hey everyone i have a question i was hoping you all could help me with. i am thinking about swapping out my 3rd gen rear end for a 4th gen rear end. will it fit without modifications? i have an 88 camaro with rear drums and i was hoping to get the rear disc brakes and still have parts easy to find. also i have done some work to the stock rear end (GM 3.73 gears and an eaton pro posi unit) will the ring and pinion and the posi bolt into the unit from the 4th gen? i know the axles are very similar. will i have to get a new brake master cylinder? any thoughts would be extremely helpful. thanks guys!

Rich
rbowers403@zoominternet.net

 

Welcome to TGO. Yes, the rear is a direct swap. This is a quesion that should provide a wealth of info in a search.

JamesC

 

so i will be able to use the gears and the carrier from my axle in the 88 camaro in say a 95 Z28 rear axle with no problems. correct?

 

The gears and carrier yes. The axles are diffrent leghth, as the 4thgen housing is a few inches wider.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/faq-...-gen-rear.html

alittle information i put together on the rear swap. there is alittle bit of info the drum swap to 4th gen disk swap.

only thing you may need to worry about is attaching the 4th gen rear brake line to the car's body brake line. i believe the connections are similar but if not, you may need to make a new line (one that is like 85+ disk brake thirdgen cars) coming off the car from the hardlines.

Make sure you setup the 4th gen rear like the 3 channel non traction control rears. those brake lines are setup like 3rd gen disk car brake lines and makes the swap easy. just plug in your car's line to the 4th gen rear's T block fitting.

Also, E BRAKE cables will be a problem. you can modify a 4th gens lines to work in a thirdgen if you have the later style adjustable tensioner connection underneath the ebrake handle above the driveshaft before the rear end. OR get aftermarket lines and make those work.

 

Gears, yes. Carrier, no. The carrier in the 88 is 26 spline, while the 95 is 28 spline. The axles themselves are not interchangeable.

 

is it possible to completely unbolt the brake assembly (backing plate, caliper mounting bracket, calipers, rotors, etc) from the 4th gen rear end and bolt it directly onto a 3rd gen rear after removing the entire drum assembly? will the mounting holes line up? or if that isn't possible to do is it possible to do it with the disc brake assembly from a 91-92 camaro which i hear are the same?

 

No. In order to convert from drums to discs, you'll need to modify the axle flanges. Again, a search will provide that info.

JamesC

 

thanks for the reply...rude as it may be!! any pictures of the modified flanges? or know of any how to's?

 

OK everyone after a few days of searching this is exactly what i am looking for!

https://www.thirdgen.org/ls1reardisc

thanks to all that helped!

 

I havent read the guys swap that he listed in the above replys,but some of my info is just from my swap

i found that a 1993-1997(LT1) rear is a easier swap due to it being a stright swap, 4thgen wheels will be needed. 3rd gen wheels will stick out too far. since the 4th gen rear end is about 4 inchs longer, making the 3rd gen axles too short to reuse and will not fit.
also 1998-2002 (LS1) rear ends have (ASR-traction control sensors, wiring, and a brake line for each rear brake----as were ours only has one brake line for both rear brakes. since the LT1 rear is the same its a little easier and cheaper to find a LT1 rear is easier
i found a 1994 Z-28 complete rear for about $250.00 with disc, with 80,000 w/3.23 gears. i took it apart and checked for wear on the ring and pinion gears, found very little wear and was very tight. since i had it out i figured i should in stall new side axle seals since one side was leaking. i ended up reuseing the 3.23 in the stock 1994 Z-28 rearend instead of my 3.73 (eaton Governor lock posi is TRASH they are not made for camaros they are made for 4 wheel drive trucks and have to lock, and then let go at higher speeds. ONCE AGAIN IF YOU HAVE A FACTORY GM EATON GOV... LOCKER ---IT IS TRASH--- ) i think the auburn that comes in the 4 gen LT1 posi is 100 millions times better(LIMITED SLIP)
Also since gas keeps rising, i like my 3.23 for better gas mileage, although i due notice a huge difference in my aceleration.

also i got my hads on a set of LS1 brakes for all 4 corners, i will be using the
(big brake upgrade kit to fit these on the front)
and for the rear LS1 brakes will take about 1 hour to install due to i already have a 4 gen rear and is already setup for rear disc.

----ebrake cables will be a problem, since 3rd gen and 4th gen are not the same----

If you have any more detailed question please fill free to email and i will try to help ASAP and as much as i can.

 

i don't have the factory eaton unit. i have the eaton pro posi. it's a cone style posi with springs no clutches. it's really strong and works awesome!!!