IRS How to - Page 13 - Suspension and Brake Forum

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Re: IRS How to
Sunday, August 22, 2010 12:31 PM
hi i'm new to this forum and im interested in doing this swap into a sunfire but the pictures never show up. i have updated everything on my computer in order to see the pictures but they still dont show up. any help would be nice. thank you for your time

Re: IRS How to
Sunday, August 22, 2010 1:19 PM
As I posted a little while ago:

John Lenko wrote:All my pics can be found here: http://www.bcjbody.org/library/IRS/

John.




Re: IRS How to
Sunday, October 17, 2010 8:47 PM
I know no one has posted here in a while, but does anyone have the dimensions of the frame rail to cross member spacers? Has anyone tried to machine a puck to fit over the N rear strut mount to properly space and hold a J spring? These two issues are the only ones holding me up. My 2003 Sunfire is my daily driver of a 104 mile round trip. I have to have everything ready and complete the work in one weekend.
Re: IRS How to
Saturday, October 23, 2010 7:11 AM
The spring issue is the only thing holding mw up too. I don't really want to buy another set of drop springs, use only two of those and hope they drop the car like it is now.



Re: IRS How to
Thursday, November 11, 2010 5:51 PM
I spent $500 getting the complete front and rear suspension pulled out of a 99 Alero. Sunfire splash guards (under the inner fender wells), center arm rest/cover and driving lights were also in the deal.

Lenko's mod used no arm shortening or spacers. Using no spacers or shortening any arms, was the alignment able to be adjusted to within factory tolerance? I was also a little confused with on picture. It showed a nut on the bolt, that was through the frame rail, prior to the cross member being fastened. Was this just to hold the bolts during cross member placement, then they were removed?

Also, I could not find any updates on using the N body strut with the J body spring. At one point, McMoney was trying to make a solid mount to match N-body strut with the right J-body spring seat. I'm also wondering if J-Body OEM upper pillow ball mount with an N-body sized spherical mount could be made. I have Eibach Pro Kit Springs and wanted to keep them matched (J-Body), if at all possible.

Any clarifications or suggestions are welcome.
Re: IRS How to
Thursday, November 11, 2010 7:09 PM
As far as I have heard and researched, you could use the entire N-body strut in place of the J-body in the rear. For the front, you can mount the N-body spindle to the J-body strut. As for using a J-body spring on an N-body strut, I would highly recommend NOT doing such a thing because the N and J springs are different designs. If you want to go through the time and effort to make the two compatible, then by all means.

As for alignment angles, the rear suspension of N-bodies have a toe adjustment from the factory via eccentric cams on the end of the rearward lateral arm the attaches to the crossmember. As for Rear Camber, I do not believe there is an adjustment from the factory, but it still can be achieved by aftermarket eccentric cam kits, if there are any available. I will double check this with our books and machines when I am at work tomorrow.


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Re: IRS How to
Friday, November 12, 2010 4:58 PM
Jon Green wrote:Lenko's mod used no arm shortening or spacers. Using no spacers or shortening any arms, was the alignment able to be adjusted to within factory tolerance? I was also a little confused with on picture. It showed a nut on the bolt, that was through the frame rail, prior to the cross member being fastened. Was this just to hold the bolts during cross member placement, then they were removed?


I basically just drilled four holes in the rails and bolted it on. I slotted the holes on the struts to allow for aligning the camber. You could use camber bolts I guess... but I didn't bother. It aligns just fine...

The nut was there to hold the bolt in the hole "just in case" we knocked it while we threaded the rest through. You never know with us Canadians, when there's beer a-flowin!



Re: IRS How to
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 10:37 AM
Lenko,

Thanks for the reply! I am also looking at the Grand Prix Lateral Link Swap:
http://www.unitedmalibus.com/forums/showthread.php?p=84082
or just getting these because they will have polyurethane bushings installed:
http://www.suicidedoors.com/4-link-parts/4-link-bars/4-link-round-adj-bar-poly-bushings
There's only $5 difference in the price of adjustable and non, I'll probably just get four of the adjustable links. I can't seem to find N body anti sway bars anywhere or poly bushings for the rear control arm. Mantapart still has their web site up but closed the store. If I get mad enough I will measure all the bushings and post the dimensions on j-body and grandamgt. Then I'll contact Prothane and Energy Suspensions. Maybe they will list the kits if enough people bother them.

Have you tried any Belgian style triples? Hell of a difference than "Blue"!
Re: IRS How to
Friday, January 07, 2011 7:49 AM
I have just sort of skimmed this thread since it is likely a pipe dream of me ever getting this done, but is it possible to do the swap and retain the jbody rear shocks I don't think I could live without my teins.



Re: IRS How to
Friday, January 07, 2011 1:11 PM
yellow cavy (s/c L61) wrote:is it possible to do the swap and retain the jbody rear shocks


No, I don't think so. The J-body rears are a single bolt at the bottom. The N-body rears are like the front J-body struts, with the two bolts that go into the knuckle. You would have to somehow shorten the strut assembly and make an adapter to mate it to the knuckle-thing...

You'd be the first to make that work...



Re: IRS How to
Saturday, February 05, 2011 8:02 AM
John Lenko wrote:
yellow cavy (s/c L61) wrote:is it possible to do the swap and retain the jbody rear shocks


No, I don't think so. The J-body rears are a single bolt at the bottom. The N-body rears are like the front J-body struts, with the two bolts that go into the knuckle. You would have to somehow shorten the strut assembly and make an adapter to mate it to the knuckle-thing...

You'd be the first to make that work...
Not to mention the fact that the rear shocks in a J-body are just that: shocks. They aren't meant to handle the same stresses that a strut is, namely the side-to-side forces.

What I am trying on a set, is to open up the hole in the spring perch from a J-body shock and weld it onto the casing of the N-body strut. However, I can do this because I'm putting the Koni inserts in the N-body strut, so the case will be empty when it's welded.







Re: IRS How to
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 4:42 PM
Thanks to this post I was able to complete my version of this IRS project. As for the front brake system I used a set of Cadillac Escalade Callipers and Rotors(after modifying the rotors wheel lugs pattern at a machine shop: 6 holes to 5) and buick brake hoses. My four struts are KYB AGX (adjustable). To avoid the "coiled out" as had happen to Jonh Lenko I used a pair of 'urethane' coil spring boosters between the strut(n-body) and the spring (j-body).

Thanks too all of you guys for the input!!!



Re: IRS How to
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 4:32 PM
^^ Pics of your setup?










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Re: IRS How to
Saturday, April 23, 2011 10:45 AM
I have not too much detailed photos. I hope this help!!!

This is part of the two-pistons caliper from Cadillac w/ custom paint and BREMBO decal:



For the rear suspension swab I had to assemble everything first. Take the car on top of a flatbed truck to a shop close to home for alignment. Once more or less aligned we perforated the 4 holes to secure the rear suspension with the bolts as Lenko team has done.

Alignment Process:
(Before) "I'm using SUV 20" Rims - Mazda CX-9" - I have still pending preparing a decal with the chevrolet logo for the hub center cap.



Adjusting the clearance is a pain in the @ss.



(During)




(Final Result)



Front setup: Cadillac 13.6" rotor



Rear Setup with coil booster: Old Alero Strut (N-Body) and Cavalier Coil spring (J-Body)


Re: IRS How to
Monday, January 30, 2012 4:01 PM
So do you have to shorten the swing arm by one inch I don't have a welder so this is really the only thing stopping me from taking this on
Re: IRS How to
Monday, January 30, 2012 5:14 PM
I did nothing to shorten the arms.



Re: IRS How to
Sunday, September 09, 2012 7:25 PM
Wow... That's a lot of reading, and I read it all! But I don't know where to mount the subframe, without welding the spacers on (stright to the frame) and if possible, could someone give a parts list?
Re: IRS How to
Monday, September 10, 2012 1:23 PM
I can do you one better...... I'll sell you the full unit sitting in my garage. lol




SPD RCR Z - '02 Z24 420whp
SLO GOAT - '04 GTO 305whp
W41 BOI - '78 Buick Opel Isuzu W41 Swap

Re: IRS How to
Monday, September 10, 2012 1:46 PM
I would love to do that but your price is probably to steep.. And where are you located?
Re: IRS How to
Monday, September 10, 2012 2:18 PM
Milwaukee WI



SPD RCR Z - '02 Z24 420whp
SLO GOAT - '04 GTO 305whp
W41 BOI - '78 Buick Opel Isuzu W41 Swap

Re: IRS How to
Monday, September 10, 2012 2:56 PM
Yeah I live in Ohio

Re: IRS How to
Monday, September 10, 2012 4:31 PM
how much for the full setup Speed?



Re: IRS How to
Monday, September 10, 2012 5:26 PM
pm me an offer. I actually have two setups, I might get around to putting one on the drag car sometime (maybe set it up for autocross? idk)



SPD RCR Z - '02 Z24 420whp
SLO GOAT - '04 GTO 305whp
W41 BOI - '78 Buick Opel Isuzu W41 Swap

Re: IRS How to
Friday, September 14, 2012 10:22 PM
Is there anyway at all to keep or change the rear to 5x100 bolt pattern, I cannot afford new wheels..
Re: IRS How to
Friday, September 14, 2012 11:29 PM
Never really looked closely, but maybe make an adapter to bolt the J rear bearing to the N spindle? Redrill the rotors....

Or depending on the bearing, Redrill the hub to 5x100.


SPD RCR Z - '02 Z24 420whp
SLO GOAT - '04 GTO 305whp
W41 BOI - '78 Buick Opel Isuzu W41 Swap

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