The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Converting 6 to 5 lug

Gentlemen: I have a 55.2 1/2 ton and it somewhere in its past the front hubs & real axle were changed to a more modern 6 lug. I really want to put Craggar SS wheels on my truck which are 5 lug wheels. Q: How many lugs came from the factory - 5 or 6? Are there any known other 5 lug rear ends / hubs out there are a direct swap? Any advice on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.

Mark

6-lug, 15" standard and 16" optional

Thanks for that Tim. Anybody know any easy swap outs to convert to a 5 bolt pattern?

my advice is fall in love with some 6 bolt wheels instead

the TF series were originally 6 lug, yours haven't been changed .... the 5 bolt front hubs from early 50's Chev cars slip right on [need those brake drums too], the rears will require some re-jigging to use a later car rear, and you'll need to figure out how to attach e-brake cable to mate up

Bill

Shank, I can't provide the answer but maybe an idea to look into. I use to take the five lug drums off a 54 chevy car and put them on my 50 chev pickup...... so I'm thinking there may be a "direct swap" for the front wheels.

The rear is a different animal and I'm not sure what year Chev pickups went to 5 lug.
Hopefully someone can fill us both in on this. I'm just getting the "think tank" started.

I think that 1/2 ton trucks went to 5 bolt wheels in 1972. I have seen some '71's with 5 but most of them had 6. The 1/2 ton 4 wheel drive trucks always had 6 bolt wheels.

I just finished converting my '48 from 6 lug to 5 lug (summer 2014). Front was easy. I used a disc brake kit from a large venders. The rear end turned out to be a little more complicated. Problem was finding one that would be the correct width. Lots of measuring. Finally settling on a 97 S-10 Blazer rear end. Wheels are now all 5 lug and from a '70 version of olds. Kinda kool looking. Final drive train is 250 cu in inline 6 . 700R4 tranny and S-10 rear end with ,I think 3.73 ratio. Havent put it on the street yet due to Drag Link problem - still workjing on it. ken

You didn't say what size bolt pattern the 5 lug Cragar wheels are. Be aware that the full size truck 5 lug bolt pattern is
5" on 5, while the passenger car and S10 pattern is 4 3/4" on 5.
Non GM 5 lug wheels are different yet. Make sure what you have before you get parts that won't fit.
Fred

Thanks for the feedback gents. You have given me a place to start.

How about redrilling the axle. I've done the 6 lug to 5 in the past, the early chevy car hubs for the front work great but the rear I've had to change the whole third member. Larry

Hey Larry, I'm afraid I am not smart enough to understand what you mean by change the whole 3rd member. DO you mean just change the rear axel from a vehicle that has the exact length?

Shank

Changing the third member will not have any affect on the lug pattern. The third member is only the part of the differential that holds the gears, and in the case of the Chevrolet trucks and cars of that era, is separately removable from the axle housing.
In order to change the bolt pattern, you will either have to have the existing axle shafts redrilled, or swap out the entire rear axle assembly for one of the proper width that has the desired bolt pattern.

Oops. I meant the whole thing, brake drum to brake drum. Back in the early 70's old 55 chevy wagons were common and close enough in width so that's what I used.Larry

OK thanks for info gents, I appreciate it

Shank