Rear Lug size on B3C

[minicooper]

My B3C has smaller lugs on the rear than on the front and the clearance between the tire and wheel well is very tight (1 inch). Could the rear have been swapped out with a B3B rear end at some point?

Roland
Chat Hills GA

[Merle Coggins]

What are your tire sizes, front and rear?

Does your rear hubs use lug bolts instead of studs with lug nuts?

What is the diameter of the wheel stud/bolt pattern?

[minicooper]

Thanks, Merle. The rear hubs have studs with lug nuts, same as the front but smaller studs. I'll have to double-check the sizes tonight when I get home.

Roland

Edited October 11, 2016 by minicooper

[Jeff Balazs]

Interesting. Should be 9/16" all around. Just a guess....there really isn't a direct replacement stud available.....so maybe a PO pressed in something with the right size shoulder but a smaller diameter lug. I ended up with 5/8" studs on my B-3-C due to this.

Jeff

[minicooper]

Thanks much Jeff. They're definitely not 9/16 on the back. Do you recall if the clearance between the rear wheels and wheel wells was tight, on your B3C, originally? I'm gonna look at shoulder size tonight and compare.

Roland

[Jeff Balazs]

It is not tight but I ended up putting a Cherokee rear axle with disc brakes on it. Fitting the larger 5/8" lugs to it was fun.........

Jeff

[minicooper]

I read your posts on the Cherokee rear axel, sounds like a good solution. After reinstalling the motor (just got the rebuild finished and installed last week), I went on a dirt road shakedown cruise this past weekend. Driving on those squirrely brakes made me think about disks all around. I figured I was safe staying under 20 miles per hour and aiming for the ditches! 

Roland

[minicooper]

Looks like the rear lug spacing is 4.5 x 5 and the front is 5 x 5. Rear lug studs are 1/2 inch. So I assume that the whole rear axle was swapped out? Or could the hubs have been swapped?

[Merle Coggins]

I would suspect an axle swap. May need to investigate what axle is under here. 

[minicooper]

Thanks Merle,

I can't find any markings on the axle, do you know where to look?

Roland

[Jeff Balazs]

I agree sounds like a swap in. You could try posting a few photos of it. Someone here can probably identify it or at least get you pointed in the right direction.

Depending on what you are after and what wheels you want to run you are probably going to have to make some decisions. In my case as an example I wanted to retain the stock wheels including the spare so that drove some of my decision making. There are several things to consider. Rear axle ratio.....rear brakes....wheel compatibility...tire size etc.

Jeff

[minicooper]

Thanks,

I would like to have all four wheels be the same, but finding 2 of these original wheels and an axle is gonna be tough. And if I were to replace the axle with a Cherokee axle, I'd still have to find new wheels.

I plan on using this truck on our farm for odd jobs and short trips, and I don't plan on taking it on the highway - I'm OK with the lower axle ratio and I may be OK with just restoring the stock drum brakes and not going with disks. But I would rather have the same wheel and tire sizes (I don't like the idea of having to have two spares).

I saw that Ggdad has a 1 ton axle and hubs listed on his parts page, do you know if the 1 ton axle would fit the 3/4 ton (leaf springs, drive shaft and u-joint) without modifications or would that just complicate matters more? 

Roland

[Jeff Balazs]

Roland;

Yep. Some of the Grand Cherokees used the 5 x 5 lug pattern. I was exploring this option when I determined I could gain rear disc's as well as a different ratio.

I would think that finding a few wheels would be easier than some of the other options. Don't think the 1 ton axle is going to work for you.

Jeff

 

[minicooper]

Thanks Jeff,

I figured as much about the 1 ton axle. A lot to chew on here. Did you do your own brake system install (including the Rusty Hope front conversion)?

Thanks so much for taking the time to help sort this out.

Roland

[Jeff Balazs]

No problem.......us 3/4 ton owners got to stick together. I did do my brake conversion and it was not too hard. There are a few fussy aspects but all and all nothing too bad. I have to say it was totally worth the cost and extra effort. Having reliable modern brakes is a very good thing.

Jeff

[minicooper]

Thanks again Jeff!

I'm leaning toward the upgrade to disk brakes. And I found my axle, it's marked 1820657 which is a 1957-1964 Chrysler. So I'm going to look for a Cherokee rear and master cylinder and look at the Rusty Hope kit. Online, I've found a couple of 2000's at a local Pull-apart. You wouldn't happen to know what years those Cherokee's will fit our 3/4 tons?

Roland