Rear End Swap w/Pics

[Phantom409]

All right about 3 week ago I did a rear end swap for Mike18 on his Formula and I documented everything.

I hope this post will help anyone who is thinging about doing there own rear end swap.

If you are wondering if you have a 3 or 4 channel rear this is how you tell:

3 Channel: ABS cars only
4 Channel: ABS w/ Traction Control

NOTE: 1993-1997's calipers mount different than 1998-2002


I like backing our cars up on car ramps to be able to jack the car up better but that is me.

Block your front tires


Remove your drive shaft



Jack up the rear and support it with jack stands just before the rear LCA's


Remove your tires


There are 2 10mm screws that need to be removed from 2 brackets that help hold the break lines up.
Passenger side:

Drivers side:


Then remove your rotors and calipers and swing them under the car.
If your break lines are rusty you might have to replace them.


Remove the 2 bolts out of the rear cover that hold your support brackets for your e-brrak cables, R & L side



Drop off your rear LCA's


Remove you Panhard bar on the passenger side.
You can take this completly off now or after the rear is out.
I do it when the rear is out from under the car.


Remove your rear sway bar bolts


If things are to rusted you can remove the 2 bolts that hold the bracket on to the car


Unhook your plugs (driver side)
These are for your ABS & if equiped your Traction Control


Remove your splitter block for your brreak lines from the top front on the drivers side


NOTE: At this point you need to put you jack back under your rear end and support it.
If you don't your rear WILL FALL TO THE GROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remove the nuts of the back of your shocks and pull them out of the holes


Now drop your rear a little and pull your springs out along with the spring rubber




Now drop your rear down about 3-4 inches and remove the bolts out of your Torque Arm.
Do be careful here because your rear will be able to tip from side to side.


Then work your breaks and break lines over the rear and pull out from under the car




Now you can remove your Panhard bar


And you can remove the 4 bolts that hold on your sway bar





To put it back in just use these instructions in reverse

Side Note: When you go to put your LCA's & Panhard bar back on the car must be setting with all it's weight on the raer tires.
You can set the raer tires on car ramps to have better accsess to the bolts.


Now if the raer that you are putting back in the car is incomplet you will need to farm some pices off your rear like the caliper plates
NOTE: 1993-1997 caliper plates are different than 1998-2002





To remove axels and your carrier you will have to do the following:

Suport your rear on 2 jack stands and remove your rear cover & drain out your oil






Remove the small retaninig bolt that holds the center pin in palce then use a magnet to pull it out


Push in 1 axel at a time and remove the C-clips from each axel and remove that axel
DO NOT DROP THE C_CLIPS!!!!


The carrier can be removed by taking the 2 large screws (right side of pic) off on the R & L sides.
Make sure you keep track of how they com off an dwhat side they go on.
By doing this you can remove your carrier to replace the gears, it will be in there tight and there are shims on each side, don't loose them.

[my95z28]

Good write up!! Were either one of the LSD diff. a Eaton Unit? Or were they Auburn?

[Derek]

hmm that rear end looks familiar! hope you enjoy it mike, I wish my new car had 3.73s.. and nice writeup kyle!

[Phantom409]

Good write up!! Were either one of the LSD diff. a Eaton Unit? Or were they Auburn?

One unit was a stock rear w/ posi & the other was an Eaton.

[Phantom409]

ANd Mike LOVES his 3.73's

[Kwazrollinz28]

nice job, and dear god i thought my under body was rusted, DAMN YOU MICHIGAN lol

[Phantom409]

Ya, mike's car was owned by someone else before him

[Kwazrollinz28]

Ya, mike's car was owned by someone else before him

So was mine, most people just want a fast car, When you beat a car you must maintain and repair it, But they don't which is how i got my car.

My floor Is rotted so bad my carpet is seen underneath the t-tops leaked when i bought it and i replaced them
I just actually bought a new rear end Last week for my car a 3.42 gear rear though, Instead of my 3.23 I was gonna go 3.73 But i don't need it.
There's TONS of metal shavings on the magnet in the cover though, so it needs a rebuild. But reason why im getting rid of mine it whines a little and the fluid leaks out of the shafts.

[Virtue]

yeah damn rust everywhere, my 10 bolt wasnt even rusted lol

but my car is from the south


its crazy what even a few winters can do to your underbody.

you can remove that panhard bar with the rear end in the car, i usually do it before takeing off the lca's or shocks but its no big deal

the lt1 breaks are different alot then the ls1 rears

good write up

[mikek18]

damn my car is rusty. lol but i love her. thanks derek i love the new rear end. cant wait for spring now. Kyle, thanks allot buddy i appreciate all the work you did.

[.DetroitKing.]

looks exactly like the bottom of my 95, i love how camaros rust the second a snowflake falls on them

[steddy]

It's that paper thin metal GMs used since the 70s. I love the 1st gens, but the 2nds had a good look. One winter though, and the look fades fast. Bad thing is, once the rust is seen, it's ready to be removed/replaced/repaired quickly.

But that was an excellent write-up. Best one I've seen yet.

[meissen]

Awesome writeup! I'll be doing a rear end swap eventually because of my LT1 swap, so I'll definitely be referring to this post.

[Phantom409]

B, it seems every one likes the write up, can we make it a sticky or something?

[meissen]

stickied