe and went and roughly measured the patterns and it seemed they were the same. That would make wheel selection fairly easy.
The only problem with that is the back spacing is diffrent. To use them you will need to use spacers.
and a lil bit of a warning to you. you cant use a stock wheel off a new model truck either, the center opening in the wheel for the hub is to small to fit over the hub on our trucks, i already encountered that prob. but any aftermarket wheel should work
The backspacing isn't the problem. The newer wheels are "hub centric" which translated means that the hole for the front axle bearing is smaller on the newer wheels. They won't fit our trucks even after a disk conversion using a kit. Wheel spacers would not be my personal preference. With a disk brake conversion the wheels will already be 3/4 wider on each side than the stock factory drum brakes. That isn't a real problem, but placing wheel spacers on will pitch the wheels out even more ! Custom backspacing of the wheels would be needed to keep the front end appearance from looking "off" with wheel spacers. ( Stress on wheel bearings will shorten bearing life too.) If you want the most choices of tire/wheel combinations, go with 5 lug rotors and deal with the rear 6 lug hubs as a seperate issue.
so you're saying that with the 5 lug disc conversion the wheels are not hub centric, only on the 6 lug disc conversion? I need to figure this out before I can do any real modifications to the truck. The truck will be a show truck, showing off the kind of work I do. I want to start on the air ride setup, but need the wheels for proper fitment and to make sure the truck sits the way i want.
What I was saying is that the six lug wheels, made for later model Chevy and GMC trucks are Hub Centric. The 5 lug rotors will fit all GM five lug aftermarket wheels, the hubs are not a concern. Air Ride Technologies now makes a complete front AND rear suspension kits for our trucks. http://www.ridetech.com/catalog/Chevrolet_C10_1_2_1963_1970-928-1.html Check it Out ! Val
ya i saw the air ride stuff awhile back for our trucks Dennis, pretty crazy huh? i love that rear trailing arm set up with the knoched frame.!!
I know the air ride setup, since we are an air ride dealer and I have installed several air ride systems on various vehicles. I'm building my own setup for the '66 though. So I guess I go with the dropped spindles for the 5 lug then.
for what its worth i opted to retain stock torsion bars in front, 2.5" dropped spindles along with 6 lug disc rotors. I always liked the 16" chrome rallye wheels so when i found out they were available in a 6 lug pattern i didnt see the need in switching over to 5 lugs like everyone else...hope to be switching rear over to discs soon, have everything i need to do it EXCEPT a 6 lug rear disc rotor!! Not sure where companies that sell the entire kits get theirs from...
Hey Frank I just done my 63 all the way around. I put 6 lugs on all four. Classic Performance Products have all you need to change them out.They also have tech info for all the installs. Hope this helps. Hondoe
I finally got the '66 back in the shop and can continue the work on it. I have already done a front disc brake install earlier this year. I don't need the lowering spindles anymore
i converted to the 5 lug because i swapped in a 12 bolt rear with 5 lug thats much stronger then the origanal axle, im very hard on rear ends. no pun intended.
66 Kustom, what was the 12 bolt out of? I got a chance to pick up a 12 bolt disc rear end from a GTO or Firebird (guy cant' remember which one)... I haven't had a chance to do any measuring yet but curious if you know off hand what rear end you used?
