Got myself into an interesting situation with the Celica. (1985 GT) I am converting an explorer 8.8 for replacement of the tiny twig that's back there now. The issue I have is my rim lug pattern setup.
The 8.8 is 5x114.3. The Celica is 4x114.3. I currently have 4x114.3 wheels, but something has got to give, and I'd like it done in a way that is cheap AND still allows me to use a spare without purchasing and carrying two different rims in the car.
I could: redrill the 8.8 axles for 4x114.3 (some day I would like to get 15" rims, and 5x114.3 has more options!) however my current rims won't work since they are hub centric. The ford axle is hub centric too, but has a much larger hub bore 70.3mm versus the celica's 60.1mm.
I could get two different rims, Cragar makes soft 8's in both lug patterns. So I'd have matching rims, but eff me if I get a flat!
I could get a sweet set of ford ranger rims in 15" that would solve the back end, but the celica's front would need adapters to 5x114.3, and hardly anyone makes them, and the ones I do find are 200-300$.
What's a guy to do (cheaply)?
Sell the exploder diff and go pick up a 4 lug 7.5 or 8.8. You don't need the 31 spline diff anyway. Those late 80s Mustang diffs are easy to find and should be close to the right width. The 7.5 limited slip stuff is getting expensive and harder to find.
Oh ho ho! You think that measly 22re is staying in there? Built 1uzfe ready to go in once the axle is sorted. 31 spline is already built. So no, I won't be getting rid it.
Just get a stock 79-93 Mustang 8.8, they are already 4x114.3. 87-88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe if you insist on crappily discs.
1UZwhatever, there's guys that have pushed 800 ft lbs through stock 8.8's into the 8's in the quarter.
How far do you drive it from home? I'd keep a spare for the front, and deal with it if you get a flat on the rear. Keep a pack of plugs in the glove box. The probability of getting a flat is low...and the probability of having a flat AND having a problem is much lower...it's cut in half if you carry a front spare. It reduced again if your prepared to fix the most common failure. What's the worse that can happen?...you limp it to a safe place and get a taxi/buddy/neighbor ride home to pick up a spare for the rear??? Stop worrying and enjoy the car!
Unless you put an elephant in the back seat, you won't need a 31 spline. Not enough weight, no matter what the HP, to snap a 28 spline axle. Since its already built, you have to go 5 lug. Start looking for front hubs that share the same wheel bearings as your car and maybe you can do a 5 lug conversion on the front. If you get lucky, you might find a hub for trailer axles that will work. If you find a hub, but the bearings are larger, you can sleeve the spindle to match the inner diameter of the larger bearings. Wilwood has measured drawings of the aluminum hubs they make for brake kits. I've found it to be very helpful in trying to match up swappable hubs to get different bolt patterns. For instance, A body front hubs can be used with a little machining on TR8s, but you still end up with the tiny wheel bearings. Theres a 5X4.5 lug trailer hub that cost around $30 that can be made to work as well. The key is the wheel bearings in trying to match these things up.
Where's all the hate coming from?!?!? I got my DRUM 8.8 for 50$. It narrows easily for the width of my chassis. The mustang is too narrow/wide. I don't remember because it's pointless.
Anyone else wanna actually try and help my problem rather than tell me to "go get a new axle/trans/car/etc". Buncha haters on here tonight.
In reply to wheels777:
I'm pretty sure I'm not putting trailer ANYTHING on this car. It's not a daily, but I do drive it A LOT.
Anything from the yota parts bin that uses 5 lug hubs? It's that or re-drilling the hub.
I might look into redrilling. Gotta call my fab guy in the morning. If it's too spendy I'll just run different rims. I'm too cheap.
You can't get aftermarket 31 spline 4 lug axles? Also, if you're going to get your axles redrilled, having them take the centering ring down probably wouldn't cost much extra. Or you could get the front hubs drilled for 5 lug.
edit: Thinking more about how that part of the axle is shaped taking 10mm off would probably eliminate the ring, I think you could just grind it flush with the brake rotor and run lug centric.
That's a cool idea, and my
Current rims are lug centric. However, isn't there some thing about the lug nuts doing all the work? Do they need to be lug centric style lugs, designed for bearing the force? Or does that not matter? 
4 lug 31 spline axles are BIG money. Like 250$ an axle plus shipping. And then they need to be the correct length.
Unless we're talking about flat face lug nuts, you do not need a hub ring to locate the wheel. The lugs aren't holding the car up either, the friction between the wheel and hub is, generated by the force from the torqued lugs.
Grab rotors from the pull a part for 2wd Toyota pickup. Same lug pattern, and see if you can figure something out.
How hard/dangerous is it to redrill front hubs???
Trackmouse wrote:
Where's all the hate coming from?!?!? I got my DRUM 8.8 for 50$. It narrows easily for the width of my chassis. The mustang is too narrow/wide. I don't remember because it's pointless.
Anyone else wanna actually try and help my problem rather than tell me to "go get a new axle/trans/car/etc". Buncha haters on here tonight.
So you're excited about changing the dimension of an Explorer 8.8 but the Mustang 8.8 is all wrong because you might have to narrow it?
Sounds like you know you need to build an axle and one of the best supported axles is out there just waiting to be snatched up and resized to your needs. Instead you're doing this? I guess you could try and find some wheel adapters for the fronts, which I think I'd rather do vs. re-drilling the front.
8.8 from the exploder is stronger than a mustang, bigger tubes and all. Keep it and redrill the stock axels. Done.
Trackmouse wrote:
In reply to wheels777:
I'm pretty sure I'm not putting trailer ANYTHING on this car. It's not a daily, but I do drive it A LOT.
Not sure what 'putting trailer ANYTHING on the car' means.
Our modified street cars, hot rods, rat rods, and classics have been driven 100's of thousands of miles without spares. That includes our Drag Week Henry J that pulled a trailer through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. And, our Studebaker that has been to/thru 7 states and has 4000 miles since August 2013. Our commuters and truck have spares, our trailer has two spares.
I would focus on the front wheel pattern. The Explorer is a great rear with good brakes. It can be easily narrowed by using a right axle in the left side (I have two set up that way).
Ultimately, I am just trying to help. Hope to hear that you got/get it on the road soon.
In reply to wheels777:
I just meant I don't feel safe putting parts meant for a trailer on my car, as someone had suggested before. I'm taking the route you did with another passenger side axle and the diff centered. I have learned that wheel lug adapters are safe if made of billet aluminum and thick enough, and installed correctly. The ones I found for 150$ from prowheeladapters are 2" thick. Yikes... I might need wider flares...
I'm in the "modify the rear to match the front" camp.
The axle shafts can have their hubs turned down to match the front, then slip a Celica rotor or drum over the now smaller hub, clamp or tack-weld it in place and use the brake's existing holes as a guide for re-drilling.
Unless you can find a hub that will fit on the front spindle....
Unfortunately there is a hub that swaps over, buts it's unobtainium. 88-89 Z31 turbo or starquest.
It does use dirt common bearings (SKF BR2 outer, BR6 inner), and you're aiming at the dirt common 4.5" wheel pattern, there are probably a lot of hubs/combo hub-rotors that fit or can be made to fit, you'll just need to make up caliper brackets and use different calipers.
Like I said before, Wilwood makes a boat load of aluminum hubs. Here is a link to the list. Look how many use A6 and A2 bearings. Look how many are 5X4.5 bolt pattern. Feel free to use it as a cross reference guide.
http://www.wilwood.com/Hubs/HubList1.aspx?subname=Hubs%20-%20Street&minorname=Hub%20-%20Hat%20Mount
Oh and by the way, I know you think trailer hubs are somehow inferior to car hubs, but A6 and A2 with a 5X4.5" bolt pattern just so happens to be the standard size for trailer hubs. How much of a tool will you feel like if the answer to all your problems is right down the street on the shelf at your tractor supply for $60. I guess hubs rated for 1740 pounds are inferior to Celica hubs.
