Ok, currently I have a disc brakes but the rear end is a borg warner with ****ty 2.77 gears. Well, I'm thinking about getting a 10 bolt rear with better gears in it. Problem is, I'm having a hard time finding one with disc brakes.. so this is my question. If I buy a rear end with drum brakes can I swap to disc brakes using all the hardware from my original rear end WITHOUT having to buy any additional hardware to swap??

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1986 Trans AM
305 TPI
Well over 200,000+ miles (speedo/odometer non-funtional! Odometer reads 142,000)
4 Wheel Discs
9 bolt Borg Warner Rear (2.77's....oh joy) :P
Completely Stock
Current Project: upgrade to a 355 TPI, 6" rods, 9.7:1 Compression, Stock TPI ported, 24#/hr LTI injectors (cleaned and flowmatched), Hedman Shorty Headers, 3" cat back exhaust with flowmater, SBC 993 heads completely redone and modified for 1.6 RR, Comp Cams XE262-14 TPI Cam, Ed Wright Fast Chip, Holley AFPR, TPIS airfoil, MSD wires, MSD 6-AL Box, Hypertech hot coil!!

 

Not easily, the flanges on the axle tubes are different on disc and drum rears, so you'd have to do some fabricating to get your backing plates mounted.

 

Not impossible if you have the time and money
to transfer a inferior disc brake system (86). Live with the B-W 9bolt or find a rear
with (89)or later rear disc's with a higher gear ratio, which to this route is good luck. One
word "RARE".

 

I don't think the flanges on the axle tubes are different. I put discs off an 84 Z28 on my 88 IROC. OK, the ID number on the rear says it's an 83, but I still pulled off the drum to disc swap.

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88 IROC with cobbled together (not by me)drivetrain, 86 (?) TPI unit on an '83 305,CE subframe connectors, Edelbrock strut tower brace, polygraphite bushings all around...it handles like a dream, but man is it hard to push!!

 

The flanges on the axle tubes are very different from drum to disc. The disc flange is small and almost square, the drum flange is much larger, rectangular, and has one giant hole in the end of it for the wheel cylinder. You could probably cut one down to the right size and drill the right bolt holes for a disc backing plate to bolt onto it, but it's definitely not a direct swap-over.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

The only thing I see "inferior" about the 86 disc setup is the calipers which is an easy fix. IMO, with proper calipers, the 86 disc setup is just as good as the 89-92 setup. The only thing that would be better would be the 1LE package.. and I hear that even that has problems.

Just to clarify, my back brakes haven't worked for over a year now and I have ZERO trouble braking... so really, it doesn't matter how "inferior" the setup is. I just need a new rear end because I refuse to put up with these 2.77 gears any longer. But as far as weight and looks, I'll stick with my disc setup.

------------------
1986 Trans AM
305 TPI
Well over 200,000+ miles (speedo/odometer non-funtional! Odometer reads 142,000)
4 Wheel Discs
9 bolt Borg Warner Rear (2.77's....oh joy) :P
Completely Stock
Current Project: upgrade to a 355 TPI, 6" rods, 9.7:1 Compression, Stock TPI ported, 24#/hr LTI injectors (cleaned and flowmatched), Hedman Shorty Headers, 3" cat back exhaust with flowmater, SBC 993 heads completely redone and modified for 1.6 RR, Comp Cams XE262-14 TPI Cam, Ed Wright Fast Chip, Holley AFPR, TPIS airfoil, MSD wires, MSD 6-AL Box, Hypertech hot coil!!

 

1LE's have the same rear discs as all the other 89-92 cars.

 

Thats my idea of great brake system. "The rear disc's haven't worked for over a YEAR and I have Zero trouble braking". eek

 

Forgive me, I was somewhat medicated during my last post...
The flanges are different, as RB83L69 corrected. BUT, there is enough metal there to correct the fit.
You may be able to find an original disc rear that's been stripped of its brakes for cheap.

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88 IROC with cobbled together (not by me)drivetrain, 86 (?) TPI unit on an '83 305,CE subframe connectors, Edelbrock strut tower brace, polygraphite bushings all around...it handles like a dream, but man is it hard to push!!

 

So are the flanges the ONLY thing that would have to be "corrected" for me to swap my disc brakes onto a rear end that originally had drums??

------------------
1986 Trans AM
305 TPI
Well over 200,000+ miles (speedo/odometer non-funtional! Odometer reads 142,000)
4 Wheel Discs
9 bolt Borg Warner Rear (2.77's....oh joy) :P
Completely Stock
Current Project: upgrade to a 355 TPI, 6" rods, 9.7:1 Compression, Stock TPI ported, 24#/hr LTI injectors (cleaned and flowmatched), Hedman Shorty Headers, 3" cat back exhaust with flowmater, SBC 993 heads completely redone and modified for 1.6 RR, Comp Cams XE262-14 TPI Cam, Ed Wright Fast Chip, Holley AFPR, TPIS airfoil, MSD wires, MSD 6-AL Box, Hypertech hot coil!!