i've been looking to buy and swap in a 4th gen 3.42 posi rear in my rs. i realized the bolt pattern was different, what would i do for wheels? anyway i can keep my 3rd gen stockers?

 

You read wrong. The bolt pattern for the wheel is the same, but you still won't want to keep your "stockers". The 4th gen rear end is wider than your thirdgen one. You should use rims with an offset to match the extra width. This means using fourth gen rims or aftermarket rims. You'd need machined spacers to run the fourth gen rims in front. Another option is to have the rear end shortened to match the width of your old one along with new shorter axels.

Lon

 

Im not sure how much a shop would charge to shorten an axle...but it might just be cheaper than getting a new set of wheels. And probably new tires to match those wheels. Only problem is now you gotta get new axle shafts.

If its just the gears/posi you want, Im sure you could upgrade your stocker for less than the cost of wheels/tires and making the disc brakes work.

If its the disc brakes and gears/posi you are after, there might even be cheaper ways to do all that to your stocker too.

But the info that lonsal gave is accurate. Your stock wheels will bolt right up. But will be sticking out a good amount. Most people solve this by just getting 4th gen wheels. But then you gotta run adapters up front.

Justin

 

I just installed a 1994 4th gen rearend in December into my 1991 RS camaro, i need to know what your after, like specifics, like do you want 4th gen wheels, rear disc brakes, posi/gears, whats the whole thing your going for.
---1 thing comes to mind with the 4th gen rearend swap is E-brake cables are
different between the 3rd - 4th gen, they are not compadable, i think ed-or ebmiller is working on make custom LS1 e-brake cables, so get your state inspect before you swap the rearends---

i would tell you its easier to install a 1993-1997 LT1 rearend in rather than a 1998-2002 LS1 w/ ASR,

see i installed the 1994 LT1 rearend, and rebuilt it, and installed new seals. and then took rear LS1 brakes and installed them on the rear.
also the 4th gen rearend is about 4 inchs longer than the 3rd gen, making stocks wheels will stick OUT-WAY-2-FAR, i am running factory 17x9 ZR1's on all 4 corners,

if you need wheel spacers for the fronts i have one more set so that you can sell you so that you can run 4th gen wheels on all 4 corners after you get your 4th gen rearend in