Rear end swap into Rx2
 

I have a GSL-SE rear for my Rx2 but all the welds and brackets for it are really shady. I wouldn't trust them to drive. But i also have a ford 8.8 solid rear from a fox body mustang that would fit nicely under the 2. I have the tooling and skills to cut and weld all the brackets. And i have been reading up on 4 link set-ups do put the 8.8 in. The only part that I'm really confused about is how to mock up the rear. As in the height. I know I'm supposed (or at least i have read) to set the links/suspension as if the suspension has full load on it. So how do i know how high or low i should mock up the rear end?

Does that depend on my shocks, link set-up, or any other aspects?

The biggest thing is to maintain the pinion angle. When I had my 8.8 built for my 7, the builders laid both the -SE diff and 8.8 on wooden horses. They measured the bracket and perch locations on the tube in relation to the face of the pinion and cut and welded accordingly. You can build adjustable 4-links using threaded tubestock and heim ends if the pinion angle is incorrect, allowing some adjustment.

Are you planning on using a panhard rod, or watts link for stabilization?

Lucky enough, the Rx2's came with a pretty decent 4-link with pan hard set up from factory. I plan on using the stock pan hard location on the body. And the stock mounting points for the 4 link on the body also.

Setting the height is whats bothering me. I will have the adjustable points on the brackets welded to the rear.

Maybe I don't understand. Wouldn't the height be a product of the length of the spring? Yes, with a larger diameter tube of the 8.8 you gain probably 3/4" ride height...

Not really. I will not be using the stock spring location or the stock suspension. I will be using coilovers similar to the ones in the picture. Also mounted pretty similar. By welding a piece of tubing to the frame rails and having adjustable mounts for the lower part of the coilovers.



http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...ero/4linkb.jpg

That car is back halfed and using a completely different link system, but the actual coilover set-up will be just about the same.

If anyone can recommend a good set of coilover for a 4 link set-up like this, that would be a big help.

anyone?

Check out www.f2autolife.com/products. They have coil-over for the 2.

I'll take a shot at this. You want to find the height of the axle when the car is on the ground right?

Can you put something under the axle to hold it with the spring you're using between the axle and chassis. Then lift the axle slightly off it's holders so the springs are under tension. The car would need to be parallel to the ground to start with and you would need to have something to catch the chassis if it did slip of the springs and axle. You would have to be super careful to lift it exactly straight up so the chassis didn't kick the rear end out one way or the other. I would probably have the front off the ground too so the chassis can't roll away on the front tires. Once again be super careful doing this as there is no links installed and the springs will act like a hinge between the chassis and axle.

I may not have understood what you were trying to accomplish, but if thats it, then that's how I would do it.