I want to change the engine and tranny in my 53 buick. I bought a 1970 Electra 225 with a 455 and a 400 turbo. What is the easiest way to change the rear to use a regular drive shaft in the 53. Add upper control arms? Anyone do this?
Does your Buick have coil springs? or parrel leaf? If coil springs than some sort of 4 bar set up will be needed or if possable install leaf springs. Look at tread width and wheel bolt pattern when selecting a rearend. How about the rearend out of the donner car? ??? Dirt t
I haven't measured it yet. I know I will have to change the rear. I would either have to run upper control arms to keep the rear from twisting, or change the entire suspention setup. It has two lower control arms with coils now. It would twist without upper suport. I thought about running a 3rd generation style Camaro rear and use the support from the rear to the tranny like they used, but looked and there is not enough room.
Those lower control arms connect to the torque tube, you're gonna have to engineer some new mounts for them if you want to use them. Nascar style control arms will work pretty well, as will a four bar set up. Either way it's some work....
forget the camaro rear its to light. the nascar arms mentioned are just 60,s-70,s chevy truck arms. they work very well. basically the same thing as a torque tube would. you can run coils. the work is building a front crossmember to mount the arms to. look under a chevy truck w/ coil rear for ideas.
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