Swapping Hubs

[RacingDude110]

We own a 1974 Karmann Ghia with the 4 lug pattern. We want to switch to the wide 5 pattern. Can we just take the hubs from an older Ghia and swap them? Just unbolt the 4 lug hubs and bolt the wide 5 hubs back in their place?

Thanks in advance!

[Chris V]

Hub isn't really correct...it's just a drum, and there are several ways to go about changing from 4-130mm PCD to 5-205mm PCD. But the simplest is using these aftermarket style drums:
http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp ... 15%2D211AG

This will give you the same braking power you currently have...and keep the same trackwidth.

[sideshow]

And 4 lug ghias are disc brake, so no 5 lug drum will do you any good (in front).
Careful with aftermarket kits up front as the wheel wells don't allow for the usual added width.

[Chris V]

I guess I forgot to finish my thought on the front...Odds are you'll just want to step-up to a ball-joint bolt-on 5-205mm disc kit...all of which I've seen use drum brake spindles rather than disc units, and non Type III calipers (which are the 'norm'). This'll of course mean an alignment and bleeding the brakes, and as noted, watch the trackwidth.

Basically, nothing on the front of the car (as it left the factory) is any good to the conversion...but the back you can of course get away with just replacing the drums.