going 5 lug, what should I expect? Options

[Sleepin]

This is what I am running Wayne (minus 944 rear bar):
(IMG:http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u307/Sleepin1974/102_0552-1.jpg)
S-Calipers and all. I plan on using a 914 conversion in the rear...converted hubs for now in the front until I can get the SC suspension cleaned up and the calipers rebuilt.

I am pretty excited....and trying to keep from rushing it, so I can do it all the right way. I will succeed....but having to use patience sucks sometimes!

[tat2dphreak]

nice, what year is that off of?

[Sleepin]

A $400 76 914 Chalon (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) ....not sure exactly the year of 911 though. It is pretty nice knowing it is a direct bolt in though. Hopefully I will have the time and $ to get it all cleaned up shortly...my '75 was not born with a sway bar and I can really tell. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I am buying this setup from Bob (burton73) off of ArmyDude's car. Just for the rears and to run on the fronts until I can get the SC front ready to go
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-7414-1252711790.jpg)

...now to find a good deal on some decent 14" tires! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[jmill]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif)

I was wondering when someone was going to jump on Bob's 5 lug deal. It was priced right. I was eyeballing that for the last week. I was thinking of picking it up just for the rears myself.

[Sleepin]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif)

I was wondering when someone was going to jump on Bob's 5 lug deal. It was priced right. I was eyeballing that for the last week. I was thinking of picking it up just for the rears myself.

Yeah, I couldn't pass it up knowing that I had a 5 lug project on the burner. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[Rod]

I've been offered this setup for $240 what do you reckon. It's from a 1973 model, so has the M calipers. Is this a good setup to use??

[tat2dphreak]

I'd probably buy a local front end for 240 even if it's 70-73. cheapest I've seen so far is 350 and would have to be shipped , and didn't have the calipers.

[turnaround89]

Shipping on the front ends is a little pricey because of weight and amount of boxes needed, i was shipped three boxes, one was a bicycle box which are fairly large. I bought my complete 911 front end(87 carrera) for 350, but had to have it shipped from georgia, i think total it was around 500

[tat2dphreak]

Shipping on the front ends is a little pricey because of weight and amount of boxes needed, i was shipped three boxes, one was a bicycle box which are fairly large. I bought my complete 911 front end(87 carrera) for 350, but had to have it shipped from georgia, i think total it was around 500

yep shipping a front end is about as much fun as shipping an engine... I think I'm going to do a junk yard crawl and see what I can find.

[jmill]

That setup is fine but you only really need the struts and brakes. Have the seller show you pictures of the spindles to make sure they're clean. It would be a bummer to buy them just to find out the spindles are all buggered up.

To be safe you'll end up replacing the bearings, disks, rebuilding the brake calipers, new pads, brake lines, 19mm MC, and maybe ball joints, tie rod ends, A-arm bushings and inserts. The price of the 911 pieces are really just a small fraction of the true price of the swap.

[Eric_Shea]

Rod, that's p-e-r-f-e-c-t.

You really only need the struts and hubs so you could feasibly sell off the a-arms, rack and crossbar etc. to easily bring your cost into the sub $200 range.

[Rod]

Rod, that's p-e-r-f-e-c-t.

You really only need the struts and hubs so you could feasibly sell off the a-arms, rack and crossbar etc. to easily bring your cost into the sub $200 range.

Thats what I thought. I'll get them bought - either for this car or a future project... In fact, perfect you can answer here - I am really in two minds whether to do a five lug conversion or not. I really like the 4 bolt fuchs that are on the car at the moment, people seem to do a 5lug conversion as a matter of course, and I wouldn't mind keeping this car standard looking and factory - my current order from you is to refurb the current setup, so retaining the 4 lug fuchs.

The 4 lugs wheels I have are now in perfect condition after a detail and polish and I'm tempted to leave them in position, rather than 'upgrade?' to 5-lug.

The common secondary reason (over the wheels) to upgrade to 5 lug is to increase brake performance, now if the standard 914 braking system is in top notch condition is there actually a need to upgrade? - I only ever intend running this car with 200hp maximum.

So is the 5 lug conversion worth it with 200hp for the brake upgrade, or should I stay 4 lug?

[tat2dphreak]

I'd want more brakes with 200hp. you can't have too much brakes or hp imo tho

[Eric_Shea]

The common secondary reason (over the wheels) to upgrade to 5 lug is to increase brake performance, now if the standard 914 braking system is in top notch condition is there actually a need to upgrade? - I only ever intend running this car with 200hp maximum.

So is the 5 lug conversion worth it with 200hp for the brake upgrade, or should I stay 4 lug?

Well... it's at least twice the HP that brake system was designed for. That said, a lot depends on contact patch to the ground. This is why I never tend to stray on the elaborate side when the car will be a narrow bodied car.

Bottom line, your stock brakes in tip-top condition can pretty much handle whatever you can dish out in a narrow configuration. 200hp is a lot though. Use Porsche as your guide. With the 914-6 they went to a vented rotor and the M-Caliper. It has the same pad size as a stock 914 (with the exception of the rear) but it has better cooling. Fade and cooling issues have never been a 914 problem though (unless you're circuit racing and on the brakes hard).

You could get a suspension like that and upgrade to 3" Brembo calipers later if you want the advantages of the larger pad that Porsche's 3.5" configurations (S-Caliper and A-Caliper) afford you. Being Boge it will be able to take almost any strut insert as well, Boge, Koni, Bilstein. Totally configurable if you go wide body or...

[tat2dphreak]

this is going faster than I thought.
started with the wheels for a great price.
I got a set of the aluminum alfa brakes
a set of rear rotors that will need to be turned. - $50 classifieds
then scored the struts on ebay tonight, for $100 shipped

I still need to get the front hubs off a 70-73 (<$50)

then rear hubs redrilled, new front rotors(or gently used) and wheel bearings all around.

am I forgetting something?

[TravisNeff]

lug nuts, front bearing washers & nuts, dust caps, and backing plates (if you decide to use them)

[charliew]

I posted this info already somewhere but anyway I found a bilstein insert thats for both a 911 and 914 boge strut. I did need a gland nut to make them fit. The insert number is F4-P36-0113 HO. The gland nut is B4-B36-U242E2 from bilstein. I found the alfa brembos on ebay in NY. The factory brembos come with a good black coating on them if they are in good shape.

[tat2dphreak]

yes, I believe the early struts I bought, being boge, should take the koni's I already have in my 914