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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - 5-lug conversion

I was wondering if anyone has seen or heard of a person doing a 5-lug conversion on a MGB?

I am planning out my V8 and someone in another thread had mentioned converting to 5lug hubs. Can it be done?? I want to retailn the stock MGB suspension as much as possible, but goind 5lug would greatly open up wheel options..

I will be using a Ford rear axle, so that would be easier to do than changing to mgb...
Larry Embrey

Larry,
The 8 inch Ford rear axle is available with MGB PCD if you use the Maverick or Comet 6 cylinder version, so no need to change for that reason. If you feel you must go to 5 lug, the hubs from early Porsche 911's fit directly on MG spindles and they have vented disks, but they have 130 mm PCD.
HTH, George B.
George B.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is PCD?? I will be using a Ford rear, so all I will have to do is have it shortened and then have the stock mustang spine pattern put back on and remount the mustang hubs.

Here is the background - I was going to keep my stock mgb lubs and put some fancy wheels on it, but I have decided I want to keep the car looking as bone stock as possible. So, I was thinking of staying with Rostyles, but they cannot accomodate wider tires. By going with a Mustang 5 lug setup, I can get wheels that look like stock MGB wheels but are much wider.. I wonder is there is a way to conver the mgb hub to 5 lug, maybe go to a maching shop??

I want to be really sneaky so those Mustang and F-body folks don't see me coming!! HEHE
Larry Embrey

PCD is the bolt circle diameter, easily measured on a 4 lug wheel, more involved on 5 lugs. Just have wider rims installed on your Rostyles.
George B.

Another way to approach the problem would be to forget narrowing the rear end and let the wheel offset handle the width; then use a four to five lug adapter on the front of a thickness equal to half the difference between the MG rear end and the Ford so both ends of the car use the same offset. I wouldn't do it because I don't like using wheel adapters.
George B.

The Nissan 300zx begining in 1984 had an irs rear suspension. The non turbo models had the same four lug bolt pattern as the MG. In 87 or 86 all 300's went to a 5 lug pattern. It would seem likely that these pieces would make a good starting point for an irs rear suspension.
Barry
Barry Parkinson

Lots of good ideas! I was contemplating possibly taking parts from my donor car to a machine shop and having them converted to 5 lug mustang pcd or maybe even have new hubs fabricated (who knows if enough people want it maybe I can sell a few?), but I am now worried about the offset as well. I have a buddy with the mustang wheels I want so I can do some measuring to see if it will even work.
Where can I find those 4->5 adapters?

How much do you think it would run to get wider rims put on my rostyles? I have a set from my donor car, which I will be using to conver from wires anyway. I am thinking a 6 or 7" wide rim.

THANKS for the input guys!
Larry Embrey

Barry,
The Nissan 240SX IRS might be a good choice as well. It has a sub-frame that could make conversion easier,
especially for someone having to do rust repairs anyway.
George B.

Larry,
Pep Boys and the like used to sell wheel adapters, don't know if they still do. Shops that specialize in fancy wheels may have them, as many Japanese cars had the MGB PCD and the owners wanted cheaper alloy wheels than were offered by the dealers and these wheels were five lug. Many on this list would be interested in aluminum hubs that could be drilled for their choice of PCD's on the outside and their choice of rotors on the inside.
I had my wheels widened years ago at a company called Big Wheels in Santa Ana, California, and don't know the current prices. There should be places in Washington that do the same thing for hot rodders. You could go to 15 inch wheels with this approach and be able to use bigger brakes.
George B.

Stockton wheel in stockton CA. will make wider wheels for you any width no half sizes, they will even make 15" wheels out of some 14". They cut the welds from the centers and reweld new rims. The cost last time i checked was $80.00 a piece plus shipping i figured out about $100.00 a piece $400.00 for a set. uhhhhh too much money for old steel wheels. But if you want wider rostiles check them out.www.stocktonwheel.com
romney

This thread was discussed between 14/07/2000 and 15/07/2000

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