TheSamba.com :: View topic - Wide-5 on ball-joint spindle?

Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:08 pm

Long story short; I've got a Jamar link-pin beam on my sandrail with cut-down drums for hubs (no brakes), and some fairly expensive wide-5 aluminum wheels for my sand tires. Turns out the "beam" I'm buying to replace the Jamar uses ball-joint spindles. I've been told my cut-down drums will no longer work.

What are my options if I want to keep the wide-5 bolt pattern? 4-5 bolt adapters? Disc brakes?

Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:21 pm

The interwebs tell me '66 & '67 were Ball-joint hubs with the wide-5 pattern. Is this true? How difficult is it to "cut-down" a pair of drums?

Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:59 pm

keep the link pin setup on your sandrail. why would you wanna go ball joint?

Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:00 pm

ball joint beam won't bolt up to your frame anyways.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:40 pm

It's not actually a ball-joint beam, it just has ball-joint spindles. It's actually an A-arm setup. :D

Was looking at this:

http://www.chircoestore.com/catalog/product_info.p...rcprebu674

But honestly, I like the cut-down drums. I don't need brakes. Do I have any options?

Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:53 pm

What about this...

4-lug hub-only.

http://www.dunebuggy.com/shop/index.mp?szAction=vi...szKeyword=

4-lug to wide-5 adapter:

http://www.dunebuggy.com/shop/index.mp?szAction=vi...rd=adapter

Ugh, that feels like the wrong way to do it, but it would be lighter than full rotors.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:04 pm

ducktape
You can get "wide 5" disk conversion from AC Industries for like $450.00 from SO CAL Imports.

Earthquake

Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:57 pm

earthquake wrote: ducktape
You can get "wide 5" disk conversion from AC Industries for like $450.00 from SO CAL Imports.

Earthquake

I looked at that. The caliper brackets and spindles would not work.

Does anyone cut down drums anymore?

Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:09 pm

I ran cut down drums on my sandrail till I went with spindle mount wheels. I run a link pin front. You should be able to stay with the later model wide five stuff. Go with spindle mount as I did otherwise.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:13 pm

ZARJDR wrote: I ran cut down drums on my sandrail till I went with spindle mount wheels. I run a link pin front. You should be able to stay with the later model wide five stuff. Go with spindle mount as I did otherwise.

Did you cut them, or buy them already cut?

Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:46 pm

be very afraid

Fri Nov 06, 2009 4:49 pm

Plasma cutter. Soap stone a cut line on the outer circumference as a guide. I vised it up on an old bent spindle. After cutting I spun the "new" drum on the spindle and cut the edge down with a four inch grinder. It turned out real well, and I ran that way for about a year. Finally went to aluminum spindle mounts and smoothees about two mos ago.

Fri Nov 06, 2009 5:28 pm

Think 69 had spindles (ball joint) that would take wide five drums, anyway I have wide five drums on my ball joint front....

Dale

Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:46 am

66 and 67 front drums are wide 5 balljoint, as well as Thing front drums. There are 2 different inner bearings on a balljoint spindle depending on the year, the early spindles had a smaller inside diameter but the outside diameter is the same on both bearings. You can use either bearing with either drum you just have to match the inner bearing size to the spindle. Also to cut down a drum I usually use a 4 1/2 grinder with a cutoff wheel to speed things up and then just chuck the drum up in a lathe to smooth it out.

Sun Nov 08, 2009 1:31 am

BugZyla.com wrote: 66 and 67 front drums are wide 5 balljoint, as well as Thing front drums. There are 2 different inner bearings on a balljoint spindle depending on the year, the early spindles had a smaller inside diameter but the outside diameter is the same on both bearings. You can use either bearing with either drum you just have to match the inner bearing size to the spindle. Also to cut down a drum I usually use a 4 1/2 grinder with a cutoff wheel to speed things up and then just chuck the drum up in a lathe to smooth it out.

Thanks for the info. I've found a pair to cut up. I'm going to take the spindle and drum to my local veedub shop to match up the bearings.