Has anyone ever successfully changed sierra/sapphire/escort from 4 to 5 bolt wheel pattern?

There seems to be very limited choices when it comes to wheels for these cars and was thinking of a change to BMW 5 stud fitment.

I'm not after the nasty spacer stud route, but thinking about modifying/replacing hubs.

Can anyone help?

 

There is no straightforward way as the bolt patterns clash between 4 and 5 stud patterns what ever way you try

I have a set of 4x4 -4 stud hubs which are currently with a machine shop being converted to BMW 5 stub fitment so that I can fit a set of BBS split rims - this is being done as a favor to me and might still not happen if the machinists are not happy with the end result.

I sat with an engineer and the only way we could come up with was to cut a thread on the centre of the hub where the disc and wheel locate then spin on a seperate machined hub with a 5 bolt pattern which as a result also fattens out the centre to suit the larger hub centre that BMW use to make them hub centric with the BMW wheel

Welding was a no no due to potential distortion and disimilar metals ( the hubs are cast) - It could be done but I didnt want to take the risk

The new hub will then also be held to the old hub with grub screws set at a lower alternate 5 hole pcd pattern

Difficult to describe so here is a pic



A reverse thread will be used on one axle side so that as the car goes forward the hubs do not try to undo themselves - a bit like Old jag spinners

I am then using e36 M3 front discs and Brembo calipers from an 850

Granadas came with a 5 hole 110 pcd fitment and these hubs will fit Sierras but again few wheels come in this pattern and these holes still clash with the 5 hole 120 pcd BMW pattern so adapters are difficult to fabricate

These are the wheels I want to use



The machinists could have fabricated a new set of hubs but reproducing the inner splines would be very expensive

 

Thanks for showing me how much is involved!

I was hoping not having anything to adapt and therefore push the offset out.

Do you think you may run into problems with the new wheels fouling the arches?

I may just have to stick to my current wheels

 

They are going on a 4x4 3dr so I may have to trim the arches - measuring up it looks as if they will just fit without mods but until I get the new hubs made its difficult to tell 100%

 

Dunno how you'd get on in Australia BUT I am sure the correct way to do it is to use granada hubs.

You'd be better waiting untill Marco see's this as he mentioned it to me ages ago as he was gonna do it to blue thunder.


I am sure he said he'd got all the stuff to do it too

Jake

 

Thanks Jake,

I should of mentioned it in the title but I was after BMW fitment (to fit an 8x18 inch BBS wheel) From my understanding you cant redrill the Granada hub as a.k.a says above.

Would be interested in what Marco is/was going to do

 

The problem with the grannie hubs is that as the holes are 110 pcd if you tried to drill them to 120 the new holes are right at the outer edge of the existing hub - ie hardly any metal between the hole and the outer edge of the hub

If you could find a jap 5 stud wheel they are something like 114pcd so the grannie hubs could possibly be adapted and still leave enough metal around the outer edge

BBS split rim Lms in jap fit could be a solution along with grannie hubs

remember though that you also have to find a suitable disc or resort to discs and bells - costs start rising then though and it starts to be uneconomical

 

Is this what we are talking about? As I already have seperate bells, its not a problem.


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Genuine-Fo...QQcmdZViewItem

 

upski

 

I wonder if it would be possible to drill a PCD of 5x112 in the bare metal(if i was to use Granada/Scorpio hubs) and then weld/fill up the old holes and repaint?



The lengths I go to be individual!!

If I was able to do this, I know where I can buy these 2nd hand and at least half the price new BBS LMs

 

speak to your insurance company first to see if they are happy to cover you with some old granada hubs redrilled?

 

no not redrilling the granada hubs, redrill the wheel.

I seem to recall Genesis Engineering possibly being able to do this.

 

BBS LM's are wank! who would fit those on a car

 

Yes Porkie the are wank!!! (Hoping no-one wants to put them on a Sierra)

 

whoops just seen the back of an LM:



Back to the drawing board, back to 5/112 standard fitments! ...and price!!!

 

I much prefer the RK03