4lug vs 5lug

[henna 3ree]

i know wheels and brakes are a big reason why people go the 5lug route but i am not sure what to do.

i will be dropping in a s52 with a built dinan super charger to hopfully reach 350 hp. if i get a big brake kit from wilwood and run 4lug is there anything i should be worried about with 4lug. is that to much power not to have the extra lug?

thank you

[travish325]

Lol no thats not to much power

[slammin.e28]

Just remember, it's en extra 4 lugs per car to remove/install. How long do you want to be in pit row?

If you're not first, you're last. Every second counts.

[InuFaye]

just drill out 5 lug BBS wheels.

[IronFreak]

If you do some searching you can get a full 5-lug swap for what you'd pay for that wilwood kit. I just got everything I needed off a 98M for about $200 less then any of the BBK out there. That will be plenty of stopping power for me and I'll have a turbo'd sbf in my car when it's finished.

[IronFreak]

.....I guess I should ask what you plan on using the car for in the first place....If it's a spirited DD, just get good pads and SS lines and call it a day.

[lcoleman]

Sticky tires before big brakes. Remember, the Spece30 guys are running lap after lap with stock brakes and good fluid/pads/ducting.

[ELVA164]

Less lugs, less weight. I think that speaks for itself in performance gains.

[acolella76]

You will be fine with 4 lug and a BBK, and honestly, you are probably better off. From what I hear, with the E36 5-lug swap it is tough to get a proper alignment especially for the track. I might have heard wrong, I might not have, but if it were me I wouldn't trust it. E30 M3 parts won't change anything, though the brakes are only a tiny bit larger and it costs a pretty penny to get your hands on all of the parts needed.

IMO just slap the 4-lug BBK on and go nuts!

Sticky tires before big brakes. Remember, the Spece30 guys are running lap after lap with stock brakes and good fluid/pads/ducting.

SpecE30 guys aren't getting up to the same speeds as a 350hp S52...


And for what it's worth, big brake kits don't necessarily mean increased stopping distance. Their main purpose is to dissipate heat quicker to reduce brake fade. Stopping power is a function of the master cylinder.

And read this: http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/brake_FAQ.htm

[structured]

Sticky tires before big brakes. Remember, the Spece30 guys are running lap after lap with stock brakes and good fluid/pads/ducting.

Sure, but they don't have to do nearly as much slowing down as someone with 350hp in their e30.

Also, many of the spec e30 guys are experienced racers who know how to be efficient with their brakes. An inexperienced driver can easily cook stock e30 brakes on track even without that much power. Having said all that, maybe improving one's driving skill and knowledge would be better than spending all that money on brakes.

[Holland]

I know if the Spec E30 guys could run better brakes they would.

Yes, with sticky tires and race pads a stock E30 system works well. The E30 system is heavy and retains a LOT of heat.

Just because something works doesn't mean it's optimal...

[MR 325]

Let's not compare a 150hp SpecE30 car to a supercharged S52.

The only way I'd do a 5 lug is E36 M3 front and M Coupe rear. I had this setup on my last E30 and the feel was absolutely amazing. The alignment was no issue at all. You could always run it with camber/caster plates as well although I ran stock front strut mounts. I did use the IE camber correction in the rear though.

[blueapplesoda]

stick with 4

[I8UR911]

I didn't see where the OP mentioned racing anywhere.....did I miss something? :/

The 4 lug set up will be just fine for your car; street or track. You can't get a "complete" 5 lug conversion for under the cost of a BBK as most used wheels/tires (that are desired) cost $600-$1000. Then you typically will buy new rotors and pads to install on this used conversion. Its very easy to spend up to $2k on a 5 lug swap when you add EVERYTHING up.

BTW the other reason guys do it is better wheel bearings.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

[F34R]

stick with 4

Uuc bbk works amazing, personally I only see the point of 5 lug is to get better selection of wheels. there's nothing wrong with 4 lug there is plenty of Brake options out there that can handle 350 horsepower. I'm doing an m30 turbo on 4 lug.

4x100 is hard to find popular fitting wheels. You can do bbs rs in 5x120 for half the price of same fitment in 4x100.