cheapest/easiest 8.8 rear swap

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marcar1993

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Aug 31, 2007
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Currently I have no rear sway bar. I plan to run an aftermarket axle to frame mount bar eventually. As it sits, no big issues without one.
 

81cutlass

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Feb 16, 2009
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Has anybody done any serious drag racing on the 8.8? I know these things fit but does having the suspension bolts not paralell to the factory GM ones mess stuff up? The upper control arm points are not in the same spot which cant be good for the instant center.
 

marcar1993

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Aug 31, 2007
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There are a few ways to skin that cat. Yes you can get away with adjustable mustang arms and spherical housing ends, but that messes with instant center. Trick Chassis among a few others make an instant center relocation kit, which comes with adjustable upper arms and a bucket that bolts into the stock location with several holes for adjusting your instant center. Look on malibu racing for more info on people using 8.8's with these kits on drag cars.
 

JBreu

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Jul 15, 2008
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Why not just get a GM 8.5 or 12 bolt rear for your car? Alot less mods for this swap...
 

marcar1993

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An 8.5 I agree would be a bolt in, but a 12 bolt or an A body 8.5 is the same swap as a mustang 8.8, upper arms, bushings, brakelines.
 

JBreu

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Jul 15, 2008
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An 8.5 I agree would be a bolt in, but a 12 bolt or an A body 8.5 is the same swap as a mustang 8.8, upper arms, bushings, brakelines.
No, thats not true at all.I have a 12 bolt from a '69 Chevelle....All I did was get the 12 bolt swp kit, upper adjustable control arms, from UMI Performance.....Fits like it belongs there :)
 

454GrandPrix

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Jul 27, 2016
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I have a 12 bolt from a '69 Chevelle....All I did was get the 12 bolt swp kit, upper adjustable control arms, from UMI Performance.....Fits like it belongs there :)

Well if that is your logic, then I did exactly the same thing--all I did was get the 8.8 swap kit from Trick Chassis, and now that axle fits like it belongs there. ;)

Speaking of, I drove my car home last night and to work today. I just installed the Moog 5391 coils, which (according to Summit's web site) are wagon spec springs. First impression: wow, these are a lot firmer than my 36-year-old V6 springs were! They added a solid 2" to my rear height, which is great since (a) I'm about to add a few hundreds pounds of curb weight with the engine/trans swap, and (b) the added height will give me more room for wider, taller rear tires. I am currently running 235/60-15s, and here is how it sits with the new coils:

WagonSprings2a_zpsvz52ttmb.jpg
 
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81cutlass

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Feb 16, 2009
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How much do the 5x4.75 aftermarket axles cost?

You need basically the same respective control arm kits for the 12 bolt and 8.8

12 bolt needs new wheels
8.8 needs axles
Both need a driveshaft im assuming

Ive seen that an 8.8 is almost a copy of the 12 bolt. They run the same carrier bearings and stuff like that. Basically your putting the same axle in I guess just build by a different company.

Bonus of the 8.8 is that they are easy to find for cheap. And you can get posi 3.73 31 spline carriers out of exploders for like $100 from the salvage yard.
 

marcar1993

G-Body Guru
Aug 31, 2007
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New Jersey
Axles are around $250-300, and yes, with my trick chassis swap arm kit, it bolted in.

And 8.8 needs no different driveshaft, mine bolted in with a conversion u joint.
 
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