Any modifications that need to be done to get a 2001 trans am rear end with 3.42gears into my 1992 Firebird? My friends giving it to me for free without the disc brakes. The shop said 1800$ for all the installation and for new disc brakes. But do any modifications need to be done to get it to work? I heard that the only difference was that it was 1in wider then the stock one, but should everything else just fit right in?

 

$1800 bucks? Did the shop (guy / gal ) ask you to raise your hands over your head while they pluck you clean? Dont go back there.

If your getting the rear end for free, take it. Then spend a little of that free time sourcing the brake parts you'll need to re-assemble the complete rear before "you" swap it into your car. Are you planning on replacing a drum braked rear with this disk braked rear? If so, add a new or good used proportioning valve to the parts list. Here's a thread to on-line used parts shopping; http://www.car-part.com

If you have to pay someone to swap rear ends, it shouldnt run more than a couple hundred bucks to R&R, bleed brakes, and put you on the road.

Still want to part with that extra grand or so you're gonna throw away? I'll take it off your hands!

 

The extra grand was for all the parts and the rear disc brakes. And yeh i got drum brakes in the back now so i figure if the rear end is gonna go on, might as well go to disc brakes. 1800$ was for all the parts [including the disc brakes] and labor other then the actual rear end which im getting for free.

But your saying it should fit in fine? No major modifications needed?

 

If you can replace the missing rear brake calipers for instance with good used parts (check the thread that I sent to you previously), you'll save some money. Not sure what you have in mind for rear rotors and pads but, if you dont go too wild, standard rotors and pads should be fine anyway. Those parts are best purchased new along with the brake and hard lines. Shop around. You should be able to pre-assemble the rear end yourself b/4 you swap out the old and dont forget that you should replace the brake (bias) porportioning valve.

As far as the fit goes. The 4th gen rear end will bolt right in but it's a little wider and the bolt pattern differs from your 3rd gen so, your rear OE or whatever wheels wont fit. Plan on addressing that issue.

You didnt mention what gears you have now. If they're 2.73's or 3.08's, the new 3.42 gears are going to affect your speedo. To correct that, plan on changing the vss driven gear.

Still, $1800 seems way too high.

Good luck

 

The brakes are going to be incredible easy to get all of the parts for, every F-body from 98-02 had the same brakes V-6 - LS1. You will need to get the hard lines from a car that had no traction control (3 channel rear) check the FAQ board for a thread entitled "thinking 4th gen rear swap" Or just type that title into the search bar and all you questions will be answered.

your 3rd gen wheels will work fine

Forgot to add that $1800 dollars to swap a rear end is out of control. Does it need a new Flux Capacitor or something?

 

rockauto.com, rear rotors new 27.79 each
loaded calipers with ceramic pads from 128 each side
proportioning valve? maybe 20 bucks at most from any yard
so
340 or so in parts, ( could get less used)
your still a long way from 1800,
at a shop rate of 100/hr thats 14 hours of labor to r& a rear end.
just took mint out on my back in my garage on jack stands, in about 30 minutes max to put in a new fuel tank, was another 30 or so putting it back in.
up to you, but they saw you comming

 

So will my stock wheels work? lol

And hmm, I guess ill just gather all the parts up, and then ill ask this other shop. Ive got it down to a 2 shop system now, lol. If ones too expensive, go to the other. But they told me it would be 800$ for the labor, the other 1k was to get some nice brakes. but I guess ill just get the stock brakes that came on them. 800$ still too expensive to put the rear end on? They charge 85$ an hour I think.

Im not sure what gears I got now, but I know I dont have posi, and I have just a base Firebird, so i would assume the lowest gears.

 

Yes still very high. This is a job you can do yourself? in a few hours with basic hand tools, of course much easier with some air tools.

Your stock wheels should work as long as they're 16" I've heard 15" will rub but check this link and it should cover everything.

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

 

Alright, thanks. Only reason I would get it done at a shop is so they can get the speedo and everything to work with the higher gears, and im prolly going to get my whole suspension done when I do that.

I have the 15in rims, couldent tell what rims everyone else was running. Maybe if i get a couple of 16in rims just for the back that would look cool?

 

not sure which rims you got...but my 15s fit, ever so slightly hit the rotor, so i'm going to shave 1/16-1/8th of an inch off the rotor, otherwise the face of the rotor is no conflict. Up to you, but u can very simply put the wheel on to see how much of a problem it will be. Otherwise i would suggest the "salad shooter" 10 spoke t/a looking rims, 15s on the front if thats what you have and t/a 16s in the back. Should look appropriate at least. That statement is based on looks, i can't vouch for if they will actually work.

 

I have the gold 15in rims. The ones that look like the GTA rims except not as big.

You have the gold 15in GTA style rims?

My friends car had ABS and Traction Control also.

 

and an FYI, should be a little more than 1.5" wider on each side for an LS1 rear axle.
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i never thought i would run into someone with my rims...are they like a 1 inch deep dish? Cross lace similar to the GTA rims?? if you check my link in my signature there will be a few pics of my car, mine are a dark gray, 15" crosslace rim, and as far as hittin on the caliper in the back...i think the one wheel i keep trying has a slight dent in, cause it's only in one spot, otherwise i have 1/8" of room inbetween caliper and inner wheel wall, so i'm going to trim down the outter edge of the caliper just for good measure so that there are no issues later down the road. A couple of people have fit 15s on these brakes, i can't remember what i searched but i found a couple of threads about 15s on the LS1 brake setup, and some do work, some just need minor modifications to the caliper, and per that thread i also read that some people running 4th dens that drag use 15" drag wheels, so it is possible.
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Do you happen to have an RPO code for those rims or any pics? I didn't think they offered anything similar to that into 92.

 

Heres the link to mine.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fire...-firebird.html

Where are the RPO codes? Because I could never find them on my car, arent they on the passenger door?

 

91/92 i believe is in the rear glove box on the driver side. I've never seen anything above an 89 though in person, of which they were in the center console so i can't really speak from expereience, just what i've primarily have seen people taking pics of when they do pics of their SPID.

 

those rims look nearly identical to mine, they may be (you don't have any straight on shots of them). Mine have like a flattish bowl like face and mine has a "polished" face just like the deep-dish outter ring, and then inside the spokes is a dark gray. Like i said they may be the exact same rim, i just didn't know they carried those rims into 92, i'm so used to seeing the firebirds with the t/a look alike 15" rims.

As far as mine go, mine fit, but like i said, i think i have an ever so slight flat spot on my one rim, that it barely rubs as it goes around, but reguardless i plan on taking an 1/8" or so off the caliper for clearance purposes as i can't afford rims right now. But ur's should work. Just going to have to test it. And trust me man...if you have any interest in working on your own cars...i would highly suggest doing it yourself. $1800 is way too much...$1000 is way too much when your getting the axle for free. Everything bolts up, your lower control arms, your panhard bar in the back, your drive shaft/universal joint, even your torque arm and shocks. Only issue you will have is e-brake cable, of which if we as a congrication of owners haven't figured out a true-tried method to fix the issue, your shop hasn't either. As far as the speedometer gear goes to fix the speedo to the new gears, people on here can explain to you where to get that, and how to install it. If done properly, that part of it can be done like 30-60 minutes by yourself. Most you would need is ramps possibly or a jack, thats all. There is nothing difficult about it overall, and it will definally be overwhelming to look at for the first time. But what you will learn from it will be great, and if you figure out and pick up the new speedo gear you'll need, then it can very easily take a weekend to do at the very most. Just my on the matter, but it's purely up to you. You'll be able to buy new rims if you see that you spend $500 total on getting everything you need to have a complete rear end, and then have an extra $1300 to spend on rims if you so choose.

 

Alright, thanks man. Ill check my RPO codes later today though. They should be inside my center glove box though?

 

84-90 i think are center console, i think 91 and 92 are on the inside of the rear glove box in the cargo area on the drive side (when you open the hatch, the compartment to the left with a key hole)

 

Yikes, that thing is locked and I dont have the key, lol.

 

lol, it should be the key for the doors/hatch. If you don't have one, you can take your rear plastics out one at a time. Take the one covering the spare tire to the right, then the middle covering the hatch pull down motor, and then pull (not to far, don't want to bend it) the driver side plastics to see if you can get the lock out, i can't remember if that has to be unlocked to get out. Otherwise sticking your hand down there with a digital camera at least will get your RPO codes so you can start decifering them. Otherwise the easiest thing really to do on a firebird is take the door panel off, and take the lock cylinder out of the door and bring it to a lock smith (or very simply bring the car to a lock smith) to make a key for the door, and hopefully it's the same as that glove box.

 

I asked the other shop. They said 300-400$ to put it all in with the brakes and everything.



This weekend ill read through everything you guys posted and read all the links you sent and ill write up a list of what I need to get and post it so you guys can look over it and make sure im getting everything I need when I go to the junk yark.

Thanks guys!
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Ill prolly go to a lock smith then, I also need a key for my t-tops, luckily their unlocked but I dident get one. Only a key to start the car, which doesent fit anything else, lol.