Are you looking for a DIY five-lug conversion for your car or truck? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this video, Chris Fix is going to show you how to do just that.
How do I perform a four-to-five lug conversion on my vehicle?
- Put vehicle on a lift and remove a few components
- Install new upgraded lug conversion components
- Reinstall old components removed to perform the conversion
- Proceed to back wheel conversions (this is a slightly different process)
Thankfully in this article, we will give you all the step-by-step instructions for a front and rear wheel four-to-five lug conversion. This process is about replacing the wheel bearing and hub assembly. That means this lug conversion can be used on a variety of cars and trucks.
How to Perform a Four-to-five Lug Conversion on the Front Wheels of Your Vehicle
Most cars come with a five-lug setup, but some only come with four lugs. A five-lug setup will give you many more wheel options. For example, a five-lug wheel allows for a wider wheel for more grip or larger wheels for more space.
That’s the reason many people want to perform a four-to-five lug conversion on their vehicle. So here is how you go about doing just that.
Parts and supplies needed:
- Five front and rear lug hubs (if your vehicle has four lug rotors, you will also need five lug rotors as well)
- A new set of lug nuts
- New cotter pins
- Thread locker
- Anti-seize
- Brake cleaner
Here are the steps needed to perform a four to five lug conversion on the front wheels.
Adjust the Wheel and Place the Jack Stands
First, you will need to turn the wheel to the side so you can better access the bolts from the backside once the wheel is off.
Then you will jack up the vehicle. Insert the jack stands under the frame and slowly let the car down. Then shake the car to make sure it’s securely on the jack stands.
Removing the Wheels
Start with the front wheel and remove all four lug nuts and the wheel and slide it under the car for extra protection. Now remove the dust cap and remove the spindle nut. But first, straighten the cotter pin and remove it. Then use a breaker bar to break loose the spindle nut. Then you can unscrew it until it comes off.
Removing the Brake Caliper and Rotor
Now, you are going to remove the brake caliper and the brake rotor. You just unbolt it and remove the brake rotor. Then the four-lug bearing and hub should slide right off. But, make sure you save any washers, etc. that are in the old hub. You also want to use some brake cleaner and wipe down the spindle surface so it’s completely free from debris.
Chris shows you how to do all this in the video. He also gives you a valuable tip which is to use a bungee cord and hang it from the suspension. Then use it to hold the brake caliper so it doesn’t dangle from the hose and damage it.
Adding the Five-lug Hub to the Spindle Nut
Next, you will add the five-lug hub to the spindle nut. Then take the washer and slide it into the hub. Make sure it’s seated into the bearing. Add some thread locker to the spindle nut before installing the axle nut. You can reuse the old axle nut if it’s in good condition and if you use the thread locker.
Once the axle nut is hand tightened, you will then need to torque it down to the correct torque spec for the vehicle. If it’s too tight or too loose it could cause the bearing to wear out prematurely. Next, you will need to install a new cotter pin by bending it open and wrap it around the top and back.
Don’t reuse the old cotter pin even if it’s in good condition.
Adding the Five-lug Brake Rotor and Reinstalling the Brake Caliper
Now you will add the five lug brake rotor. But first, spray it with brake cleaner to remove all the oils that were used to keep it from rusting in the packaging. If you don’t remove these oils, they will contaminate the brake pads and cause brake noise or brake slip.
Next, you will install the new brake rotor and reinstall the brake caliper. Reinstall the two mounting bolts. But first, add a little thread locker to each bolt. This will help prevent any vibration from loosening up the bolts. Then you just torque those bolts down to the proper pounds.
Finishing the Front Wheels and Moving on to the Back Wheels
Now, you get the dust cover, push it and hammer it in. In some cases, you will need a new dust cover if the old one doesn’t clear the wheel. The front wheels are now done and you can start the back wheel conversions which are a little different because it’s a driven wheel.
How to Perform a Four-to five-lug Conversion on the Rear Wheels of Your Vehicle
Here are the steps needed to perform a four to five lug conversion on the rear wheels.
Removing the Old Parts
First, you remove the cotter pin, axle nut cover, and the axle nut. But first, if the threads on your axle nut are dirty, get some brake cleaner and clean them off. This is so you are unscrewing the axle nut on clean threads and not dirty threads. You don’t want to damage the threads on your axle.
How to Loosen the Axle Nut
The axle nut is going to be on tight so when you try to loosen it the axle is just going to spin. So, a little trick is to go to the inside of the car, shift it into first, and apply the emergency brake. Then you can use the breaker bar to break it loose. Now, unscrew the axle nut but not all the way. You want to unscrew it to the point that it is flush with the axle.
This is because sometimes it gets stuck in the splines of the hub. Now you just tap the axle with a hammer inwards a few times just so it’s not seized up. You will see it move inwards slightly when you do this.
Removing the Brakes
Now go back into the car, put it in neutral, and release the emergency brake. Then you will spin the axle and remove the brakes. The next steps are the same as what you did for the front wheels.
The Difference in the Rear Wheel Conversion
The difference when converting the rear wheels is this. The rear hub has four bolts on the back that hold it in. These are hard to get to. So, to make it easier, you could remove the control arms. But there is an easier way which is why you put the car in neutral.
The axle is in the way so there’s no way to get your wrench to where the bolts are. So, what you do is spin the axle. You can see the axle has a little cutout at one point which gives you enough room to get your wrench in there to loosen those bolts. Remove the top bolts, spin the axle again and loosen the bottom bolts. Now, you will remove the hub.
Next, you will clean the axle just like you did for the front wheels. Then you will add a little anti-seize to the splines of the axle. This will help prevent rust and make it easier for the bearing and hub assembly to come out if it needs to be removed in the future.
Putting on the Dust Shield and New Hub Assembly
Now, put on the dust shield and slide the new hub assembly on. Then, prep the hub bolts by adding some thread locker to all of them. Next, align the holes in the dust shield and the hub with the knuckle and get a bolt in there to hold it in. Now you can hand tighten the rest of the bolts then use the torque wrench to tighten them down.
You want to tighten those bolts in a criss-cross pattern so the hub seats evenly on the knuckle. Make sure you tighten them to the correct pounds for the vehicle. The bolts are now in but don’t tighten down the axle nut just yet. First, you are going to install the brakes.
Installing the Brake Rotors and Calipers
Put the new brake rotor on. A little trick to keep the rotor in place is to put one lug nut on to hold it in place. Now you take the brake caliper and slide it over the brake rotor. Then prep the two bolts with thread locker and install and hand tighten them. Now you torque them down to the proper pounds.
Now you can tighten the axle nut. But before you do that, go into the car and put it into first and set the emergency brake. This is so the axle won’t move while you are tightening the nut.
You will need to get the washer from the old hub and slide it on. Then you will add some medium strength thread locker and hand tighten the axle nut. Next, you will need to torque the axle nut to more pounds than before. You will need to check for the correct torque for your particular vehicle.
Now, you can install the axle nut cover and install a new cotter pin around both sides of the axle. Then remove the lug nut you installed earlier to hold the rotor in place.
That’s it, you’re done! You can now put the new wheels on.
What’s Next?
If you want more information about your vehicle, you can check its VehicleHistory for free. Learning the history of your vehicle will give you important information you need to know to make informed decisions.
