Anyone ever considered a lug pattern swap?

[KAOS_3.0]

has anyone ever thought about changing the lug pattern of our cars? 4X108 is such a PITA to find older rims in. it leaves us with basically two options, focus SVT/ford racing/roush cougar OEM rims etc... Or buying brand new from the tire rack. whereupon you'd better buy 6 of them so you have back ups because once the wheel goes out of production your chances of finding a replacement are zero...

couldnt we change our lug pattern out to match something more common? something like a honda where you'll have 20 sets of used rims up on craigslist up on any given day? this could either be done with custom hubs, or by having a machine shop redrill the existing hubs for another four holes, thus making them universal. only other issue would be sourcing rotors in the right diameter... or having rotors redrilled...

also, while I'm on the topic, is there any reason why a base model front disk wouldnt work in the back? I didnt take anything apart on the scraptour to make sure if it would fit over the hub, but I held a base disk over the rear disk on the car and it looks to be the same diameter....

*discuss*

 

[jrichardson]

since the your rim will fit on any corner i would assume that your brake disks would also fit from front to rear. i say this because both the rim and the rotor have to have the studs and the center of the hum go through them (at least on my stock steel rims) as far as changing to another bolt pattern, anything is possible with enough money and time.

 

[cetroutt]

i don't see why you couldn't have a set of hubs and rotors drilled to a different bolt pattern. the only thing is you had better use a top notch machine shop to do it.

 

[KAOS_3.0]

any idea if there are honda 4 lug rotors available in SVT brake diameters? or would I have to get custom caliper brackets to mount out calipers on aftermarket honda rotors? a side benefit would also be, if we switch to a common bolt pattern, suddenly serious aftermarket rotors become an option, like carbon ceramic...

 

[bhiggs89]

any idea if there are honda 4 lug rotors available in SVT brake diameters? or would I have to get custom caliper brackets to mount out calipers on aftermarket honda rotors? a side benefit would also be, if we switch to a common bolt pattern, suddenly serious aftermarket rotors become an option, like carbon ceramic...

Really?

The brakes would be worth more than the car at that point.

 

[cetroutt]

if you have both rotors and hubs drilled then you don't need different brakes.

 

[KAOS_3.0]

I know this, even know of a shop in columbia SC that supposedly will do this, but then if I trash a rotor on a road trip I cant exactly pick up another from autozone, can I?

 

[cetroutt]

well then have an extra drilled and when you go on your road trip make sure it's in you emergency roadside kit. i've driven back and forth across our great nation several times and never had an issue with my brakes on any car. generally you double check everything on your car before you go on a road trip anyways don't you?

 

[KAOS_3.0]

generally yes, but sometimes something goes to crap while driving around at the destination.

I've had my brake pads go on me unexpectedly while in Ga (I did push the car through some twisties and wore them faster than I was planning)

then on another trip I had a fluke electrical fire in my dash

and on yet another trip, this time from Ga to Fl, I had my front diff go out on my old BG5 leggy.

all of these where unforseen disasters. with the brake pads, I had to stay longer than expected to have autozone get my pad in, only to realize the got me the wrong pads and I had to drive back with steel on steel...

the electrical issue I spent a day tracking it down and once I did, I still couldnt completely fix it, so I had to drive back with no dash lights, at night

and with the BG5 leggy, I got raped for $1500 to have a scrapyard trans put in because I didnt have anywhere near the tools it would have taken, nobody would open up the trans to replace the diff, and the stealership couldnt even get me the parts I needed to fix it even if I did have the tools...

generally it ould be a better option if I could just use some off the shelf parts...