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Converting 4x140 to 5x100


Munyac5
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Hi all,

 

Sorry new to this and I've done some searching and wanted to know if anyone out there still have these for sale? Or were I could source the part?

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/138796-4x140-to-5x100-bolt-pattern-adapters/

 

I've just completed a sti conversion into a 92 brumby and the brake/hub conversion is what's left. If I cannot find the adapters is it the whole hub assembly from a early model WRX that I will need to do the conversion?

 

Thanks peeps.

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There are a few options. This (adaptor plate) is the easiest, but is illegal in most (Australian) states. it also helps with the spacing (you will find all factory EJ wheels will be higher offset than your existing wheels, so spacers or aftermarket wheels are necessary). You don't improve your braking here though, so with a STi conversion you have no chance on a pink slip (and rightly so).

 

The second is XT6 hubs - see my (many) posts about the batch I made and sold on here. You can also look for some originals from Japan or the US, but they come up very infrequently. Legality is pretty grey, but it's a sort-of factory solution.

 

The third is making your own hub by machining down a rear drum. I know a guy in Qld who has done this. Legality would be non-existant, but if done well would look original.

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Thanks for the information.

About the adaptor plate yeh sounds easiest but not legal like ur saying. My bro is a mechanic and can pass pink/blue slips but not worth it if I get pulled over and go over pits. As for brakes their 4 pots I'm hoping to put on.

 

Your option regarding XT6, I had a look across eBay and gumtree and found hardly anything worth buying. Do u have any spares that you made or am I hoping someone may sell some if they come up.....?

 

Thought about making my own or getting some quotes however not a lot of places in Syd are keen and due to not much interest don't want to bother.

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I am running 4 pots also. For the fronts you don't need anything beyond the WRX's front struts and some mix-and-matching of top hat, springs, axles and CV's to get the right height and axle width. The back is where you need the XT6 hubs, and the rest is from your donor WRX (again, I am running WRX 2 pots). The only modification you need to do on the back is drill a new hole in the backing plate to match the Brumby trailing arm and elongate the other two holes in the backing plate to centralise the backing plate with the arm (be careful here, as you may think 2 of the 4 holes already line up - they do NOT). And you also need to modify the handbrake setup as your hand brake will now be from the back wheels (drum in disc design) instead of the front. I believe Magna's have a suitable handbrake design.

 

I don't have any XT6 hubs left from the last batch, but I have a new batch being made up and would hope to have them in April. The main difficulty in terms of manufacture are the internal splines (which is why a machined down a rear drum gets you the difficult bit done and then it is "just" drilling 5 new holes to match the PCD).

 

If you are running STi throughout, does that mean you have 5x114.3 PCD ? If that is the case you will need custom hubs to suit as XT6 are 5x100...

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Dean, could you elaborate on the Magna handbrake setup you're talking about. I'm assuming that's a car down under as I've never heard of one on this side of the world. Are you saying you've found cables to work with the stock handbrake lever and rear handbrake setup?

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Magna was a locally-made Mitsubishi Diamante (wide bodied version for AUDM, at the old Chrysler facility when Chrysler went broke for the first time back in 1981). I personally haven't used the Magna set-up, but that was what Crossbred used to recommend as I believe it had the right length and the lever was easy to adapt. Finding a Diamante might be a challenge in the US, from memory it would have been around the time of the short-lived Diamond Star set-up used by Chrysler/Mitsubishi (I don't know what Mitsubishi is like in the US now, locally they are just into 4wds and smaller cars, they don't have a mid-size or larger sedan option).

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88-91 XT6 awd/4wd. Those are the only oem options for 5 lug on the 4wd ea cars. Same year range fwd XT6 fit fwd ea cars.

 

I have found someone who will be selling a fwd 5 lug setup in the next few weeks. Price depending I'll end up with those parts.

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I made axles for my hardtop, found a company that sells the inner and outer cv's new for legacys axles and they matched up with the splines of the ea81 axles that were in the car when I bought it. Bought a 10° ball joint reamer and modded the stock control arms, ej knuckles, modded impreza struts.

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http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Tapered-Ball-Joint-Reamer-10-Degree,29005.html

 

https://febestparts.com/OUTER_CV_JOINT_22X56X27/0810-007

 

https://febestparts.com/INNER_JOINT_22X40X25/0811-1001

 

Those are the parts I used. I highly recommend buying different axle boots. I forget now if it was the inner or outer cv, but one of them came with boots that were too short in length for my liking. The grease in the kit seemed to be good quality, and they've held up well for 15-1600 miles. Which is better luck than I've had from parts store axles lol.

 

You will need to disassemble a pair of axles to make sure these are compatible with the splines on the shaft itself. There were several possibilities for the axles when these things were made. Both of my donor axles were aftermarket, and both worked perfectly. So they may be a one size fits all type deal with the aftermarket axles.

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The third is making your own hub by machining down a rear drum. I know a guy in Qld who has done this. Legality would be non-existant, but if done well would look original.

Is there a thread you could link me to on making the rear hub? I am having to do exactly this and can definitely hack up some drums and machine them at work.

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These parts and mods were used to do the front 5 lug swap on my hardtop while keeping the basic ea81 geometry intact. I have xt6 hubs and brakes on the back, doing it this way I don't have any funky track width mismatch or customized parts like you would using xt6 parts up front too.

 

If I need to replace a control arm, I find another stock ea81 arm and spend 20-25 minutes reaming the ball joint hole and throw it on the car. Need an inner tie rod, buy one for the car and install it same for outer tie rods. Ball joints are any legacy or impreza joint from the parts store, same for the wheel bearings. Basically the most common wear items in the front suspension are 100% oem and available pretty easily.

 

I'm off work tomorrow, I have a few things to take care of. But I'm sure I can find a little time to cover the bases of doing the front this way as opposed to some of the other methods that have been posted on here.

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I don't know the guy who did the cut-down drums option personally, I think he was on ausubaru.com for a while. At its simplest it would be angle grind off the drum excess, machine down the various faces to the correct finish height (look at my thread on making the XT6 hubs for a dimensional drawing), weld up the 4 existing holes and drill 5 new holes.

 

I'll dig a drum out and compare it to one of my XT6 hubs to see if there is sufficient meat to do it safely.

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  • 4 weeks later...

So if you where to swap it with the XT6 hubs, are they kind of just plug and play like do they just bolt on the same as the old 4x140 or do you have to change something? Because I also read that you can change them into older impreza hubs and knuckles but as far as I can tell there it looks kind of demanding in the sense that the knuckles are different looking in mounting styles too....SOMEONE HELP

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Yeah, you can not get the XT6 hub any longer. I am looking into making not only the adapters but the hubs as well. I will keep everyone posted about the process. Just looking into the task of doing it.

The adapters would allow the newer wheels and tire size without modification of the vehicle. You could just keep everything the way it is.

But with the upgrade to the hubs for the rear and changing the front to a newer knuckle and axle you can upgrade your rotors and brakes. I like both ways, but the adapters are easier but if your are getting into performance and racing or four wheeling than the upgraded brakes is a plus. 

Edited by Naked Buell
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83subaruGLchick, the rear is almost plug and play with the XT6 hubs (a little drilling and running handbrake cables). The front is Impreza struts including hubs/knuckle and is mix-and-match'ing the right CV inners and outers.

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