5 Stud on MX73 struts

[wilbo666]

Just run a spacer at the top of the shock?

Isn't ideal.

You loose travel, spacer at the top it means if you lower the car you have reduced shock travel before the bump stop.

Cheers
Wilbo

[CrUZida]

Depends if you run bump stops

[3jcelica]

Options that I have seen avaliable.

MS 65 - price is crazy

300zx (87-89 Z31?? ) - these have the same bearings and spacing to fit the stub axle, may affect offset by ~10mm, make sure you get the later model ones.

Trailer Hubs - price is right ($25-$35 each new with bearings), share the same bearings and spacing, choose your stud pattern. May depend on whether you are using floating discs. I have not seen a good argument to why these can't be used (there may be an argument out there).

Change to five studs means you won't have to keep drilling discs also.

Roger

[CrUZida]

MS65 price may be crazy, but its a once off purchase that bolts on and fits 100%.

It is THE best option out there when you weigh up price vs effort vs outcome.


5 stud Z31 hubs are very rare in Aust, and the rear seal is ~1mm larger (from memory) than the sealing point on the strut, which creates a potential contamination area.

I've not seen any trailer hubs that are certified to take the weight of a car with large brakes while been thrown around a race track. If that certification exists then all well and good, but until it does I wouldn't put them on my car.

[Viper]

Correct, Z31 hub rear seals are ~1-2mm too small. Otherwise its all good. (The Z31 Turbo or VERY late NA are the only ones with 5 studs. )
Had a bearing mob search for a few weeks to try and find a part that did, but no luck.

They can be run, but not recomended, I chose not too.

Also threw the hubs out... probly not the smartest move in hindsight

[TA22 1MZ]

Options that I have seen avaliable.

MS 65 - price is crazy

300zx (87-89 Z31?? ) - these have the same bearings and spacing to fit the stub axle, may affect offset by ~10mm, make sure you get the later model ones.

Trailer Hubs - price is right ($25-$35 each new with bearings), share the same bearings and spacing, choose your stud pattern. May depend on whether you are using floating discs. I have not seen a good argument to why these can't be used (there may be an argument out there).

Change to five studs means you won't have to keep drilling discs also.

Roger

Good feedback Roger

I was lucky enough to get the BA rotors in blanks and had the 4 stud pattern drilled.

Interesting about the trailer hubs. would love to get some feedback on that. You say the bearings and spacing are the same, the same as what? MX73? Surely the hub face would have a different offset? I just find it hard to believe that a trailer hub may work, but a MX83 hub wouldnt. No harm in trying though?

[3jcelica]

Cruzida,

I too have not seen any trailer hubs that are certified to take the weight of a car with large brakes while been thrown around a race track. However I have also not seen ms65 hubs etc certified for race use but people still use them because they have proven themselves over the years that they can take the abuse. At this point in time no one has proven what a trailer hub is capable of (at least not that I know of). In other words they have not been proven or disproven to be able to stand up to the abuse.

I have never seen a hub failure but maybe others have?

TA22 1MZ,

When I say the say the bearings and spacing are the same, I am talking about the bearing spacings being the same as MX73, mounting face from what I have heard may be ~10mm difference. There are alot of trailer hubs out there and mouting face difference may vary. Take note of what is said above however.

However as cheap as the trailer hubs are by the time you weigh up the cost of redrilling discs and cost of hubs the then MS65 price starts to look ok if you can find them.

Roger

[CrUZida]

MS65 hubs are built and certified to take the full weight of a heavy car under all conditions a car may encounter. This includes race tracks (from memory they raced MS65's at Bathurst?)

Trailer hubs would not need to stand up to anywhere near this punishment.

That said, find an engineer or manufacturer willing to sign trailer hubs off for the use you intend and you are set.

[timbosaurus]

I dunno... my trailer hubs carry the weight of the trailer PLUS a car.

[CrUZida]

The weight experienced there would be much less than what a car would experience during braking and cornering.

[timbosaurus]

...what, through your carefully calculated hypothesis?

Edit: I completely understand your reasoning, and don't completely disagree. But this guy is looking for a GOOD technical argument against it. What you've written above is far from "good".

[3jcelica]

Trailer hubs take the same bearings as car hubs. If I was to design a hub of any type I would be designing it around the bearing capacity as the limiting factor not the hub material. Hence why I think that it could be possible. As Timbosaurus says I still don't have a good argument with evidence either way, however I personnally would not put them on a road going car due to engineering/insurance if something was to go wrong.

Roger

[TA22 1MZ]

I'm going to Repco this weekend and will take the MX73 hubs with me to compare.
My car is a dedicated track car, so no rego or road duties. If the trailer hubs are built from the same material as the MX73 hubs and I can use the same bearings, then I cant see why it wouldnt be worth giving them a go.
Sure beats, paying a motza for the hard to find MS65 hubs. Time will tell I guess.
Will let you know how I go with finding a suitable hub.

[CrUZida]

Send these guys an email, or give em a call

http://www.houstonproducts.com.au/index.html?c8.html&1

They may have some info on what the hubs are certified too.

Also, I have no idea how the position face of hub is compared to a stock hub.

[rob]

steering and cornering loads aside, some trailers are rated to carry quite hefty loads (cars and plant/equipment)

much heavier than a TA22

im interested in hearing what an engineer will say about it.