4 to 5 lug.

[1991 318is]

Has anyone had a failure with 4 lug hubs? It seems that there are a lot of wheels and big brake kits available for the original 4 lug hubs. Is there a compelling reason for going to 5 lug hubs or a limitation that cannot be overcome by any other means? As a relative newbie I am just curious. Also, what is a reasonable cost for the conversion?

[Brew]

Regarding the e30m3 front suspension w/ e36 m3 brakes, the big advantage is original BMW brakes with cheap replacement parts and a ton of aftermarket pad choices. You also get a lot more wheel choices, especially in wider sizes.

[rede30]

i plan to do it for the oem parts, brakes and wheels.

[Jordan]

The 5lug conversion I did is the best bang for the buck with all OEM parts. Hard to beat what I'm running while staying within those guidelines.

[StereoInstaller1]

Aren't the 5 lug hubs much stronger too?

I won't be doing it ever, I really like my wheels. Plus, I drive slow.

Luke

[Jordan]

The wheel bearings are significantly larger, and certainly more rebust.

I just changed one of my e30 M3 front wheel bearings this week (went bad) and then compared it to a 4lug e30 one. No comparison. Both were SKF and the M3 one was much higher quality for sure.

[Dave]

I have heard that some people who track e30s regularly replace front wheel bearings more often. There was an e30 in Roundel a while back that the owner swppped over to m3 5-lugs in part beacuse he and his wife were going through a lot of wheel bearings from track days.

What jordan says tells the story - size does matter in some things.

[Jordan]

Also, I forget the exact number... but the e30 M3 wheel bearing uses the same size ball bearings as the normal e30 one. There are just more of them. I think it was 8 more, or it may have been 12.

[1991 318is]

Bearings?

Can you put the M3 bearings in a regular 4 lug hub?

[diegom6]

The 5lug conversion I did is the best bang for the buck with all OEM parts. Hard to beat what I'm running while staying within those guidelines.

how much costed you all the parts that came from the junkyard car or whatever pieces you used from any car/place? except the newstuff like could be rotors/pads/brake fluid and such.... just wondering how much you spent just in that.

[Jordan]

Less then $1000.

[diegom6]

Less then $1000.

then I think I got almost the whole 318ti compact suspesion kinda cheap. Do you know if the front part will work also, I mean it's the same hub/shock/strut size-diameter as the regular e36? or even the E36 M3?

I'm getting coilover as well.

Now I think I will lose my Koni adjustable front shocks since are inserts and the e36 and 318ti front shocks are one piece and not a insert like the e30 regular....:(

[Jordan]

Do not use e36 front suspension parts. Garbage. Gone over this WAY TOO MANY TIMES.

Do it right or not at all.

[diegom6]

Do not use e36 front suspension parts. Garbage. Gone over this WAY TOO MANY TIMES.

Do it right or not at all.

Yeah, noticed a couple of times you mentioned not use front e36 parts, but never knew what do you used instead or maybe I forogot?

[gazellebeigem3]

e30 m3 front struts!