6 lug to 5 lug conversion on 97 dakota(front)

Has anyone done this using ford crown vic hubs and explorer rotors.From what i can tell ,you have to press stud out of spindle and have it machined,but nobody give dimensions or if you need spacer for rotor/brake caliper alignment and new axles for rear of course,really wanting the 4x4.5 bolt circle.

I assume what you really want it the 5 on 4 1/2" bolt circle.

Maybe you can get the 5 bolt spindles by swapping everything between the ball joints, but I haven't done it, or even compared to see if the suspensions are even close to being the same. It might be cheaper to have the 6 bolt stuff re-drilled to the 5 bolt stuff, but I suspect there may be issues with some of the wheel stud holes since the 6 bolt stuff is also on a 4 1/2" circle. I think your opening up a can of worms, but if you succeed, please let us all know what you did, with the needed part numbers. I'm sure others will appreciate you venturing into this unknown area.

I would swap out the entire rear end for something with the correct bolt pattern, or buy aftermarket axles for your rear end, if you have a 9 1/4. I wouldn't bother with any smaller rear, just swap it out with something that has the bolt pattern you want. Gene

I have taken my stock front hubs to my machinist,ran in on cad said there is no way to convert bolt circle,unless you plug weld holes and redrill(not happening on cast hub liabity issues).He suggested mustang 2 spindles and probably having to ream holes (tapered)where ball joints go thru.Checked with moser said they plug welded and drill but no more and i know i have seen 5 lug wheels on front of dakotas in stock/superstock,but i might go to boneyard and get measurement off crown vic spindle stud. I know for sure dakota spindle stud is bigger than ford.Rearend is a 9 1/4 out of durango with shock mounts moved. Don

So I assume parts from the late 80's to 91 Dakotas with the 5 bolt lugs won't work?

You are correct,Today i called mccormack motorsports (their dakota runs in class cars}Very nice to talk to,they informed me that their hub assemblies were specially made(jims transmission?}and he had retired and moved and they run 8 3/4 rear end.So i will try to get to boneyard this weekend for dimensions. Don

Perhaps not plugged by welding, but the holes could be threaded and plugged to make a new surface to drill the five new stud holes. Labor intensive and expensive

Contact a company called 1320 Wheels, they can make up 5 lug hubs for the Dakota.

Moser plugged and drilled my front hubs.

i would look at a hub/rotor off a c-body----get a new set of bearings and races for the dakota and the c-body and compare them---you can return after inspection.....

97 Dakotas have stepped spindles. When the bearings wear out you replace the hub.
If a C body hub worked, someone could make a decent living selling conversion kits.

Back around 2010 or so, a guy was carving new billet hubs set up for 5 lug, and used replaceable bearings too.

so the dakota spindle looks like the ford crown vic one?

Thanks for the replays,I did call 1320 and he said he could make some,preferred he buy hubs and machine them,aslo call moser today and they can do them also but would like to see hubs first,cannot do them if wheel studs are recessed in convex (backside)of hub, I did get to yard to measure crown vic spindle shaft 1.457dia, x 1.937 long(flat surface where spindle nut tightens),anybody khow 97/98 dakota spindle measurement?Youtube shows short clip of man named brandon burns making hubs,

Have you looked at using 2wd D150 rotors from about 1984

I know those fit the 91-96 first gen 6 lug spindles, since guys using the Dakota drop spindles on their trucks use them.

But I dont know about the 97