Three to four stud conversion.
- Thread starter Carebear
- Start date
I've often thought can these hubs/drums be taken to a machine shop and professionally fitted with new studs in a pattern to suit suitable wheels of 4 stud. Or is this not going to pass roadworthy?
Why?
JohnW, with a 4 stud pattern there is a vastly superior range of wheel diameters, offsets, quality and styles available, both new and used. In most cases, far cheaper than 3 stud to suit old Renaults.
Roadworthy is a problem however as it will require engineering certification and may be a modification that is outside the legislation in some states.
Ah yes, that point is taken. I guess all states have engineering certification options, and of course each one is different!! It'll be a one-off for certification I guess.
Pretty sure QLD regs don't permit redrilling of hubs and drums. Don't know about other states though.
No kit or easy answer. It is probably possible to use Drums and front hub spouts from different cars, but may require finding bearings to suit the different diameters encountered. Did this once to convert a Vauxhall /Peugeot, hub/Driveshaft combo or you make alloy spacers that attach 3 stud which are re-drilled for your 4 stud pattern. None of these are easy options, it depends on your patience/ingenuity.
Was there a wheel size you had in mind ? Or were you just wondering if there was an easy option, which there isn't. I have been working on bits of an A110 which has been converted to 4 stud, but this is because it is a stage rally car and the 3-4 sets of wheels required make 4 stud and all the engineering viable. also it may damage a wheel at any time meaning easy replacements are cheap. I guess you will not be swapping wheels on a 16 all the time.
Was there a wheel size you had in mind ? Or were you just wondering if there was an easy option, which there isn't. I have been working on bits of an A110 which has been converted to 4 stud, but this is because it is a stage rally car and the 3-4 sets of wheels required make 4 stud and all the engineering viable. also it may damage a wheel at any time meaning easy replacements are cheap. I guess you will not be swapping wheels on a 16 all the time.
Thanks for your reply. I just wanted to have the option of choosing different wheel designs etc.
On a r15, 17, or 12 wagon you could use early fuego rear drum to give you 4 stud on rear, only the early fit as the later have a different design. can’t remember if the r16 is the same size (I feel like it isn’t but I could probably check). Issue there is that r16 doesn’t have a lot of space in the guard so you’ll be limited to what tire you can fit.
The front isn’t easy with nothing off the shelf in aus just fitting. I wonder about r18 turbo or r18gtx front outer stub axle. As the shaft spline is the same it might work (just the splined hub with the wheel flange on the r16 hub carrier as the rest of the stub axle is different). That’s just a theory having never actually tried it. The whole stub axle won’t just bolt onto a r16 as their setup is different to 12/15/17/18.
The front isn’t easy with nothing off the shelf in aus just fitting. I wonder about r18 turbo or r18gtx front outer stub axle. As the shaft spline is the same it might work (just the splined hub with the wheel flange on the r16 hub carrier as the rest of the stub axle is different). That’s just a theory having never actually tried it. The whole stub axle won’t just bolt onto a r16 as their setup is different to 12/15/17/18.
Custom 4 stud are very reasonable, not 3 stud. Hence the reason to change the hub to 4 stud.
There are bolt-on four stud options, but not in Oz and they give you a weird pitch diameter. Late (?) R18, R18 4WD. That swaps straight in all four wheels. Don't know what the Fuego mentioned above would give and you would still have the front to deal with.
I have myself contemplated this many times and I think the easiest way to do it properly is to have bespoke hubs machined for the fronts.
The problems are many and you will end up having to change the position of the disc and the caliper. Remember these cars have the caliper bolted to the back of the hub, a bad design. Modern cars have the discs plop in form the front, no need to take out the hub. Which is something you need to take into account if having hubs machined. So you need to find a disc you like and work out where to have the mating flange on the hub. If you get lucky and find a disc that can land the caliper where it is already AND has the same diameter as the OEM disc AND you still have some clearance behind the hub to the carrier you side step a lot of trouble. I tried and failed (some 20 years ago). Maybe there are more options today.
I have myself contemplated this many times and I think the easiest way to do it properly is to have bespoke hubs machined for the fronts.
The problems are many and you will end up having to change the position of the disc and the caliper. Remember these cars have the caliper bolted to the back of the hub, a bad design. Modern cars have the discs plop in form the front, no need to take out the hub. Which is something you need to take into account if having hubs machined. So you need to find a disc you like and work out where to have the mating flange on the hub. If you get lucky and find a disc that can land the caliper where it is already AND has the same diameter as the OEM disc AND you still have some clearance behind the hub to the carrier you side step a lot of trouble. I tried and failed (some 20 years ago). Maybe there are more options today.