Can anyone recommend a rearend for a 52 buick super...I need to do a engine and tranny and rearend swap and want to keep the same bolt pattern...figured I would see if anyone has done one and what would work. I don't have the car in my shop yet so i can't even go out and measure the damn thing ...but the guy that wants the work done is bringing the parts over once I tell him what he needs to get.
I used a late 70's Firebird rear in my 50 Buick but I also used the front subframe. If you aren't changing the front suspension you will need something with a 5X5 pattern, if you want the bolt circles the same front and back. Chevy pickup perhaps.
I used a 57-64Olds/Pont rear in my 55 Buick. As far as whay has the same 5 on 5" bolt circle, Chevy 1/2 ton trucks did up until they went with 6lugs, full size GM 'B' bodies did for years, Some FoMoCo products had 5 on 5" 9 inch rears, but I can't remember which cars. Buick through the 1960s, olds, pontiac, cadillac etc... Why not just put in a 9 inch and have the axles made with the correct bolt pattern? This would give you the bigger bearings for supporting the weight, plenty of parts availability and reasonable cost on parts.
Did 52 Buicks still have the torque tube and coil spring rear suspension? Friend has a 46 Buick and the easiest rear suspension was Corvette C4. Not a bolt in. But easier than fabricating something like long NASCAR/Chevy pickup trailing arms. He also used a Fatman front clip with matching Chevy pattern hubs.
I guess a 9 inch would be cool..easy enough to redrill the axles I guess. I don't really think a vette rear will work just because of the cost. Guess I was looking for the easiest way to go if there is such a thing.
check out 'jyrki,s buick site'. he did an open drive on a 47 buick [they are basically the same as 52]. also has some other good buick info. http://gamma.nic.fi/~marlin/Rmaster.htm
"Jyrki" has some good info here: http://gamma.nic.fi/~marlin/june2002.html Complete corvette rear ends are not that expensive and adapt to air bags very easily. Take as look at the pictures before you reject the idea completely.
around here thats probably a $1000 rearend...plus the cost of my labor to install it kinda puts it in the goldchainer range (just because I don't work cheap haha!) You are right though...it looks pretty easy to do especially on a bare chassis. Guess I will wait until the car is in the shop and just play it by ear.
When I built my 52 Buick Super, I did a complete frame swap (77 Buick Riviera frame), but that rear end will also fit and is the right width and bolt pattern. From the factory it has what is basically a triangulated four bar setup and coil springs.
A 96 fleetwood rearend fits nicely under my 52 super and is 5x5. Actually I am using the entire frame under the car. Fits great. The front track will be a little wider than original so the wheel will need a differtent offset tahn the rear, but the wheelbase matches original within 1/2 inch. The roadmaster/caprice is the same track width but is 6-inches shorter. Rearshocks can be easliy bagged.
You may want to try a mid 80's Camero, the coils fit inside the stock uppers. A little work but it gives you some room in the wheel well to get a tire on/off.
Buddy of mine did a complete frame swap on his using a late seventies Cadillac. Of course the frame had to be shortened and all the body mounts redone....it was a pain. Nuther friend of mine did his using the same early 80s Fleetwood stuff but did it as a subframe and back-half project leaving the majority of the body mounts intact. The Caddy stuff fits nice and you could probably get it free like these guys did. 5 on 5 pattern.
Hmmm, I got a 52 Buick 2 door post and a 91 caprice that has been munched in the front...... How "easy" is it?? How much of a bolt in is it?? Thanks!
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