Hey, I just got home from the bone yard and had a couple questions I was hoping someone could answer. I was actually going to look for some neons to try to find parts for the rear disk conversion, but figured Id check out the GM section while I was there. I know there were no J bodies with ind. rears, but I saw several berettas, gp and ga's with it. Are these rears too wide for our frames? Has anyone tried to mod one in? Also, if they wont work how about this.... I found an 88 reatta with all the rear components intact, actually most of the car was there. I crawled under and started measuring the rear end, the frame width, and the trailing arms.. most of it looks like an almost perfect match to the 92 sunbird sitting right next to it. The rear would have to be bolted to the frame at the top of the arch, and maybe some minor mods to the wheelwell, but it looks like its basically a bolt in deal. Has anyone heard if this will work???? I hope I can get an answer pretty soon so I can swipe this rear before someone else does.
I plan on living forever... so far so good
Yes, the N-bodies do have IRS. Here is a walkthrough on how to install it into a jbody.
Click me
I didnt find anything about the Reatta rear end setup, which is what I was really hoping to get good news about. And I dont have a clue what body code the Reatta is, is it considered a N body?
I plan on living forever... so far so good
Barretta never had IRS. had twist beam.
After I think about it, it probably wasnt a beretta that had the irs.... but the GA and GPs did.
BUT, the one Im asking about is an 88 Buick Reatta, similar to the Caddy Allante. I just looked it up and its a V body. The frame width is the same as my first gen (and second gen for that matter). the only thing I saw that might give me a real problem is the Reatta doesnt have a spare tire tub, so I might have a clearance issue. But with that little donut that I have, I dont see that it would be a huge problem to modify the tub. The rear doesnt use coilover struts, but has a leaf spring mounted inside the rear, not sure how to explain it.
here is a site for the car Im talking about...
http://www.reatta.org/
I plan on living forever... so far so good
several of us have the IRS on here. the car in my sig has IRS. from a 2003 Alero. complete with the disc brakes and everything.
Hrm.. Didn't even know Buick made a Retta, thought that was short for Baretta.
Good luck, looks like it would take plenty of modifications. Let us know if you get it working.
Ive read the posts on the IRS swap on the 3rd gens, but I have a 1st gen, havent found much on that swap.
Yeah CTS, I figured that was the confusion, which is why I posted the link.
It actually looks like it wont be that difficult. I wish the junkyard would let me bring a camera in there to show yall what it has and get your responses since yall have ALOT more knowledge than me on the J bodies. The frame width is the same for both cars, the brake lines and e-brake lines are almost identical, as are the trailing arms. Basically it looks like Ill just have to fab the mounts like Mcmoney did to get the frame level, "massage" the spare tire tub, and bolt it up. But instead of the rear struts going into the car via the top of the wheelwell, there is a bracket coming off the rear right to the outside of mcmoneys "mounts" that stops before the top of the wheelwell. The top of the shock mounts there, so the weight of the car is actually sitting on the frame and not the wheelwells.
Gonna head over in the morning and take some more measurementsand try to sneak my cam in. I would prefer to stay all GM, but if it doesnt work I might have to try something else. Im in the process of stripping my wifes 90 'bird, so I have an extra axle here for measurements and to practice fabbing with.
I plan on living forever... so far so good
When I was researching the 3rd gen IRS swap a few years back, it was all about spending HOURS at the junkyard.. measuring, measuring, measuring.... looking at clearances, etc....
I finally got the balls to buy one ($350) and try it on my half-car trailer project.... much easier to flip that upside down and work on it. Then it worked out OK so I did it to my car.
You get to be the pioneer for the 1st and 2nd gens
Wooo Hooo... lucky me... lol
I plan on living forever... so far so good
somewhere in this forum is the pics of my swap. Lenko, myself and a couple others took a dif approach then McMoney did. we didn't cut or weld or fab, we just bolted it on. muuuuuuuuuch easier. took like 4hrs to do it.
^He has a 1st gen. The N-Body IRS swap will not work with 1st or 2nd gens because they are different measurements, and the weight of the n-body is put on the struts. 1st and 2nd gens put the weight on the frame rails and the shock towers are not strong enough to safely hold the weight of the car.
true yes but one of the JSpeed guys measured and it was very close. hardest thing was working with the shock tower to build it up to handle the coil over set up. frame measured the same across and the overall width side to side from 2nd gen to 3rd gen was the same so theoretically, a person could do it to a 1st/2nd gen.
What does the Buick Reatta setup look like? Is it similar to the late model N-body stuff we're using? It sounds to me like he's got something entirely different that he's working with.
its hard to describe on here.. and work has been so hectic I havent been able to get back to the yard to sneak some pics. It doesnt use the coilover design, it has a large inverted leaf spring going from one side of the rear to the other. It has the same setup as the caddy Allante, if thats any indication. Ill do my best to get some photos in the morning. Its killing me to know if this is gonna be a bolt in... scared someone else is gonna nab the rear before I do...lol
I plan on living forever... so far so good
I havent given up yall.... got banged up at work and havent felt well enough to crawl around under a car in the yard.
I plan on living forever... so far so good
purplezed wrote:somewhere in this forum is the pics of my swap. Lenko, myself and a couple others took a dif approach then McMoney did. we didn't cut or weld or fab, we just bolted it on. muuuuuuuuuch easier. took like 4hrs to do it.
Soory, not to get off topic, But you can just bolt it up and not the welding and cutting? Does it still line up fine? Do you recommend anything like Grade 8 hardware or anything like that?
yes you can bolt it right up. i used the hardware that GM used to attache it to the Alero it came off of. it lines up fine but is about 1.5 to 2" wider so it actualy matches the front end width now.
