Keep the 6 lug, or go get the 5 lug?

[Speedwagon]

87 Brat. I have the 6 lug conversion on it currently. I also have heavy as hell steel Pajero wheels on it, and I'm searching for lighter weight alloy wheels. I also have the EA82 front crossmember on my Brat, and the EA82 rear struts (though still stock rear everything else).

 

However, while walking through the junkyard today, I found a complete XT6.

 

So keep the 6 lug, and keep searching for new wheels (like the old SR5 wheels)? Or get the XT6 bits, and go 5 lug with some Outback wheels?

 

I think, if I've read correctly, the front XT6 parts will be fairly easy on my EA82 crossmember. I'm not clear though if the rear will work. I want to widen the rear anyways, with an EA82 subframe(?). So I don't know if I can snag the XT6 one and bolt it up (with widening the lift blocks to match).

 

Things of note for my current setup:

I need new brakes in the rear, and at least the rear 2 struts are shot. One of the front ones may be shot as well. So I already need to replace struts.

 

edit:

Let's see if I have this correct. If I do the 5 lug conversion, for the front, I can:

Use the XT6 control arms, tie rod ends, and calipers, to keep my front ebrake.

Use the hub, rotor, spindle, and struts off an Impreza. If I get the FWD Impreza axle, it should fit both my 5spd D/R trans (23 spline), and the Impreza hub.

 

For the rear, the XT6 bits will bolt up to my EA81. However, I want to grab the entire rear assembly. Rear subframe, brakes, struts(mine are shot), and axles. All of this should fit my Brat, once I modify my lift blocks to accept the wider subframe.

 

Do I have it correct?

Edited December 15, 2016 by Speedwagon

[Numbchux]

No easy answer. But here are some pros and cons.

 

 

There are way more wheel options available for the 6-lug. 5x100 is relatively rare by comparison. That said, most of those 6-lug options have much lower offset/backspacing, so if that's not your cup of tea, your a bit limited to basically the import 6-lug options (still Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, etc.), but I think those are still more common than 5x100. But I'm assuming since your talking about wider track width, you're probably not too concerned with keeping everything under the body work.

 

5-lug swap requires a lot more parts, basically the entire front suspension. Control arms, knuckles, brakes, axles, tie rod ends (assuming you're already running an EA82 steering rack to go with that crossmember), struts, etc.

 

2 options there.

Use the XT6 knuckles, brakes. That way you're using as many parts as possible from that one donor car.

You'll be limited to XT6 front pads and rotors (IIRC there's a cavalier option for rotors that works...), so parts aren't any less rare than what you've got.

Those calipers will have ebrake mechanisms, if you want to retain the front ebrake.

Assuming you have a transmission with 23-spline output, there will be no simple axle option. Either hybrid XT6-outer, 23-spline inner. Or one of a few options to use the rare 23-spline EJ axle option (inner wheel seal is different between EJ and XT6), or swapping 25-spline stubs into your trans.

That donor car will have air struts (unless it's already been converted), so you'll have to get your hands on EJ complete strut/spring assemblies, and then modify them for the XT6 knuckles.

You can probably dial in the correct toe with EJ tie rod ends, so that part is more easily available.

 

Use the XT6 control arms as the intermediary to allow EJ knuckles and such.

Obviously you will have to source a whole slew of other parts.

I've heard there's a combination that will allow the XT6 calipers to bolt to some EJ caliper bracket (I think 2-piston, but I haven't confirmed that) to retain the front ebrake. Makes the pads and rotors common.

Still have an axle challenge, but makes the '93-'94 5MT FWD Impreza application an easy option.

Will require EA81 tie rod ends to dial in the toe (you also get better ackerman angle, but you probably won't notice on a lifted rig).

EJ struts will bolt on.

Some people have reported an axle length vs control arm length issue. I've done it many times and never seen it.....but beware and/or research.

 

 

 

Rear doesn't yield almost any of those challenges. It's basically just a brake swap.

 

I can't speak to the details of using an EA82/XT6 rear crossmember in an EA81, but I can say that the XT6 one is interchangeable with the EA82s. It will have sway bar mounts, just like an EA82t, but I'm betting you're not concerned with that.

[wagonist]

Unless you really cannot find another rear end to suit your vehicle, then I'd avoid the swap to the later model rear subframe. Despite that they look similar, they are nothing alike & you're just creating work for yourself.

There are also some geometry problems that the earlier models didn't have due to the angled inner arms. I've never liked that the suspension, under normal working conditions, twists & deforms the suspension bushes.

[dfoyl]

I would say there are more 5x100 options than 6-stud for a BRAT sized vehicle. Most of the 6-stud are big heavy wheels for big heavy 4wds. Only the earlier utes have suitable wheels and even they are overkill.

 

5x100 you have Subaru, Toyota, VW-Audi (with a couple of exceptions in the larger PCD), Chrysler.

 

5x100 on a BRAT will have a problem with track however, as the offset is higher in pretty much all of the above. The VW/Audi/Chrysler options are probably your best as the others will sit ~20mm inboard of what you have stock. Spacers are an option but it's additional cost.

 

Either way, I'd grab the XT6 rear end bits and put them aside. At some point you may want to upgrade from the dinky brakes that were stock, and XT6 is the best way forward.