6-pin or bolt on?

[J.Jensen]

I´m planning a future build (289FIA) and have a few Qs for you ERA builders and drivers.

What is gained by using pin-drive hub´s in situ of normal bolt on wheel hubs?

Only originality show looks?

Will the racing 12.2" brakes fit under original style 15" wheels from Trigo and PS Engineering? Are the bigger brakes really needed for short autocross courses and the odd track-day?

Thanks in advance

JJ

[Grubby]

Six pin hubs are lighter and stronger than 5 pin with adapters. The adapters weigh several pounds each. The six pins have a cool factor.

No one can tell which you have with the wheels on. I have had one of each and for street driving there is no real difference.

The ERA racing front brakes will fit inside 15" wheels. They give you cool factor as well. For street driving the standard brakes are more than enough.

John

[cscobra]

Agree with Grubby in all regards. I went with the 5-pin/adaptor design simply for cost reasons.

Standard (Camaro) brakes work VERY well for street driving, but be sure to install the calipers and pads correctly. Threads already exist on this site about the installation.

[J.Jensen]

The car will be used a few days every season on open track day events on the local track (2.3mi, biggest elevation change 31m) and some auto-x just for fun so less unsprung weight is always a good thing

I´m sure the standard brakes are good for normal driving - but how do they cope with heat dissipation and sheer braking power on circle tracks?

[strictlypersonl]

The optional rotors and calipers have about 15%-20% better heat dissipation with 10% less pedal pressure. Note that the original cars didn't even run vented rotors, although they too were 12" (as opposed to our standard 11").

We have lots of cars doing track days with the standard brakes, though I'd use a harder pad than we normally supply for the street.

[DanEC]

I think (?) that if you decide to spring for the ERA rear suspension over the JAG suspension, that the cost of going to 6-pin hubs is partially absorbed in the cost of the ERA rear. I also think that if I understood prp289 in a converstaion the other day, you may have some problems with wheel offsets if you don't go with 6-pin hubs on the ERA rear.

Otherwise - my car is strictly a steet cruiser and 5-pins were fine for me. I spent the money elsewhere. I have a 427 Corvette with essentially the same KO wheel set up.

[J.Jensen]

Thanks Dan, I didn't think about the ERA rear being supplied with 6-pin hubs. I looked up the rear on the era page, and only found images of it with 6-pin hubs. Maybe strictlypersonl can confirm this?

50lbs weight reduction is quite massive on such a light car.

[*13*]

I went 6pin, for looks. I have a set of 15" trigos over the big era brakes & a set of 17" kidneys from PSE(which I'll sell...). The clean looking knockoff wheels, to me, really are one of those finishing touches that really make a cobra look special.

[strictlypersonl]

The ERA outboard-braked rear suspension can be had with bolt-on-wheel flanges.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

The ERA outboard-braked rear suspension can be had with bolt-on-wheel flanges.

Unless you simply can't swing it, you should go with the six pin hubs and the outboard braked rear. They're just a whole lot of fun to play with. But if you got to pinch pennies, then an ERA without them is still better than no ERA at all.

[lippy]

I have the five pin adapters with FIA wheels and Wilwood brakes on my ERA 427. I also have the standard inboard rear end. I'm glad I went with that combo. The five pins are flawless, the standard rear rides great, and the Wilwoods look and stop perfectly. If I had to do it again I'd do it exactly the same way. BTW, the greatest concern I had was the power handling capacity of the standard rear end, but it is strengthened, and the ERA rear is no stronger (according to ERA).

[patrickt]

In the eight years I've had my car I've had exactly one car guy notice that I had an outboard braked independent rear of, basically, Jag origin. He was an E-type aficionado and immediately appreciated the work that went in to it. As I recall, he was particularly enamored with the uprights. When it comes to five pins versus six pins, you'd have to jack the car up and pull a wheel for anyone to appreciate it other than you.

[kevins2]

Doug at ERA is an advocate for the 6 pin hubs. Many of the points have been stated above. The one that is not is the 6 pin hubs are stainless steel and won't rust.

In the end, either set-up will work and only you can decide how and where to spend your money.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by kevins2

Doug at ERA is an advocate for the 6 pin hubs. Many of the points have been stated above. The one that is not is the 6 pin hubs are stainless steel and won't rust.

In the end, either set-up will work and only you can decide how and where to spend your money.

You know, if it didn't cost more, everyone would go for the outboard rear and the six pin drives -- no question about that. But I don't know how much more they actually cost. The last time I looked, ERA had reduced the margin between the standard rear and the outboard rear down so low that it made it hard not to go with the upgrade. I know that in threads past, we've gotten hung up on the "if I go with the outboard rear, then I have to have the bigger rear brakes, which means I have to have the bigger front brakes, which means..." but I don't know if we really knew what we were talking about. If I wanted the outboard braked rear, instead of the standard rear, and the six pins, instead of the cheaper stuff, what is the minimum margin increase in my costs that I can do it with?

[Fullchat289]

Originally Posted by J.Jensen

The car will be used a few days every season on open track day events on the local track (2.3mi, biggest elevation change 31m) and some auto-x just for fun so less unsprung weight is always a good thing

I´m sure the standard brakes are good for normal driving - but how do they cope with heat dissipation and sheer braking power on circle tracks?

Hi. FWIW, if you aren't that worried about originality, going 17" will give you a greater choice of tires/compounds than a 15" set-up would. You can get 17" knock-offs from Vintage Wheel and other places in either of the two pin patterns. I have a set for auto-x and they look like this:

Ownership Log – ERA#2124

- Allen.

[lippy]

When I ordered my car, which was 2012, the 6 pin plus outboard rear together cost about an additional $2k, maybe a bit more.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by lippy

When I ordered my car, which was 2012, the 6 pin plus outboard rear together cost about an additional $2k, maybe a bit more.

That's less than I thought -- two grand is not a lot of dough when it comes to these cars.

[J.Jensen]

Originally Posted by Fullchat289

Hi. FWIW, if you aren't that worried about originality, going 17" will give you a greater choice of tires/compounds than a 15" set-up would. You can get 17" knock-offs from Vintage Wheel and other places in either of the two pin patterns. I have a set for auto-x and they look like this:

Ownership Log – ERA#2124

- Allen.

For me, a 289FIA got to have 15s with some fat rubber on it. I can't explain why - but it just looks so much more mean and manly with the fat tires.

A pair of 17s in addition to get more choice in track rubber is always a choice anyway.

[*13*]

17's are certainly your best performance option. There is certainly a ride difference between the two, also. Having both, you really feel all the bumps in the road, with the 17's. That can be a great thing, if you want the ultimate in performance.

[ERA2076]

Bolt on and 15" wheels to reduce un-sprung weight (bonus points - they look right). If you are going to track the car you should give yourself the best setup you can and the 6 pin replica stuff and associated components are heavy. Aluminum bolt on hubs are half the weight of the 6 pin hubs.

The ERA aluminum cradle with outboard brakes is a no brainer - a complete waste to build a new one without this system either street or track. Lite weight, fully adjustable, and like the gen 1, far far from original - LOL!

The wheel base, track, total weight, cg, and power to weight is what made them so competitive in the day. They were <= 2200 lb cars. The glass body and heavier chassis of the ERA is significant to the deviation in weight. Chassis stiffness, SLA suspension, and cost effective quality glass are welcomed trade offs.

If you are worried about re-sale, put the other stuff on it.

Build it lite - bolt on.

chr