Tech Question
Joel Lucas, jeffrson city, MO, 1948 plymouth deluxe bs coupe 318
I recently purchased a 1948 Plymouth business coupe that hashad the the front frame clip installed from a ’97 Dakota. the problem is 6lug front wheels and 5 lug rear. Is there any way you know of to convert to5 lug on the front of a 97 Dakota? I have read that you can use the rotorsfrom an ’87-90 on the spindles of a ’91-96, so, is it possible to use thespindles of the ’91-96 on the 97 control arms, or even install the controlarms and spindles from the ’91-96 on the’ 97 frame. This is the onlyalternative I can come up with but have searched the internet but came upwith no definite answers. My brother has always been a Mopar guy and saysyou’re the Mopar genius, says if you don’t know no one does. So please havean answer!
Thanks, Rick
Joe-
Yes, I have an answer, but you’re not gonna like it: You’re screwed. TheDak’s suspension (design and geometry) changed radically for 1997, the ‘972WD used a sealed bearing/hub unit and slip-on rotor, while the ’96-down wasa traditional Mopar-style 1-pc “Unicast” rotor and hub, just like virtuallyevery Mopar passenger RWD car 1973-’89.
It may be possible to have a competent machine shop remachine the hubs androtors – I’m not sure how much meat there is.
Of course, you could use bolt-on wheel adapters but I strongly discouragethat.
You didn’t say what you did for a rear axle. How about a Dak 8.25″ 6-lug?
Sorry,
Rick
Comments are closed.