Axle swap/steering knuckle question

[Palmer1980]

I'm swapping to post 88 steering knuckles and calipers from a 9000. Are the axles compatible, or do I have to get new ones of those too?

[Si]

If your car is a front handbrake you will need the driveshafts along with the later hubs, because of the different hub set up the shafts are slightly longer on the later setup.

[Palmer1980]

Oh, phooey, my car is a front brake...



Thanks for the info!

Looks like I'll have to find some other axles then.

[Palmer1980]

What kind of difference? Like a few MM or what?


For an 86, and an 89 eeuroparts is showing the same part number for the whole driveshaft assembly.

[Si]

Bentley say's that the later drive shaft is 6mm longer and not interchangable with the earlier hub.

I've always thought that the whole rear axle and hubs needs to be swapped, not just the hubs themself, but i maybe wrong.

[gorper]

You need an 88 or 89 rear axle assembly, too. 90+ will work but you'll still need 88-89 brake lines. 88+ bushings that connect the upper links are incompatible with earlier cars: bushing I.D. = different. So if you use your original links you need new bushings at the axle. If you use 88+ links you'll need new bushings at the body.

I did the swap so I could use the four sets of 4 on 108 rims I have, and because I got a set of nearly-new 9000 calipers/rotors for next to nothing. I wouldn't do it again.

0.02, YMMV

[sleeper9kt]

Well, Palmer has the entire rear suspension setup from a 1989 SPG to play with, along with plenty of spare axle shafts at his disposal in my attic, so sourcing the parts should not be an issue at all.

However, getting Palmer to get off his *** and comer over to pull the parts might be a bit of an issue (seeing as how its cold outside and stuff ).

[Palmer1980]

Stupid winter.


I would have that ****e off if it was not about 10 out all the time.


Unless it's a space issue for you....then I can come over whenever....

[RM '92 SPG]

I did the swap too. The hardest part is retrofitting the new e-brake handle to the floor of the car and removing the old welded one. Things are very tight in there. It was a pretty big job all in all.

You don't need to swap front axles, the pre '88 ones are okay with the post '88 hubs. They are slightly different, but the old ones are just fine, it doesn't seem to be enough difference in length to have any ill effects.

And like said above, you need the whole rear axle.

Good luck,
-Rob

[sleeper9kt]

Originally Posted by RM '86 SPG

I did the swap too........

You don't need to swap front axles, the pre '88 ones are okay with the post '88 hubs. They are slightly different, but the old ones are just fine, it doesn't seem to be enough difference in length to have any ill effects.

That is exactly what I have heard from several people who have done the job, I know I wasn't just dreaming that up

And Palmer, yes...space issue is what it is starting to become. But it surely isn't all on your shoulders! There are a few things that I have to get off of that car as well (not many, but a few).