Just curious if anyone has converted their miata to 5 lugs all the way around. The reason Im asking is because I know alot of V8 guys change the rear ends out to something more heavy duty (assuming 5 lug). If it hasent been done, I was thinking about coming up with my own conversion for the front spindles at least.

 

I see this question a lot. What I want to know is WHY? What is so fascinating about a 5 lug car.

Don't say it's because there are more 5 lug wheels on the market, as there's no shortage of 4x100.

Don't say it's because 4 lug isn't strong. Unless you can show me failures. I'm yet to see any. Plenty of 3-400 horsepower turbo 4 bangers running hard on wide and sticky 4x100 set ups.

Seems like a solution looking for a problem.

 

I also don't see the need to do it with a miata. (Though I'm not trying to claim to be anything but a )

Maybe 5-lug would be useful if you had a really heavy car making huge torque?

I have seen it done with CRXs/Civics/Integras though, but usually only because it makes it easier to swap in some of the brakes (or L33T trick Type-R wheels! ) from the bigger Acura sedans and such. (Though I think in some cases you can just re-drill the rotors.)

 

However, questioning this mod as per your power plant might not be a bad thought.
Knockoffs would really help with the look of you car with the engine being the beauty that it is.

 

I guess you can call me old school, but I never cared for the looks of a 4 lug wheel. Personally I always felt 5 lugs looked better.

My question although was geared more towards people who change over to the Ford 8.8 rear ends which have 5 lugs. Matching rear 5 lugs rims with 4 lug fronts is not as easy.

If your simply after advantages, how about larger rotors, different braking system.

 

That def. would appeal to the "Monster" crowd with that kind of conversion.

 

McCully Racing Motors (MRM) have done a couple Ford V8 swaps, but when looking at the pics they kepts the 4 lugs.

 

5lug swaps are huge in the 240sx world.

Mainly due to the 300zx brake swap (although rotors can be re-drilled), ease of access (most s14's have 5lugs that bolt up to the s13's) and because yes, it is harder to find 4x 114mm wheels made by certain "good" companies. As for strength, i see it as unnecessary.

4x 100 FTW

 

5-lug swaps are ******* useless, and nothing you say will convince anyone who has half a brain otherwise. All the reasons you are about to pull out of your *** are totally wrong, so just stop trying. I'm so ******* sick of this topic.

 

he has a v12, might as well not stop at 4 lugs!

 

v12 = 6lug swap.

here's why you dont need 5 lugs to run big brakes:

 

Except of course if you do a motor swap and your rear hubs are 5 lug, and you want to make your fronts 5 lug too. That's actually a pretty good reason.

The other reasons (strength, brake selection, wheel selection) are IMO weak.

 

the v8 swap's guys don't use 5lug

the axle is customized to fit using the miata axle shaft and a the mustang axle shaft

 

That I'll buy. Though now that the V8roadsters Caddilac CTS diff kit is widely available, I can't imagine why anybody would convert their rear to a 5 lug. Way too much work for zero return.

There's just no reason to do it other than aesthetics.

 

I agree. But hard core DIY guys who can't afford or don't want a commercial kit may pop out of the wood work with some crazy 5 lug axle madness.

 

Perhaps I should have stated "Now that V8roadsters has shown the world what is possible..."

IOW, I don't think it matters what diff you are using- if you're going at it DIY, I'd think it'd be easier & cheaper to have a set of conversion half-axles made to plug the new diff into the old hubs, than to convert the car to 5 lug.

 

The ONLY reason i can think of for myself is wheel selection. I like to run 17"s and any wheel i want in 8" or wider only has the right offset in 5-lug wheels.... and im NOT paying for a custom set of BBS/Volk/Work.....

 

What ******* difference does a 5.0 Monster Miata make in the 4/5 lug debate?



This debate gets soooo old... Mustangs had 4 lugs for YEARS... Guys run 10s on 4 lugs in 3200 pound cars... Thats about 1000 pounds HEAVIER than a miata...

A team of something like 17 engineers designed the miata and obviously felt like it didn't NEED 5 wheel studs, and four would be just fine and dandy. So why not, you know, Just leave it that way?

 

only 17 guys engineered this car????????????????????????? no way

 

17 japs = about 117 Gm techs