Interest: 5 bolt hubs

[THATDONFC]

It wouldn't be cost effective to machine new hubs. Steel is something like 3 dollars a pound. You need a big chunk of high grade steel to machine hubs out of it. I've researched this. There's just no way you could do it without having it cost a ton of money.

BTW, I work at a machine shop as well...

I'm working on something like this too.

[der affe]

bolt on hubs.. I think if there mad out of steel There wouldnt be a problem. some high grade steel, I wouldn't be to worried. then again you could pay someone that has a fuckn pile 318 or something to test them.
I would ask A rally enthusiast to try them out. Offer two sets, one to test, one to keep and see how it goes, If it works sell them to us. It will make the real 5 lug havin people be that much cooler.
Pretty much they will fly like a volvo lip.

huh??????
if he pulled it off it WOULD be a REAL 5 lug! he isn't talking about adapters.

[Jand3rson]

Think about what you said and then think about it some more.

There's nothing wrong with what he said. In fact, he probably nailed 95% of this board. He didn't say adapters were a real 5 lug setup.

[Jb325is]

Think about what you said and then think about it some more.

What are you going to nitpick me? I know the 5 lug options and so does everyone else so save it.

[z31maniac]

My biggest question has always been why do it at all?

Much larger selection of wheels and bigger brakes? Although the brake issue isn't really a problem with Massive and UUC selling big brake kits.

But a large selection of cheap, OEM wheels is a big one.

Do you know how hard it is to find 4 x 100 wheels wider than 7.5"? There are some, but lots are heavy euro wheels for guys to stretch tires on and 17 x 8+ is basically impossible to find.

[DCColegrove]

My biggest question has always been why do it at all?

[z31maniac]

Why don't all you guys not wanting to spend the money on a real 5 lug setup just run adapters?

Think about what you said and then think about it some more.

[Jb325is]

Why don't all you guys not wanting to spend the money on a real 5 lug setup just run adapters?

[Gnarles]

i came in a little late, but i just wanted to give my take on machining new hubs. i dont know your background or experience, so im writing this as if you were an average joe (joe the plumber maybe?)

it wont be that difficult to design (draw) a new hub that makes all the parts fit together with the correct geometry. 2-3 hours (at most) in pro/e or solidworks, whatever youre using. thats the easy part.

but if you want to provide a product that is as sound and reliable as the oem item, you've got a bit of legwork to do. there are two routes, endless trial and error testing or the current tool of choice -> FEA. either way, you need to know or be able to approximate the forces present at that location. then some stress analysis. then its a bit of an iterative process.. selecting materials and processing (heat treatment, etc) that will give you a part thats strong enough.

the hub, as with many rotating parts, will see a fully reversed loading. its also a critical component. dont want any wheels falling off. so then you need to do a fatigue study.. how many cycles can it withstand, etc? after that you should be good to go, more or less.

dont get me wrong, this project is entirely doable, in fact i plan on doing these types of projects once i have enough $$ to get my own lathe and milling machine. i just want you to be aware of what you might be getting yourself into. as ive hinted, theres a lot of legwork thats done behind the scenes on parts like these. for reference, i work with a group that does structural analysis, and we charge $100/hr for services similar to what you will need to do in order to properly design this part.

here are a couple things you should figure out (and if you figure out #2/3 let me know ;)):
-approximate forces/moments on the hub
-oem hub material
-oem hub hardness (lets you approximate the heat treatment and resulting strength of oem part)

FEA is a good starting point to approximating any design, part sizing and dimensions, but any good program will follow that with a thorough static and fatigue test to hash out any mistakes or incorrect assumptions made during the design phase. There are just too many variables when putting together a finite element model (boundary constraints, load application points, fastener spring rates, etc.) to slap a part on your car without any kind of testing.

Basically, I would not touch a part made by this guy with a ten foot pole, way too much liability.

[Rocla]

The hard part would be finding a supplier for the bearings.

I have removed bearings from front hub of e30 and searched for new bearings, during serach I found out that so have many other e30 owners from early 90's until today and those bearings are not available separately.

Prove me wrong and I'll stop buying new hubs for my cars.

[AndrewBird]

Yes you do, but only the hub. :)

5*120 pattern which is the goal, does not fit inside of the mounting flange of 4*100 e30 front hub. If it would, "everyone" would have redrilled hubs.

I thought that might be an issue. But even still, all you would have to do is change the outside diameter of the hub. Simple.

As far as the bearings go, all they are is roller bearings pressed into the hub from each side (or possible from one side, can't tell just from pictures). The hard part would be finding a supplier for the bearings.

[blunttech]

lee, fear is not attractive on you. dont hate on the competition. there is room in the market for my plywood caliper spacers and your massive kits

[atomic]

The link I posted earlier uses a sleeve adapter between "some OEM BMW hub" and e30 kingpin, I believe its a e36 piece.

But it is not cheap option, you still need new complete brakes and at least 2 custom spacers(one behind the brake disc and one to fit the caliber).

Trust me, if you have no option to make those parts yourself, it cheaper to buy the kit from 300mm.de

So many people ask about those, maybe you Lee shoud desing a 5 bolt kit with radial mount multipiston calipers for stock e30 strut. :)

Your teaser thread seems interesting if that rear option works out to maintain e30 m3 specs...


:mrgreen:

[Rocla]

It

So far, the best idea was the guy, last years who would sleeve the spindles to fit e36 hubs/bearings.

The link I posted earlier uses a sleeve adapter between "some OEM BMW hub" and e30 kingpin, I believe its a e36 piece.

But it is not cheap option, you still need new complete brakes and at least 2 custom spacers(one behind the brake disc and one to fit the caliber).

Trust me, if you have no option to make those parts yourself, it cheaper to buy the kit from 300mm.de

So many people ask about those, maybe you Lee shoud desing a 5 bolt kit with radial mount multipiston calipers for stock e30 strut. :)

[Massive Lee]

It looks like a few guys here have never removed a hub. Otherwise, they would probably have noticed that hubs are also bearings... Good luck to the fabricator of such bearings.

It also seems like the original poster doesn't have much experience with BMWs, and that those who replied positevely don't have much experience wrenching. Otherwise, they would have seen the nonsense of the offer.

So far, the best idea was the guy, last years who would sleeve the spindles to fit e36 hubs/bearings.

Then maybe it is simpler and cheaper to get e36 struts and knuckles...