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The "Ultimate" IRS Swap for S30s


wfritts911

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  • 2 weeks later...

Finally starting to ponder getting the parts together to build my  setup too. Bummer about the springs! Where are folks finding diffs? Going to hunt down the PDF of parts and start checking them off :D

I went to car-part.com and found a local yard selling a few...picked up a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer "3L73" IRS 8.8. It's at the shop getting gears. Same shop that will be making my driveshaft later

Edited by JustAFantaZ
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Edited the teardown and assembly posts.  I didn't get finished today, but, I will tomorrow.

 

Perhaps budgeting two days to do this whole swap was a bit over ambitious.

 

I probably could get it done tonight still, but, it's cocktail hour somewhere I'm sure.

 

Edit: Job finished, assembly post edited.

Great writeup with pics, thanks for sharing. I'm finally gathering up parts now to go at it. Question: Could that bolt be worked without putting a hole in the spare tire well? I've got a '75 with the same type as a 260z I think.

 

Something I guess I am just realizing after re-reading this thread and looking for parts...I guess there is a parking brake delete when going with Wilwood stuff? If so then I'll need to do something different. I gotta have a parking brake. :/

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It would be a huge hassle, but it could be done.  You would have to already put the bolt in the mustache bar before you bolt the mustache bar up, then work it into the diff and suck the diff up to the mustache bar.

 

If you have a transmission jack it's probably not as big of a deal as you could just position the diff however you want as you pull it back on the bolts.

 

It could have been done, but, drilling a hole you can fill with a rubber plug was just a much easier way to go.

 

Mine is an early 260z so things could be different between mine and yours.

 

I can't be much help for the parking brake deal.  Perhaps add a bracket to the upright and a pair of parking brake calipers? http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wil-120-12069-bk/overview/

 

With everything assembled off the car it should be pretty easy to come up with a bracket for that.

Edited by bramagedained
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  • 2 weeks later...

I still plan on making more kits. Hopefully pretty soon, been crazy busy as usual, 95 hour week last week. Bramagedained, huge props to you for the pictures and how to! Sorry for the issues with the spare tire well, my cars was cut out already when I got it, so I never realized it was so close.JustAFantaZ, I sent a PM back to you, you can convert to cobra brakes by cutting off the mounting ears for the caliper on your current upright, and just bolting on the cobra caliper bracket. It bolts on with the same bolts as the hub, so all you have to do is lose the wilwood caliper mounts.

 

Thanks for all the support guys, I will keep you guys posted when I get ready to make more kits.

 

Thanks,

 

-Will

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Put me down for a kit also Will.  I think you can sell more than a few kits so a second run NEEDS to happen!  :)

PM'd you a few minutes ago without reading through to end of thread cause this looks like a great kit.  

 

Can anyone with first production run kit chime in on their installation and subsequent performance.  I plan on HPDE and road course TTs so will be driving the car hard.  Excited about not having concern as to whether the rear can handle LS3 power and torque.

 

Joseph

Edited by jsulse
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I still plan on making more kits. Hopefully pretty soon, been crazy busy as usual, 95 hour week last week. Bramagedained, huge props to you for the pictures and how to! Sorry for the issues with the spare tire well, my cars was cut out already when I got it, so I never realized it was so close.JustAFantaZ, I sent a PM back to you, you can convert to cobra brakes by cutting off the mounting ears for the caliper on your current upright, and just bolting on the cobra caliper bracket. It bolts on with the same bolts as the hub, so all you have to do is lose the wilwood caliper mounts.

 

Thanks for all the support guys, I will keep you guys posted when I get ready to make more kits.

 

Thanks,

 

-Will

 

It's all good. It was always the plan to eventually cut it out anyway.  Because of some other stuff that's happening this winter anyway.

 

Put me down for a kit also Will.  I think you can sell more than a few kits so a second run NEEDS to happen!   :)

PM'd you a few minutes ago without reading through to end of thread cause this looks like a great kit.  

 

Can anyone with first production run kit chime in on their installation and subsequent performance.  I plan on HPDE and road course TTs so will be driving the car hard.  Excited about not having concern as to whether the rear can handle LS3 power and torque.

 

Joseph

 

I should be to a few AutoX/HPDE and possibly a TT event this summer.  Which may or may not be a useful timeframe for feedback depending on when Will makes more.

 

The car will also be my DD in the summer.

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Quick update as far as usage of the kit. DeMeanZ in Houston(Not sure if he is on here or not) put my kit through a 8.9 1/4" mile with a 1.3 sixty foot. In a 280Z powered by a twin turbo LS motor with a powerglide and trans brake. Not sure how many passes he has on it now, but he has worked his way down to 8s, so I'm sure its decent bit. He did end up going with the fancy stub axles from DSS, and he has 300M axles and quality CV joints, not the cheap EMPI ones listed in my parts list. He never tried the cheaper components though, so I can't say how well the stuff in my list holds up, but as far as my fabricated parts and what not, they have seen some power so far.

 

-Will

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I searched the topic, but didn't find mention of Tokico. Is there anything that would prevent use of the Tokico 5-way adjustable struts with this kit?

 

I think this is a good picture of the Illumina BZ3013 rear 280z strut I currently have in my car.

   21XwRZU7fWL._SY450_.jpg

 

Oh shoot, it looks like the dimensions are way off...

  • Product Dimensions 27.5 x 3 x 3 inches

 

Whereas, the Koni part shows...

  • Extended Length: 21.260'''
  • Collapsed Length:15.240''
  • Body Diameter: 1.713''

 

What are the exact dimensions of the custom strut tube?

Edited by JustAFantaZ
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  • 2 weeks later...

Let me really muddy the waters on the cv axles.  I originally bought the Cardone 60-2112 axles (not new) since I read they were remand Ford products.

When they came in, they were 2 totally different axle shafts.  The cv housing on one axle was painted black and obviously used.  The other axle was shiny and new.  Evidently, I was shipped a Cardone Select 66-2112 for some reason along with a 60-2112. Neither cv housing was stamped with a Ford logo.

Both axles were secured to the "star" with the infamous clip.  However, when I got everythig apart only the "new" star would slde on the 930 axles.  The "used' star was just too tight to slide on the 930 axle.  This cv obviously wouldn't work.

So, a simple fix I thought was to order another Cardone 66-2112.  Wrong!  Everything appeared the same as my first 66-2112.  It even had the same number stamped on the cv housing.  However, the axle was not secured to the cv with the clip, it was pressed in!  The star or inner race was a different thickness and even the balls looked to be a larger diameter.

Wow.  What am I doing wrong?

Where are you guys buying your axles from?  What part number?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

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It's really hit or miss with reman axles, because the longer they are producing them the more variance you'll get. You may get a reman of a parts store new axle, reman of the ford axle, or sometimes even a new axle (or some bastardization of all 3). I work in parts, I'd either order some remans from a local source so that they can be inspected before you take delivery of them or find a used set of OEM axles from eBay or a junkyard/recycler.

 

 

Let me really muddy the waters on the cv axles.  I originally bought the Cardone 60-2112 axles (not new) since I read they were remand Ford products.

When they came in, they were 2 totally different axle shafts.  The cv housing on one axle was painted black and obviously used.  The other axle was shiny and new.  Evidently, I was shipped a Cardone Select 66-2112 for some reason along with a 60-2112. Neither cv housing was stamped with a Ford logo.

Both axles were secured to the "star" with the infamous clip.  However, when I got everythig apart only the "new" star would slde on the 930 axles.  The "used' star was just too tight to slide on the 930 axle.  This cv obviously wouldn't work.

So, a simple fix I thought was to order another Cardone 66-2112.  Wrong!  Everything appeared the same as my first 66-2112.  It even had the same number stamped on the cv housing.  However, the axle was not secured to the cv with the clip, it was pressed in!  The star or inner race was a different thickness and even the balls looked to be a larger diameter.

Wow.  What am I doing wrong?

Where are you guys buying your axles from?  What part number?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

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Something else also to consider if going remanufactured axles.  Axles take a "torque" setting making them driver and passenger side specific after use.  I can see the reman'd units getting mixed up.  May not matter in a grocery getter/soccer mom truck but for high HP applications such as ours, well, you decide.

 

J

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