Rearend Swap

does anyone have any experence swapin a 10 bolt into a 53' buick special?been askin around for a couple a days now and havn't realy come up with too much.i'm puttin a th700 behind the 322,so i figure i'm gonna have to change the rear as well.i've done this on leaf sprung cars,but never with trailing arms.i also would like to use as much of the original stuff as i can(don't wanna make a project out of it,right?haha).any other options would also be apriciated.like changin the rear to an open drive shaft.i know i posted about this once before,but i would realy like some info and didn't get exactly what i was lookin for.thanks ya'll.

 

seems to me it would b e nearly the same, s****e all the old brackets off the new housing and weld the new trailing arm pads on, (setting up your pinion first of course) then seeing if you can mix/match your e-brake cables etc...you may have to shorten a few cables or fab (or boneyard steal) the cable floaters, but other than that if you've done a leaf swap you'll be fine on a trailing swap...same rule applies, measure, measure, measure

 

thanks,i guess yer right.i think i'm just out think'n myself(ain't hard).kinda wanted to see some pictures though.

 

The Buick is a big car. The 10 bolt usually came in a much smaller car. The 10 bolt on an Olds wagon has the same bearing sizes and guts as a 12 bolt, a much better choice. Then, weld a fourth side on all the locating arms to strengthen them. The torque tube took a lot of power, now the arms will take it. The stock arms will not hold up.

 

i've seen some pictuers of a 10 bolt from a camaro(70's)bolt up using all the camaro stuff.cuttin into the frame and puttin the 4 link in.thanks for the tip don.i'm plannin on makin a panhard bar for it as well.i can get 10 bolts all day long,12 bolts are pretty rare,but i know they are a better choice.

 

I have done this....
A rear end from a 1966 1967 1968 Impala is perfect width to be same as the Buicks [center of wheel tubs widthwise...].
I left all the control arm brackets on the stock '68 rear axle [ it was a 3:73 stick car gear].
I built some 2" round X 3/16" thick wall control arms,using Mustang II inner[lower] A arm =bushings= at all of the four ends....
Made the frame brackets and used the stock Buick panhard bar.....
[it was a bagged setup.]

 

thanks,got under the car last night and was about to start,but there are some major rot issues that have me rethinkin everything.seems my choices might be,1.put original trans back in after rebuild and sell car.2.do total frame off resto,and do it right.the problem is it's my friends car and we don't realy have the room to do it,plus it means i won't be seein my car for a long time as it would be my only priority. damn it!