I'm looking into getting a fourth gen rear for my car and was wondering if I would be able to keep my new third gen rims on it. I just bought the wheels so I kinda want to keep them. Is it possible?

 

Nope. Theyll stick out 1.5"-2" of the wheel well. You could get two fourth gen wheels in your style for the rear.

 

Thats not good. Would I be able to use my existing axle and just install all the fourth gen goodies ( Rear end, disc brakes, ect.) on it?

Thanks for the help btw.

 

hes wrong.... i dont quite know what 89305RS 's deal is, or why hes on probation, but im guessing a possible reason might be spreading incorrect tech info.


yes you can retain your stock rims... i myself am running my stock 16x8" rims with my LT1 rear..
the wheels will stickout about 1.5" more on each side... you MAY have to roll the lip if the panhard bar isnt centered... but stock 3rdgen wheels fit and clear just fine

 

Hey mrdude i dont really like the personal attack in this thread on me. All im saying is if he wants to use a thirdgen wheel on a 4th gen rear that it will stick out 1.5" so no im not wrong YOU just misunderstood me. YES it will bolt up but it will stick out 1.5" and look nasty in my opinion. Hey tommyu, can i ask why you want to use a 4th gen rear?

P.S. i am not on probation for incorrect info. I was swearing a little too much.

 

Moral of the story... you can use the 3rd gen wheels on a 4th gen rear. They will stick out about 1.5" more than before, but you can use them.

 

Well, the reason I want to use a 4th gen rear is I have one avaible to me for around $500, so I figured I'd check into it and see how much work it would take to use.

 

why dont you just buy a 9 bolt posi with disc brakes for $450 complete from LFN AT U? They have expensive parts but Ive heard that they are stronger anyways. I think LFN AT U has one now with 3.27 gears.

 

Plus LFN AT U is in illinois. Where is Story City, IA??

 

not really a attach as much as a observation from several threads... i read about 70% of every new thread posted here everyday (job doesnt leave me much to do most of the day) so i just notice stuff.

 

MR. Dude, what do you do! If you don't mind me asking.

 

i design mobile computer systems for industry and sales..

when you see guys with handheld computers selling stuff, or doing inspections or anything of that nature, someone has to design the whole system of how the data collected there comes back to the office, how its transfered, stored, used, ties into existing systems, ect..

if you ask me my title, i usually just say computer programmer since i dont have a fancy sounding title.. but i dont do too much programming, just alot of design work and problem solving.

 

meaning if i do my job right the first time, i dont have too many problems to solve... hence the free time.

 

Story City is in central iowa... about 10 miles north of ames

 

Cool!

 

Well mr dude, ive been modifying cars since i was 13 years old. I have a 68 camaro that runs 9.50s all day, I do all of the work on my cars and they still run.. So i really really dont see how i give the wrong information. If you can show me a thread that i did give the wrong info to. Then talk crap. Untill then shut your mouth. How would you like it if i gave you a bad name on the internet for giving the wrong info. Ill admit it. I know nothing about The TBI just because ive never owned one before. But anything else on my car, i know about. YOU MISUNDERSTOOD ME ON THE REAR END THING. IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING NOT WRONG INFO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

mmk.


Well mr 89305RS , ive been modifying cars since i can remember. I had a 82 camaro that ran 11.50s all day, I do all of the work on my cars and they still run.. So i really really dont see how i give the wrong information. But I can show you threads that i did give the wrong info in. People make mistakes. Fell free to talk crap. Or you could shut your mouth. noone is out to give you a bad name on the internet for giving the wrong info. Ill admit it. I know nothing about alot and alot about nothing. But anything on my car, i know about. YOU MISUNDERSTOOD ME ON THE REAR END THING. IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING DUE TO POOR PHRASING THAT COULD IMPLY INCORRECT INFO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Why is it that rear end questions always end in a poo tossing contest?

 

because some people are afraid to stick a 9" in their rear!

 

That's pretty funny!:yourock:

 

man o man why cant we all just get along ...lol...we all have the love of 3rd gens and workin on our cars ...LOL...

 

why cant we all get along??? Because there are smart***es like MR DUDE who spoil a good post with the right info in it. Who would look at my post about the wheels sticking out 1.5" and understand it?

 

lies!
WE didnt ruin the post... WE ruined the thread.

 

Oh brother!

 

wow

 

fine ill be the right one here Im done arguing here

 

sounds like to me you have a bad temper and a dirty mouth anyhow. why if yo have been working on cars for that long, continue to argue? if you know so much, know when to give up...

 

neat.

 

If you find good deals you could setup a 3rd gen 10 bolt for under 500$

I got a slp zexel torsion posi (same as a 4th gen), 3.73 motive gears, and a delux install kit all new for 300$ shipped + the 100$ Its gonna cost me to have it all installed.

Easier I guess....plus youd have better gears and newer parts.

 

that's all fine and good, but i think that the biggest advantage to the fourth gen rear is the bigger spline axles and the availability of good quality disc brake assemblies. the axles are by far the weakest link in the 10 bolt rearend. if you put a set of good moser axles in them, they will last longer, but you will find something else to break in them. i would seriously look into saving your pennies and putting a 9" in there.

 

89 to 92 thirdgens have the same spline axles and the 4th gen rears. 88 and older have the 26 spline.

 

hey thats cool i just picked up a 91 rs parts car and it has a complets axle in it still ....it is better than what i had in my 84 z28??? i dont know thats why im askin ...if i decide to sell it how much should i ask for it ????? ( the one out of the 91) it has 3.23 ratio

 

MrDude_1 is correct, they will bolt up. But again, 89305RS is also correct, as it WILL look stupid. I have a 4th gen rear in mine, and because its an LS1 rear, its slightly shorter than the LT1 rear. Even still with my factory 15x7s they stuck out past the wheel well lip, and gave my car the stereotype ******* trailer trash look. If MrDude_1 likes that look and recommends that to others on the board, thats his problem. I'm with 89305RS on this one - get 4th gen wheels or put the correct rear in.

BTW - $500 is really steep for a 4th gen rear. I bought my 2000 mile 2002 TransAm rear for $400, and that came with 3.42s and the optional Auburn Pro and HD rear cover, with the axle tubes already welded, and the whole rear sanded down and coated with POR-15.

 

I sell my 3.27/posi 9-bolts for $300 to $350. The $450 rearends are 3.45's.

 

Not true ,.,,My 89 has 26 splines...on the 89's the only way to know is to pull an axle and count the splines..this was the change-over year!!

 

mine dont stick out beyond the rear wheel lip. the earlier wheels should come up to the lip, the later cars have it slightly tucked int..

reason is intresting... the later cars had alum drums as a option.. well alum drums are thicker for strength reasons.. so the offset of the rim is made for them.
to compensate for that on non alum drum cars, the factory used a slip on spacer.
if you dont use the spacer on the rims, they slightly tuck in instead of sticking out.

and $400 is really steep for a rear.

i paid $200 for a assembled 3rdgen 4.10 posi rear.
i snagged a LT1 3.42 posi rear (minus brakes) for free... $100 later for brakes and it was in.
i got a 3.73 posi rear just by being in the right place at the right time.

trick is to talk to 4thgen owners as they swap to 12 bolts (or any other rear..)
they usually give them up cheap.


thats the reason for the 4thgen swap. they're cheap. otherwise, they're identical to any later 3rdgen setup.
if you're paying that much, you might as well build one... and thoes with a earlier setup can just spend the $25-$40 at a junkyard for some later axles and run the same stuff as all of the later(88-02) cars.

 

I'm not saying what I paid for my rear, but I sell 2.73 and 3.23 (and 3.42, when i can get them...) rears for $225 plus shipping. count on shipping being $100-150, depending on the company you ship with, though I usually use forward air, cost about $100 most cases. so figure $325, and tht's what you pay for the same **** you're paying $500 bucks for, and I bet the guy isn't giving you the e-brake cables or anything else like LCA's, Panhard bar, or sway bar. (I include that with the rears i sell). it's a good swap, but do some shopping. I guarantee you'll save some money, even if you ship it.

 

$400 steep for the rear? Well, it only had 2000 miles on it, and was a current year (2002). It already had the axle tubes welded, POR-15, Auburn Pro diff with the factory HD cover, factory 3.42 gears and it came with a complete LT1 brake setup. That's an absolute steal!

By the time I sold the factory HD cover, the rear spacers I used to have on my original rear, and the Powertrax from my original rear the 4th gen unit was FREE! Beat that

 

that's even better, but didn't say your unit was steep at all. the por-15 and low mileage was worth it. I still have to do brakes on my rear rotors and pads, $123. stopping like a porsche, priceless. for all the new **** to do it, there's MAstercard.

 

i did.. a friend just gave me a free rear... well, i did twice, it happened again... 4thgen friends are cool

anyhoo, thats cool... quick question though.
its a 02 rear.. that means its setup for the later disc brakes. you said you put a complete LT1 brake setup on it..

how did you get the caliper carriers to clear the rotor with the shorter 98+ axles? did you grind the carrier or space it away or what?

 

How much shorter are the 98+ rears than the older 4th gen rears? Are the 98+ rears close to the thirdgen rears? Does anyone know the exact witdths of all three rears? This is good info I would appreciate any input.

 

the AXLES are shorter. the overall tire mounting point to tire mounting point is the same on both 4thgen rears.


the AXLES are shorter on 98+ cars because the later brakes have a disc brake with a drum parking brake center.

if you put 4thgen PBR (LT1) brake brackets on a 98+ rear and just slip it together, the slightly shorter axle is closer to the caliper mounting point... and the brake rotor will rub on the caliper carrier.

we (me and some friends) found this out the hard way, and ended up machining out about 0.125" from the carrier to clear the rotor (and it JUST bearly cleared.)
with new rotors, it might not even clear anymore and further clearancing may be needed.

this is why im curious.. i would love to hear any other solutions to this prob.

 

When you say carrier do you mean the caliper anchor? When I read carrier I think of the ring gear carrier or differental. Just checking.

If the axles were shorter, then the wheel to wheel mounting point would almost have to be narrower. I wonder if the axle tubes are just longer but the axles are the same length.