4 Lug to 5 Lug Conversion

airdwayne · 10-31-2005

has anyone ever converted their 4 lug, 2.3L mustang to 5 lug? i have seen kits in catalogs but will they work for a 2.3L? they all say something about 5.0L. i have read a conversion from 2.3 to 5.0 and that requires alot. iam just interested in changing to 5 lug so i can have 5 lug, 5 spoke crager ss mags. thanks for the input.

flyin 5.8 · 10-31-2005

go here and read up. You can get 5 lug cheep by using 4cyl Ranger parts if you really want to keep the poor proformance of the 4cyl brakes. IMHO if you plan to ever make the car faster than stock...UPGRADE THE BRAKES, the stock brakes are barley good enough for street driving.

for more upgrade info go here

Remember, for every $1 you spend to go faster, spend at least $.25 to make it stop.

airdwayne · 11-01-2005

ok, i get what i would need. but i am still lost on would it work. every kit and everywhere i have seen online, it says to convert your 5.0 from 4 lug to 5 lug. would it still work even if my car is a 2.3? i know what i want. i want Crager wheels with bf goodwrench radial t/a tires. if i bought the conversion kit from 50resto.com, for $399, would it work on my 4 cylinder? thank you for any replys.

speedytang · 11-01-2005

You can not use the $399 kit because you need 5.0 spindles first. The best way for you would be the 94-95 conversion because you need spindles anyways. To use the 4cyl rotors you need the 5.0 spindles also I think from a article in this months Car Craft Magazine.

flyin 5.8 · 11-01-2005

If they make a kit for and '83 or older 5.0 it should work. If not you can get 5 lug by finding the parts yourself. (4cyl ranger rotors, rear axles & drums). read up on the first site I posted...all your answers are there.

airdwayne · 11-03-2005

i havent seen any for 83 and older. what if i bought 5.0 spindles? would they fit on my 2.3? if they do i could use the 399 kit? i dont really know much about mustangs so i apologize for all the questions. thanks for the replys so far and thanks again for any replys soon to come.

flyin 5.8 · 11-03-2005

Short answer... yes. You will also need 5.0 (or 73mm Lincoln/SVO) calipers, pads, brake hoses & wheel bearings, possibly new struts & more that I can't think of right now.

If you really want to use the 4cyl brakes you can buy the rotors & drums from an '83-'92 2wd/4cyl Ranger for about $40 each (total ~$160) and (2) drivers side axles from the same ranger or (2) passener side axles from '86-'97 Aerostar (or 1 of each) for ~$40 each from a pick-a-part. Just by finding this stuff yourself you can save ~$150. That $150 will buy the new pads & shoes you should put on anyway plus new wheel bearings, all the fluids you will need and the tools you'll need to do the job (if you don't have them).

What year is your car & do you plan to do the conversion yourself?

airdwayne · 11-05-2005

my stang is an 89'. i planned on doing it myself but i think i changd my mind. what i really want is a 5.0 mustang coupe. i will just buy the pony wheels with the 4 lug pattern for right now. i will definantly think about it more and do i decide to go with it, i will take yours and everyones advice. Thanks!

flyin 5.8 · 11-06-2005

Just to let you know, the 5 lug swap for a 5.0 is almost the same. The rear uses the same parts (Ranger/aerostar axles & drums) but for the front you'd need rotors from a mid 80's Lincoln Continental, Lincoln Mark VII (85-91), or '84-'86 SVO.