Changing center lock to 5 lugs?

I'm sure it can be done..but, why would you do it? The center lock looks much better IMHO...more of an F1-race car look...and safer too as the nuts tighten as you drive. If you just want a larger diameter wheel, just buy larger center lock wheels...see www.GaRedCars.com

 

It can be done, you would have to change out the suspension pieces like the uprights and A-arms. It wouldn't be cheap to do, maybe $4k to $5k or so just for "used" parts. I'm in total agreement if Parkerfe - the stock single lug wheels do look much better than the stock 5-lug wheels. For the cost to change your suspension, you could buy a nice set of single lug aftermarket wheels.

 

I wouldn't deny that most problems with the single lug wheels are caused by improper installation and/or maintenance, but your statement here is way too over-hopeful IMO. I think it's fair to say that "they did everything they could (using the different thread directions) to try to keep the center nut from loosening during use", but they don't "heal" themselves, and I present this evidence:

reports here of having a single lug wheel come off = sadly, a few

reports here of a 5-lug wheel coming off = zero

Do you have other evidence?

 

If one is that concerned, safety wire is always an option...

 

They do not tighet as you drive. Mine came off. My thread is out there as are at least two others. If there were a practical way to change I would.
However, I do think that they look much better than the 5 bolt. And will check them regually in the future.

 

Hi Guys.

This subject seems to come up every now and then and I would have to say that it isn't feasible at all.
I know of nobody that actually did the conversion, but many on this forum who tried but failed for various reasons.
Nothing is impossible, I suppose, but I've never actually seen it done.

Personally I have had unpleasant experiences with the metric single lug wheel, having had a flat left rear tire right near home.

Long story short, I had to have the car towed 95 miles to get the damn wheel off, and even at Shelton's it took over a week to remove the wheel. I had them loosen the other rear lug while it was there.
Due to the impossibility of obtaining metric replacements in a timely manner the TR had to be returned to home without new tires

I have replaced the rear wheels with normal sized factory Ferrari wheels that you can actually buy tires for without waiting a year or paying a fortune.

I'm still looking for front (factory) wheels to replace those metrics.

 

Yes the single lug wheels can be a problem if maintenance is neglected. You need to keep the splines and hubs very clean....with a wire brush....and then apply some copper anti-sieze to all the mating surfaces. Then tighten the wheel as much as you can while the car is in the air, while checking for binding or "wobble". When everything is as tight as you can get it....lower the car and do a final tighten to 325 ft-lbs. I used the factory hammer and wrench and never ever had any problems. I just pounded until the nut quit rotating and called it good. If things get dry in there and corrosion starts, yes there can be MAJOR problems getting things apart....is doens't take much at all for things to "fuse" together. Every month I was pulling the wheels off and cleaning, applying anti-sieze, and remounting the wheels and tires. I'm not discounting those owners who have experienced unfortunate incidents...but personally I never had a single problem in 5 years that i owned my sinlge lug 87. Keep in mind....I pulled the wheels off regularly for washing and detailing, doing the maintenance each time. I'm pretty sure that's why I never had any issues....

 

I remember you Jeff. - I've been gone awhile.

I have your excellent post on DIY engine removal that I'm going to be using this fall.

I seem to remember you looking into replacing those single lugs at one time.
Mainly, what happened was that I was a fairly new owner at the time and didn't have any idea about the maintenence needed for those wheels, but experience is, I suppose, an in depth education

Glad to converse again.

 

Dear Ferraristi,


Hawaii,

Welcome to the world of Ferrari !......nothing cheap.


For used parts as well as new stuff, you may try ferraripartsexchange.com. Lyle Tanner enterprises. I've had very good experience with them.

Shamile

Freeze...Miami Vice !

 

A friend who rarely posts here had a spline-hub wheel come off of his car and do $24,000 in damage to the left-rear quarter and suspension. At-speed, a defective or tweaked spline hub can and will work the center nut off while driving. People are putting ungodly amounts of torque to that single nut to keep the wheels on the car, and there does not appear to be enough space to drill a hole and run safety wire through the assembly. There's a reason the factory changed out these spline hubs in 1987. If you want to drive such a car with any degree of confidence, I would change out the hubs.

 

I do not believe that one can just change out the single lug hub with the 5 lug hubs.

To my experience, none are interchangeable at all.
The last that I read, an entirely new suspension setup would have to be fabricated, and if you are set on such a thing, then buy a later model TR with it already engineered as such.



BTW, if anyone here is looking for metric single lug wheels, I have all four, but I still need the front 2 in 16"

 

The splined hub system doesn't become defective or tweaked. It becomes(or more correctly, is) an improperly installed wheel. Any mounting system can fail if the established procedure with the right tools used properly isn't followed. If correctly installed this is a non-issue. And if anyone is that paranoid about a wheel flying off then get a 5-lug car plain and simple. Conversion is cost prohibitive and idiotic IMHO.

 

Exactly.