How To Do A 5 Lug Conversion the Right Way! Project EP3
As we finally start to mod our much-maligned shop EP3, the car that everyone loves to hate, we came to the realization that the car had pretty big wheel wells. To us, big wheel wells does not mean room for offset, slammed to the ground ride height or dumb camber but room for big grippy tires!
With some looking and measuring, we felt that we could probably stuff a 235/40-17 wheel into Project EP3's wheel wells with perhaps some fender rolling in the rear. However, we wanted to run an 8-9″ wide wheel with these tires and offerings in a 4×100 bolt pattern for wheels this wide were very limited. There were many choices in 5×114.3 however!
This lead us to consider swapping to 5-lug hubs and to further contemplate going to a performance K20A2 in the future as well if we can get the car to handle decently.
To read more about Project EP3 check here!
Sometimes it is sort of fun to drive stock cars. The EP3 had been holding down by getting nearly 30 mpg out of super cheapo 87 octane regular and being almost ticket proof since it is bone stock, even having a front plate!
However, we wanted to run the stronger RSX Type-S axles since we are planning a K-swap. Since we are also going to be running larger racing type fixed piston caliper brakes, we wanted to run the Type-S hubs with a larger and stiffer knuckle and bearing system. Fixed piston calipers provide more clamping force but are sensitive to piston knockback which can cause the brake pedal to go to the floor after a hard turn.
Our big tires were going to put higher loads on the bearings, hubs, and knuckles so we wanted to upgrade to the stronger Type-S stuff to avoid knockback.
12 comments
Do you use Ep3 coilovers or Rsx coilovers?
They are the same except some years have different tie rod tapers.
Hey Mike,
Was curious with the Type-S Knuckle having a larger ball joint stud can they still be swapped out for the HARDRACE roll center adjusters to fit the EP3 Si lower control arm?
2002-2004 knuckles have the correct size ball joint 2005-2006 have the larger spindle needing different roll center adjusters but Hardrace has those too.
Did this myself on a EP3 although I went for a full TypeR replacement(30mill wider now) R knuckles front+back, aluminum LCA’s, R driveshafts, sway bar etc but i ended up selling the front+rear brembo calipers and brackets and installed TypeS variants instead, I dont race it.. and I dont need 17inch minimum size rims with a wide offset(stock) on a civic.
Fun fact, Rear TypeR lateral arms sway bar end link bracket is flipped around compared to regular EP3 civic lateral arm so to make the endlinks work in the rear all you do is flip the sides sway bar end links(right to left and left to right) for a perfect fit 🙂 Honda feature right there.
(PS front swaybar must be TypeR since its longer if you are going for the better LCAs with more caster stock)
This was a good read, because it matched what I went through
so the question i have what transmission did you use do the 5 speed and 6 speed use the same input shaft size ?
Yes
If I already purchased roll center adjusting ball joints for my ep3 am I to understand that they will not fit into the type S components if I did the type S brake swap?
Thanks, you are a huge help with these videos and articles
So did you use rsx knuckle in the rear or will a 04-05 ep3 wheel hub fit the oem knuckle?
It will.
Hey Mike, great write-up. Two quick questions. 1. In the picture with the tie rod ends and the snap rings, what are the the bushings (that’s what they look like) and the silver dust caps? 2. With this conversion, did you put on Fortune struts from a type-S or the EP3? Looking to do the same but confused which suspension components to purchase if there is a difference once switching over. Thanks!
This is so long ago I forgot exactly except what is in the article.