I am looking to buy an old 87 pickup and make a trailer out of it to tow behind my 1st gen 4runner and maybe my 01 4runner. the thing is the doner pickup is a 2x4 and has the 5 lug setup. I would like to swap it to a 6 lug so that I can have 2 spare tires when I pull the trailer. I know it's unlikly to blow out 2 tires but if I can be prepared I want to.

Now I guess my questions would be
1. How difficult is it to swap out for a 6 lug
2. What do I need to swap out.
3. Can I run the rear axel Without the 3rd member in, would I need some type of plate to cover the huge hole left.
4. What else should I consider?

Please chime in by friday because that's when I have to buy it or pass on it.

Thanks

 

From when I pulled out my axle to replace a seal I noticed that the whole thing, drum and all including the lug bolts are all in one thing. but if you got 6 lug versions of the axle and brakes and that whole assembly it wouldn't go back in because the spline count would be smaller in the carrier. 30 as opposed to 27 if I'm not mistaken. and you can't just put a 8" diff into the 7.5 housing either....So my thought would be. You would have to replace the entire thing with an 8" housing and axles....or get an actual trailer axle and slap it under there. either way it would probably be alot more becuase those axles arent that cheap and if you want a 5x8 trailer it wouldn't be much more than a few hundred bucks.

 

whoa overload maybe I'm too tired right now. So basiclly I can't get a set of 6 lug axels put them in the housing and run w/out the 3rd member?

Basiclly I just want it for nostalgic purposes but it needs to function w/in my needs. It won't need brakes, a drive shaft (so no 3rd member) just a bed, axel, springs and modified frame to put the hitch. Make sense? Still will it work?

 

I guess that might work, but I'd beconcerned about the ends of the shafts just kinda chillin in the air there. I dunno if that would affect how the wheels turned. probably not though.....

 

If you put an axle in without the 3rd member, the only thing holding the axle in will be the drum brake backing plate. The axle won't sit in the center on the axle housing. In short: you will break something real, real fast.

Your other option, if you really want a 6 lug, is to buy the truck/trailer, whatever, and pony up another $100-$150 for a rear axle. doesn't matter what gear ratio you get, because it's not going to be powered anyways. All the swap would require is unbolting the brake lines, unbolting the u-bolts, and dropping it(assuming no driveshaft), and then bolting in the 6 lug axle.

Unless you want to fab up some sort of overly elaborate inner bearing set up, you will need to run the 3rd. So something to keep in mind is how you are going to support it. Consider wiring it in place, sure the u-bolts will hold it in place with no driveshaft, but better safe than sorry.

 

You might want to consider just buying an axle from a local trailer shop and mounting it to the springs. Much lighter, and you can get whatever wheel lugs you want. I just replaced a trailer axle and got the whole axle from a trailer shop , with brakes, drums, for around $350. You could get one without brakes, for $150 or so. YOur going to have to buy wheels regardless, right, so that is some extra expense either way. BTW Isuzu trooper wheels do fit our 6 lug.

 

Thanks for all the great info, I will go to the trailer shop later today and check it out. If it all works out you'll be seing my post on a super-fly trailer.

 

It's definatley putting to good use an otherwise scrap truck.

You should take the cab and slap an axle back there some how and have a ridiculous short wheel base truck. I know it's totally absurd, but it would be cool....

 

like the steve urkel mobil, but a truck?