Good afternoon, I have been doing some searching and can't come up with a exact answer. We have a 1956 Chevy pick up that we want to go from 6 lug in the front to 5 lug. Is there a kit out there? or Is it something I have to get parts from one vehicle and stuff from another? Any information to get me in the right directions would be perfect.
if your keeping the front axle then the above post is what you want, but most aftermarket IFS (mustang II) kits with disc brakes are 5 lug as well as disc conversions for the solid axle. The rear end you can either swap the rear end of for a passenger car unit of the same width and just weld on pads for the leaf springs or you might be able to get new axles made with 5 bolt and find a matching 5 lug drum or have them re drilled.
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Deluxe-Disc-Brake-Kit-1947-1959-Chevy-Half-Ton-Pickup,4622.html Sent from my SM-G965U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
A lot of hot rod parts places sell front disc kits. Also 1973 and up 1/2 tons have 5 lug rears @5" bolt pattern.
I agree with post number 3 by 325W. I used the drums from a 54 Chev to change mine 50 years ago. I can't remember if I changed backing plates or not, but either way, it is an easy conversion. The rear end is a different story. I changed to a 57 Chev posi, but if you are going to be running a large engine and big tires, the rear end will probably be the weak link. I destroyed two before I decided I needed to change. It would probably be a little expensive, but you could find a 10 bold or 12 bolt out of a mid 60s Chevy for the rear. I didn't have the equipment then to build a 6 bolt to 5 bolt adapter, but this might be a possibility for the rear end. All you need to do to determine if this is possible, is to draw out both patterns, and superimpose the 5 bolt pattern on the 6 bolt pattern. I don't know if there is an adapter available commercially. I installed a 3/4 ton rear end (8 bolt) out of a 51 3/4 ton. Although it had 4.57 gears, this was fine for me, because I was running an overdrive. I had 8x15 inch 8 bolt rims made up so that I could run 15 inch tires on all corners. The next rear end I used, was a narrowed Dana 60, to take advantage of 3.73 gears. Approximately 15 years ago, I converted to running 6 studs again and installed a 12 bolt. The bottom line is, that the rear end is going to take more work and more money to convert than the front. Bob
Actually its 71 but they have 5 inch bolt pattern versus the 4-3/4 that the early 53/54 car hubs have.... ....however thats the setup I had on a 57 truck I once had, 54 front drums and 73ish truck rear.
'49-'54 chevy (car) front hubs/drums will work with the truck straight axles up through '59. Put a nova/camaro rear axle in to keep same 5 lug bolt pattern, plus ca run a wider tire in rear.
just to correct a couple minor error, the hubs/drums from a 51-54 car will fit. The dust shield is a different size from the truck so you need that, from the donor car. 49-50 use a different brake, the drums are different.
Know if anything will interchange on 3600 55 spindles? Never heard of it but thought I would ask while this is fairly recent, if anyone knows.
51-59 3/4 and 1 ton trucks fit, but they're all the same, so that doesn't help. If you want to turn a 3/4 ton into a half ton, look for a complete 1/2 ton axle assembly, that someone took out to install a subframe or whatever.
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