I'm digging the wide 5 exposed hub. Should I wide 5 my ride? I'm assuming it'll be a full bearing, disc, etc to swap it. Thanks for any opinions. Keith
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
I'm digging the wide 5 exposed hub. Should I wide 5 my ride? I'm assuming it'll be a full bearing, disc, etc to swap it. Thanks for any opinions. Keith
There were several threads on doing such a conversion - It's not a cheap conversion and you are definitively limiting your choice of available wheels. I like the aluminum wide 5 rims but man are the $$$$$.
Here's one - but do a search on "Wide 5" or "Wide 5 conversion" for more-
https://www.speedsterowners.com/forum/readmsg.asp?t=16293
Here's one - but do a search on "Wide 5" or "Wide 5 conversion" for more-
https://www.speedsterowners.com/forum/readmsg.asp?t=16293
I'm still debating the look... I'd definately go stock steel looking.
it can be done for the cheap if you swap to drums. a lot more if you want wide5 discs
1967 drums, shoes, hardware
some mods to the 4 bolt rear drum is required to use a splined spacer.
i have lots of pics of the how to on my site.
1967 drums, shoes, hardware
some mods to the 4 bolt rear drum is required to use a splined spacer.
i have lots of pics of the how to on my site.
If you're running discs up front and have an extra half inch of room under your fenders, get a set of four lug to wide five lug adapters, hide them under wheels-skinz and done ! ! !
The wheel-skinz "thing" looks like this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/wheel2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/wheel1.jpg
If you have a machine shop close by, drill the rear drums for the wide five pattern, OR just grab up a pair of '67 rear drums and done. They fit the later IRS cars but have the wide five pattern. If you're running drums all the way around, substitute the wide five front and rear drums from a '67 for your four lugs and you're all set.
I THINK that the '67 ran short axles (swing) in which case you'll just need to add a couple of inner bearing spacers to the OUTSIDE of the drum to lengthen the "snout" for the longer IRS axles.
You can do this swap on a budget, just gotta source things out. OR you can buy a kit somewhere on line, I'm sure.
Luck,
TC
The wheel-skinz "thing" looks like this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/wheel2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/wheel1.jpg
If you have a machine shop close by, drill the rear drums for the wide five pattern, OR just grab up a pair of '67 rear drums and done. They fit the later IRS cars but have the wide five pattern. If you're running drums all the way around, substitute the wide five front and rear drums from a '67 for your four lugs and you're all set.
I THINK that the '67 ran short axles (swing) in which case you'll just need to add a couple of inner bearing spacers to the OUTSIDE of the drum to lengthen the "snout" for the longer IRS axles.
You can do this swap on a budget, just gotta source things out. OR you can buy a kit somewhere on line, I'm sure.
Luck,
TC
Come to think of it, I wonder why more folks who want five-bolt discs and their choice of wheels haven't considered (forgive me) Chevy S-10 brakes?
I know. I'm a dummy. ;)
I know. I'm a dummy. ;)
Keith, I didn't know what I wanted for the rest of the car before I started looking at Wide Fives. I literally bought my wheels and then made the rest of the car match them for an overall aesthetic.
I drafted the whole redesign after buying the wheels. Odd, huh?
I did find that I could get bolt-on 914 Wide-5 brake rotors and such for the entire car for not a lot of money. As it happened, a full set fell in my lap for $500 from a guy who didn't want to use them on his own ride, and I'm still using the front set. The rears offered a complication with braking but had a hand-brake benefit of each brake being independently cabled. That was nice, but not worth not being able to stop.
I have since reverted the rear brakes to Wide-5 drums. One is allegedly off of a 356, and the other is said to be from an early Beetle. Both are secondhand, and I couldn't tell you which is which. Both work fine, and the 'Dub brake was probably a lot cheaper when purchased; I don't know for sure, since I traded fabrication work for the set.
Wide-5 is doable. It looks good. There are several more wheel options for the four-lug pattern, but it's a four-lug pattern. If you haven't firmly decided to go that route, come to a show where you can see the mechanicals under the straight-bodied, Wide-5 cars, and see if that's something you're okay with doing and riding around on.
Like so many other things here, there so many decisions to make that you'll ultimately just have to set a course toward the overall package and slowly work your way toward that goal. The trick is to make decisions that don't involve re-engineering your whole car just to get the appearance you want.
I drafted the whole redesign after buying the wheels. Odd, huh?
I did find that I could get bolt-on 914 Wide-5 brake rotors and such for the entire car for not a lot of money. As it happened, a full set fell in my lap for $500 from a guy who didn't want to use them on his own ride, and I'm still using the front set. The rears offered a complication with braking but had a hand-brake benefit of each brake being independently cabled. That was nice, but not worth not being able to stop.
I have since reverted the rear brakes to Wide-5 drums. One is allegedly off of a 356, and the other is said to be from an early Beetle. Both are secondhand, and I couldn't tell you which is which. Both work fine, and the 'Dub brake was probably a lot cheaper when purchased; I don't know for sure, since I traded fabrication work for the set.
Wide-5 is doable. It looks good. There are several more wheel options for the four-lug pattern, but it's a four-lug pattern. If you haven't firmly decided to go that route, come to a show where you can see the mechanicals under the straight-bodied, Wide-5 cars, and see if that's something you're okay with doing and riding around on.
Like so many other things here, there so many decisions to make that you'll ultimately just have to set a course toward the overall package and slowly work your way toward that goal. The trick is to make decisions that don't involve re-engineering your whole car just to get the appearance you want.
Attachments
Images (3)
Why do I think a VW wide five is way bigger diameter pattern than a VW ;)
The conversion can't be hard. I've seen Bugs at the strip with Chevy patterns and wheels.
Not that I'd be all-in for something like that, but there are a HUGE variety of Chebby-patterned wheels out there.
Not that I'd be all-in for something like that, but there are a HUGE variety of Chebby-patterned wheels out there.
I'm looking for that classic Speedster look, I'm not after the modern wheel look at all.
I have a set of 5 bolt chromies available
Alan, sene me what you want for them if they are in great shape. I am putting a budget together. The more I see wide fives, the more I like them.
Alan, sene me what you want for them if they are in great shape. I am putting a budget together. The more I see wide fives, the more I like them.
From a strength aspect the wide 5 rim and drum are stronger.
A must if your gonna road course a 356 replica hard.
The stress in a sharpe curve on the rims is brutal I've seen bearings fail from it also. and the the spline bore on the drums waler out if the gland nut's are not touqred well..
Things to concider when you begin! If your Aggresive..
How are you going to use or abuse your car??
A must if your gonna road course a 356 replica hard.
The stress in a sharpe curve on the rims is brutal I've seen bearings fail from it also. and the the spline bore on the drums waler out if the gland nut's are not touqred well..
Things to concider when you begin! If your Aggresive..
How are you going to use or abuse your car??
I definitely do not beat on any of my cars. I don't like auto crossing cars that are not race cars.
Well thats good. when i was younger I tended to work um hard in the curves. I use to just love to play on curvey roads.. to see what i could do with a bug. I do love this car so i respect her and take pretty good care of it .
My pop use to say make it Bulldog strong , the best you can may still not be good enough. So I tend to over engineer things to make um last..
My pop use to say make it Bulldog strong , the best you can may still not be good enough. So I tend to over engineer things to make um last..
If you want the "classic" look, don't go with wide 5s. Stick to the chromey moon hubcabs and save some money, time, aggravation. The wide 5s should be reserved for a "race" or "outlaw" look.
That is true Barry im running 4 lugs on my D with the crested disc brake moons.. As i said i love this car. But then again If you like the bigger early moons and the the early no hole chrome or painted rims they sure look nastalgic.. even more so with the whitewalls and they are bulldog strong..
Actually; even with the smoothies on you can tell when the rim is wide five or not; there's a slight difference (like 8 slots vs 10, if I remember correctly).
I'm running an IRS setup... I couldn't fit the wide 5's with the 1/2" wheel adapter .... So sticking with the smoothies.
smoothies don't have holes. those are regular steel wheels (or Mangle replicas)
i have IRS and it can be made to work with 1967 drums with very minimal backspacing changes. you'd still need to run the skinnies on a std body (4.5", not the 5.5")
i have IRS and it can be made to work with 1967 drums with very minimal backspacing changes. you'd still need to run the skinnies on a std body (4.5", not the 5.5")