C4 IRS questions
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2013
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C4 IRS questions
Hi, I'm Brent.
I've searched the forum, but didnt find answers to my questions.
I'm looking to buy a complete C4 IRS to put under a F-body camaro. I looked at one last night from an 84, but found stress cracks in the diff housing. I believe it to be a D36.
Which years have a diff housing that will swap over? I don't want to buy the wrong one if I go this route.
Also, being as the cracks werent really bad, should I consider trying to weld them up? My buddy is a profesional welder with access to good equipment. The cracks were towards the top on the driver side where the webbing ends. Is this a common problem.
I've searched the forum, but didnt find answers to my questions.
I'm looking to buy a complete C4 IRS to put under a F-body camaro. I looked at one last night from an 84, but found stress cracks in the diff housing. I believe it to be a D36.
Which years have a diff housing that will swap over? I don't want to buy the wrong one if I go this route.
Also, being as the cracks werent really bad, should I consider trying to weld them up? My buddy is a profesional welder with access to good equipment. The cracks were towards the top on the driver side where the webbing ends. Is this a common problem.
Last edited by sloboatnova; Oct 24, 2013 at 04:57 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,394
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You could use any year but if you're looking to buy everything from one car I believe I might be shopping for newer '89+ parts. Anything '87 or earlier will have shoe in rotor e-brake and if you stuck with '89+ they have an actuator in the rear caliper for the e-brake.
If you've a high horsepower/torque engine you may want to make sure you're shopping for a D44 that's more substantial. An 8 1/2" ring gear vs 7 1/2" stuff. You can mount your IRS anyway you like and hang the knuckle/spindles where appropriate for what ever wheel/tire combination you wish and adjust the width with the half-shafts.
Do you have a car that you're using for a "mule" or are you just doing a from scratch build?
I would think you would want to avoid an '84 - the exception being if you stumbled upon an '84 with a 3.31 axle ratio and it would be quite valuable. There's not many out there so I wouldn't get excited. Do you know if it was out of an auto or a manual trans car?
If you've a high horsepower/torque engine you may want to make sure you're shopping for a D44 that's more substantial. An 8 1/2" ring gear vs 7 1/2" stuff. You can mount your IRS anyway you like and hang the knuckle/spindles where appropriate for what ever wheel/tire combination you wish and adjust the width with the half-shafts.
Do you have a car that you're using for a "mule" or are you just doing a from scratch build?
I would think you would want to avoid an '84 - the exception being if you stumbled upon an '84 with a 3.31 axle ratio and it would be quite valuable. There's not many out there so I wouldn't get excited. Do you know if it was out of an auto or a manual trans car?
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
You could use any year but if you're looking to buy everything from one car I believe I might be shopping for newer '89+ parts. Anything '87 or earlier will have shoe in rotor e-brake and if you stuck with '89+ they have an actuator in the rear caliper for the e-brake.
If you've a high horsepower/torque engine you may want to make sure you're shopping for a D44 that's more substantial. An 8 1/2" ring gear vs 7 1/2" stuff. You can mount your IRS anyway you like and hang the knuckle/spindles where appropriate for what ever wheel/tire combination you wish and adjust the width with the half-shafts.
Do you have a car that you're using for a "mule" or are you just doing a from scratch build?
I would think you would want to avoid an '84 - the exception being if you stumbled upon an '84 with a 3.31 axle ratio and it would be quite valuable. There's not many out there so I wouldn't get excited. Do you know if it was out of an auto or a manual trans car?
If you've a high horsepower/torque engine you may want to make sure you're shopping for a D44 that's more substantial. An 8 1/2" ring gear vs 7 1/2" stuff. You can mount your IRS anyway you like and hang the knuckle/spindles where appropriate for what ever wheel/tire combination you wish and adjust the width with the half-shafts.
Do you have a car that you're using for a "mule" or are you just doing a from scratch build?
I would think you would want to avoid an '84 - the exception being if you stumbled upon an '84 with a 3.31 axle ratio and it would be quite valuable. There's not many out there so I wouldn't get excited. Do you know if it was out of an auto or a manual trans car?
What is the advantage of the caliper with the e-brake verses the shoe in rotor e-brake? Will these have different track widths?
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,624
Likes: 431
From: Dale City VA
All 84's have the D36 rear diff. A d36 is IMO not worth the time, effort or $$$ to weld up if cracked. It is not common for them to crack unless they have been hit hard in a wreck... side impack collision on the wheel usually pushed the wheel/hub/halfshaft into the side of the housing and can crack them in that area or break the C-Beam mounting pad.
All the diff housings from all years are pretty much identical and interchange 100%.
Like WVZR1 said the later model stuff has a much better parking brake system.
The early model cars 84-88 also have a narrower track width which could be a good or bad thing depending on what wheel offset you want to use.
Will
All the diff housings from all years are pretty much identical and interchange 100%.
Like WVZR1 said the later model stuff has a much better parking brake system.
The early model cars 84-88 also have a narrower track width which could be a good or bad thing depending on what wheel offset you want to use.
Will
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
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I don't believe you need to be concerned with the track width. I believe you'll hang three components, the differential, the right/left knuckle/spindle combinations where your wheel/tire combination fits into the body and THEN you will have half-shafts built/shortened to connect the three components. I would think in the long run the later caliper/e-brake combination would be to your benefit. Many more sources for replacement parts.
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Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2013
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Mule would be a car of the same type that the same or similar has been attempted on and your effort is to improve on it!
I don't believe you need to be concerned with the track width. I believe you'll hang three components, the differential, the right/left knuckle/spindle combinations where your wheel/tire combination fits into the body and THEN you will have half-shafts built/shortened to connect the three components. I would think in the long run the later caliper/e-brake combination would be to your benefit. Many more sources for replacement parts.
I don't believe you need to be concerned with the track width. I believe you'll hang three components, the differential, the right/left knuckle/spindle combinations where your wheel/tire combination fits into the body and THEN you will have half-shafts built/shortened to connect the three components. I would think in the long run the later caliper/e-brake combination would be to your benefit. Many more sources for replacement parts.
We don't have wheels yet so I could buy them at what ever offset needed.
Guess I need to keep looking for an 89 or newer d44. I'm in no big hurry.
thanks for the advice yall.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,394
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I'm also thinking the caliper e-brake will be better for playing. You know. To spin the rear end around and drift.
We don't have wheels yet so I could buy them at what ever offset needed.
Guess I need to keep looking for an 89 or newer d44. I'm in no big hurry.
thanks for the advice yall.
We don't have wheels yet so I could buy them at what ever offset needed.
Guess I need to keep looking for an 89 or newer d44. I'm in no big hurry.
thanks for the advice yall.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 14
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I'm in Tulsa, ok 74115.