Completed the 5 lug switch!!

tjm73 · Jun 20, 2005

Well, this weekend I made the switch from 4-lug to 5-lug. I did the Lincoln rotor/Ranger axle swap. It was ridiculously easy to do. Most time consuming part was packing the bearings with grease...and it was a messy G-D job too!!

But it was worth it. I was able to get my new wheels & tires mounted, balenced and installed on the car.

I haven't been able to take pictures yet (tonight), but I went with something a little differnt than everyone else seems to do. I went with 15x6's and 195/60R15's up front and 16x8's with 255/50R16's on the back. The wheels are not traditional Mustang wheels.

I'll try to post pics tonight after work.

super302 · Jun 20, 2005

sweet....how long did it take all together??

93FIVEOH · Jun 20, 2005

Can't wait to see what you got.

tjm73 · Jun 20, 2005

Actual working time would be about 1 hour per front rotor and about 2.5-3 hours on the rear axle. Now this was the first time I'd taken the inards apart and the first time I'd ever dug into the changing wheel bearings and packing them and stuff. So I actually spent more time than that doing it because I was asking questions and getting help from my brother since he was in the same shop working on his 418W '88 Ranger.

An experienced mechanic could do the job in less than 3 hours I bet. I could change the rear axles in less than 45 minutes having done it just once.

I also spent about 7 hours mounting and balencing and then unbalencing and rebalencing the wheels and tires. Cause I did it wrong due to the tire machine not being maintained like it is supposed to be. I am totally against putting weights on the outside of aftermarket wheels. I just won't do it. And balencing without outside wheel weights takes at least 3-4 times as long. So I turned a 1 hour job into a 7 hour job. LOL!!

92GreenGT · Jun 20, 2005

We wont talk to you anymore until you get pics

tjm73 · Jun 20, 2005

92GreenGT said:
We wont talk to you anymore until you get pics

LOL!!! I'm still at work for like almost 2 more hours.

92GreenGT · Jun 20, 2005

Thats ok, we will still be here when you get home

tjm73 · Jun 20, 2005

Ok I got pictures and a video of my car idleing.

Just gotta find someplace to host them so I can link them.

tjm73 · Jun 20, 2005

Here's some pics.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/1691255

67efivert · Jun 20, 2005

Scorcher2005 · Jun 20, 2005

i dunno bout the wheels...i think they would look better if you painted the center silver. just my $.02

87mustang347 · Jun 20, 2005

hey just curiouse. where did u get the axles and drums from and how much did u pay for them? im looking for some parts around here and people are giving me some rediculouse price for just axles, also did u get a rebuild kit from summit or any thing like that?

tjm73 · Jun 20, 2005

Scorcher2005 said:
i dunno bout the wheels...i think they would look better if you painted the center silver. just my $.02

I choose the wheels because they may go out of production pretty soon and I want them for a street rod project I am planning. This way I have them and they are different than the slew of Cobra R wheels and such running around. I thought about fully polished, but I like the grey magnesium looking centers better for the eventual street rod that will be built.

tjm73 · Jun 20, 2005

87mustang347 said:
hey just curiouse. where did u get the axles and drums from and how much did u pay for them? im looking for some parts around here and people are giving me some rediculouse price for just axles, also did u get a rebuild kit from summit or any thing like that?

I got them from a local salvage yard. Paid $100 bucks for both axles and drums.

stang8urimport · Jun 20, 2005

tjm73 said:
I am totally against putting weights on the outside of aftermarket wheels. I just won't do it. And balencing without outside wheel weights takes at least 3-4 times as long. So I turned a 1 hour job into a 7 hour job. LOL!!

I'm with ya on the weights on the outside... but 3-4 times longer?? Wow... It takes me (and everyone at my shop) the same amount of time or maybe 1 minute more to do an wheel with the stick on weights... You must be using some kind of classic antique balancer

tjm73 · Jun 20, 2005

PoopDawg said:
I'm with ya on the weights on the outside... but 3-4 times longer?? Wow... It takes me (and everyone at my shop) the same amount of time or maybe 1 minute more to do an wheel with the stick on weights... You must be using some kind of classic antique balancer

Nah. I hardly ever do it so it takes me forever.

At1Maverick69 · Jun 20, 2005

Great job there!! But, hey what year ranger were those axles for anyway?? I'm still in between that Lincoln or SN95 conversion, I dunno which way to go.. newei, yeah look cool

Shakerhood · Jun 21, 2005

Everything turned out nice, but why not just do the SN95 and be done with it?

tjm73 · Jun 21, 2005

Shakerhood said:
Everything turned out nice, but why not just do the SN95 and be done with it?

Two reasons.......

First, cost. I just can not justify the cost of the SN95 brake upgrade. With spindles, master cylinder, brake lines, etc.... I felt it was too much money and work for it to be worth the effort for my needs. I spent less than $300 to make the entire 5 lug change. Compare that to the cost of a SN95 swap.

Second, was the wheels I choose to go with. They didn't need the SN95 front brakes and actually the SN95 brakes would limit some wheel choices to wheels I didn't want.

tjm73 · Jun 21, 2005

At1Maverick69 said:
Great job there!! But, hey what year ranger were those axles for anyway?? I'm still in between that Lincoln or SN95 conversion, I dunno which way to go.. newei, yeah look cool

Came from an 83-92 Ranger 7.5" rear axle.

The best swap for you depends on the wheels you want to run. Some wheels require the SN95 brakes.

Completed the 5 lug switch!!

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