GROUP BUY: 5-LUG CONVERSION - Drilled 914 front rotors and rear hubs, PMB Performance Options

[billh1963]

1970 through 1972.8 - Early 914 Package P/N 914.351.352.01
Retail = $720.40
Discount = $144.08
Group Buy Total = $576.32

Commitments:
1. Gene
2. Eyesright
3. Igo914

1972.8 through 1976 - Late 914 Package P/N 914.351.352.02 (Centering Ring will be machined off the front rotors)
Retail = $772.40
Discount = $154.48
Group Buy Total = $617.92

Commitments:
1. billh1963
2. billh1963
3. Chris H.
4. Philip W.
5. Darin300
6. Nie Zu Alt
7. KENNY
8. MrLeeS

This Group Buy will need to have 10 or more participants to get the pricing where we need it. The price includes the following items:

(2) Front Rotors (early or late) machined to 5x130 with studs included.
(2) Sets of bearings and seals for above.
(2) Rear rotors machined to 5x130.
(2) Machined Hubs (you must supply the cores) freshly plated in silver zinc with studs included.
(2) Rear wheel bearings.

To be a part of this group buy you must send in a pair of rear hubs. The machining costs are based upon a minimum of 10 pair of rear hubs and ten pair of front rotors.

***IMPORTANT*** Once the group buy reaches the minimum on the hubs and rotors we can talk about pricing on separate units ('hey... how much for a pair of rear hubs only?" -or- "how much for an extra pair of front rotors?") GROUP BUY ENDS 3/3/2013 (we will extend it through the All Porsche Swap Meet and Car Show in Anaheim)

So.... going 5-lug for $6-clams with all new components and new bearings ta boot?!?!? Yeah... it's a good deal. If you look at the rotor pricing alone, this is just $22 - $24 more per rotor over the stock pricing but it includes the machining and studs! On the rear hubs the savings is around $30.00...

Again, this is a complete soup to nuts 914 5-lug package. Bearings, seals rotors, hubs and studs. It's all there ready for you to bolt it on. These will be screw in studs with Red Loctite as seen below.

Picture of a late model front rotor with the centering ring machined off and the 5x130 pattern machined into the hub section
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-1110-1284690383_thumb.jpg)

It shouldn't be too hard to find 10 people in this big ole world of ours who want this at the best price possible. Commit now and be cruising in style this summer...

[Eric_Shea]

I'll use this post to explain some of the benefits of this type of conversion and to help answer any questions.

Other than conversion spacers (which are kinda dangerous and take up tread room), this is he least expensive and the cleanest 5-lug conversion you can do for your 914. Each kit contains 4 brand new German rotors (Sebro and Zimmermann are both OEM suppliers). You won't have to get new struts and you won't need new calipers. You'll have the piece of mind of knowing that you'll have new bearings and rotors on all four corners. If assembled properly, these studs with Red Loctite will be a safe and long lasting alternative to expensive and (in this application) troublesome Verbus press in studs. Let's do a Q&A session. I'll lay out some of the questions I've already received here as well:

Why screw in studs for this application? - On the backside of a factory front rotor/hub assembly you have strengthening ribs adjacent to the lug bolt holes. When you index, drill and spot face the front rotor for press in studs you will need to cut into one of those ribs substantially and another will be cut through completely. This is the number one reason I do not recommend press in studs for these rotors. Also, the rotors are a mild steel while factory hubs (like your rear hubs) are hardened. when you press a Verbus stud into the mild steel it can chip and flake around the stud opening on the face of the rotor. This is what I meant by troublesome.

Can I get different length studs? I want to run spacers. - Yes. they are not free though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Inquire within with your spacer dimensions and we'll get you a final price.

How do I know if I need an early kit or a late kit? - Good question. Most of these 914's have had a few wrenches put on them Some have late model components on early tubs and some have early pieces on later tubs. The only concern is your front calipers. The rear bits are all interchangeable. So, with the front calipers, there's a few determining factors that will tell you whether you have early or late model units. Bleeders - Early calipers have one bleeder and late model calipers have dual bleeders. Fasteners - While both have M7 fasteners, the early calipers have through bolts with 11mm nuts, later units have M7 Hex head fasteners that terminate in a machined nose section. So; one bleeder and nuts on the fastener? Early. Dual bleeders and hex head fasteners? Late.

I've seen it where screw in studs back out. Aren't these dangerous? - I've seen that as well. One of our esteemed members from Grand Junction, CO purchased a car that had that very thing happen to it. The person who installed the studs did not use the proper "Red" (permanent) Loctite. With the proper bonding agent on the threads these studs will not come loose unless you take a torch to them and heat the Loctite. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT INSTALLING THE STUDS WITHOUT THE LOCTITE. These will be safe.

Would you do this to your car? - Yes. You can do everything you can do in a 4-lug 914 with this package, only with better looking wheels. This system does not compromise the integrity of the braking system or suspension at all.

I have a 250hp motor planned for my 914. Will this system work for that application? - I depends upon your driving style. There are plenty of narrow bodied 4-lug 914's out there with 250hp hiding in them. As stated above, you can do anything that you could in a 4-lug 914 with this system. That said, if you plan to race your 914 on a regular basis (beyond the monthly PCA autocross realm) you may want to rethink the system. Not because of the studs or the machining of the components... because of the brake calipers and the limits of the factory CV's. There are better systems for high horsepower racing applications. They will a ) give you better brake upgrade options for the front rotors and b ) with a 911 rear hub you'll have beefier CV choices. The$e $yStem$ can run thou$and$ of dollar$ a$ well. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Readers Digest; Racing a lot? No. Street and some autocross? Yes.

Can I go back to 4-lug with this system? - Sure. All you would need to do is remove the studs and bolt on your 4-lug wheels. In fact, if you end up needing new front rotors (because you're a canyon carving monster) you can simply heat up he stud base with a MAPP torch and back the studs out.

Why is the later system more expensive? - There's a couple of reasons for that. 1. The late front rotors themselves are about $18.00 each more expensive than the early front rotors. 2. The later rotors have a centering ring incorporated into the bearing housing. This is an extra machining step because it needs to be milled off for the 5-lug wheels to fit.

What else should I be prepared for? - Good question. The biggest trick with the home mechanic and this system will be your wheel bearings. The rear wheel bearings can be tricky to get out while on the car but, that process can be eased a bit by renting a bearing puller from your FLAPS or taking your rear control arms off and using a press or taking them to a shop that has a press. The front bearing races will have to be pressed into your new rotors as well. This is the same procedure you'd follow if you bought new rotors. Inquire within if you would like us to install your front bearings prior to shipping. Our shop rate is $75.00 and it would probably be a flat 1/2 hour charge for both inner and outer, left and right and new seals.

So, is the pricing really a good deal? - I think so. You could purchase all of the rotors and bearings on the site right now and it would only be about $22-29 less per rotor (excluding getting your rear hubs converted). To have everything machined with studs for an extra $22-29 per corner? That's pretty good. The hubs (which we've never had on sale) are $29.00 off with this buy. All of the rotors, bearings and seals are 20% off. Then the machine work is added to the buy and even that is discounted 20% (which is why we had to go for a 10 kit minimum). Your rear hubs will also be plated in clear zinc as well. I honestly don't think you could get all of this stuff together, source the parts, drive around town and get this done on your own for what it would cost to have it show up on your doorstep.

You could always do a little comparison shopping...

http://www.autoatlanta.com/Porsche-Five-Lu...N-BMIS2000.html

Please let me know if you have any further questions.