4 to 5 lug conversion

[ebox86]

Dude shop around some more. That's a lot of money just for a motor and tranny. I'm sure you could find a better deal.

Yea it is a lot of money, but honestly having not been in the S52/S50 market for very long, just though that was the going rate for one of these engines with the tranny. And in such good shape its in too.

Im not rushing out by any means to go pick one up just phishing for prices and availability really.

[mother_russia]

well if im going to throw money at this car, it might as well be for performance boost, i might as well start saving for my S52 swap :-)

a la http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/3580706792.html

Dude shop around some more. That's a lot of money just for a motor and tranny. I'm sure you could find a better deal.

[ebox86]

well if im going to throw money at this car, it might as well be for performance boost, i might as well start saving for my S52 swap :-)

a la http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/3580706792.html

[mother_russia]

Here you go.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/pts/3525458548.html

[ebox86]

You still didn't answer my question peanut lol
If you are going for a bbk, then yeah 5 lug is totally worth it. If you're doing it just for wheels, than maybe a adapters might be a cheaper alternative.

Yea i mean i think a BBK is kinda asking to be done with a mod like this. It had been in my mind when considering this. Going with the e32 25mm MC too.

Adapters are a very viable and easy solution if you're on a budget. It's really all a matter of personal preference. Not saying to go one way or the other, but obviously, I'm biased towards a full 5 lug set up.

OP, do whatever makes you happy :up:

Well yea it does seem to be personal preference but i just wanted to make sure from some people that this mod, (when done properly) doesn't really screw up the car that much. My concern is alignment after its done, and rubbing.. I really want to do it, but i just have a gut feeling that its just a can of worms ready to pop open with problems after its done.

:-/

[e30austin]

Adapters are a very viable and easy solution if you're on a budget. It's really all a matter of personal preference. Not saying to go one way or the other, but obviously, I'm biased towards a full 5 lug set up.

OP, do whatever makes you happy :up:

[AbeSonic]

You still didn't answer my question peanut lol
If you are going for a bbk, then yeah 5 lug is totally worth it. If you're doing it just for wheels, than maybe a adapters might be a cheaper alternative.

[e30austin]

Spent the majority of the day working on my front suspension. I love how easy the E36 M3 stuff is to work on. Has a removable spindle (ie, the strut unbolts from the hub, etc) so that makes changing struts/springs cake work.

If you've ever removed front suspension, that's really all you need to do. E30/E36 M all bolts up with no modification. Even the rear isn't that hard. It's recommended that you drop the subframe and just do rear subframe bushings at the same time as the trailing arms ("while you're in there",) but you don't necessarily have to.

$1200 is roughly what my stuff ran. Obviously, if you buy good used struts, wheel bearings, brakes, etc, you can cut the cost down. My E38 style 5s were about $300 and tires were another $300, so total, about $2k. Worth it though. My E36 M brakes are fucking massive. Overkill? Maybe. Never hurts to have big brakes though, especially if you drive like an asshole!

Also, what I meant about using your E30 springs was that you run E30 springs all around, even if you use E36 front struts. They're the same size as E36 springs and will work. I wasn't trying to imply that you re-use your worn out 26+ year old springs :P

[ebox86]

Well i feel as though if i'm gonna put money on the brakes/suspension, i might as well just put it toward a 5lug and get it out of the way... i dunno

Also found that the 96-99 M3 spindles are needed for proper caster/wheel orientation

[EN318isPDX]

Unless you plan to turbo an M50 or swap an S5X, stock brakes are good

Not sure the history of your car but id recommend refreshing brakes and upgrading the suspension first and once you feel you have too much power for the stock brakes then go 5 lug.

[ebox86]

Alright i'm looking around. Sorry i didn't mean to be like that guy who doesn't know how to use the search, i have actually been researching this for a couple months now, I was trying to pick up a more local vibe from people who have taken the plunge and done it.

I did see a couple threads from that link that showed people's dislike for the conversion and some saying they would have rather stayed with 4. One guy saying that it made him more sluggish and sloppy, and i can understand that with the heavier wheels and all but what really concerns me is some people saying that you will rub at full lock even with spacers in the front. For a daily driver, that is somewhat of a concern.

I mean i think i am still down to do the convo, more research is still to be had, but if the cards fall in my favor and I do a swap sometime this year, i think it would all in all be worth it.

Why do you want to go 5 lug? Do a little snooping through here to get an idea for what your up against.
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=133

[EN318isPDX]

Why do you want to go 5 lug? Do a little snooping through here to get an idea for what your up against.
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=133

Agreed, the stock E30 brakes are really good, I am running them with M50 and have little brake fade even when driving it like a madman

[AbeSonic]

Why do you want to go 5 lug? Do a little snooping through here to get an idea for what your up against.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=133

[ebox86]

Yea that does seem to be the most daunting part of this now that i think about it. Im going to have to borrow someone's garage when i do plan on doing this job.....

Hard to say what offset wheels you will need and what will work. I'd give them a year and see what happens



I'd say the hardest part is going to be removing the rear subframe

[EN318isPDX]

Yea I think the Ergen ones allow the mounting of a Big Brake kit. They just came out with it and it seems to be just like a stock hub that fits onto the mount on your original struts, i have not contacted them for information yet.

Hard to say what offset wheels you will need and what will work. I'd give them a year and see what happens

wow 1200! thats it! with wheels and tires it will probably be more like 2200, if not 2400, but i think it will totally be worth it.

I am wary of using my original springs as i think they're original and worn.

How much work was install?

On a scale from Pain in the ass to Pain in the ass, but worth it, what would you rate the project?

I'd say the hardest part is going to be removing the rear subframe