Redrilled bolt patterns, any good stories?

[Volvo Heretic]

I can't deside whether to replace my Volvo hubs and axles with Mopar late model B spindles and brakes to change my bolt pattern. The front hubs wouldn't be too hard, but changing out the rear axle is seeming pretty complicated and expensive. To have a custom Dana 44 shortened to my 56" hub to hub width seems kind of expensive for just another live axle.

Jeep made a '86 CJ Dana 44 for part of one year only in a 54.5" width which would also fit, but are probebly pretty rare.

Or maybe a more common Jeep CJ Dana 44 axle in a 51.5" width with 1.5" bolt on wheel spacers.

I have a fear of C-clip axles and don't like the idea of using the axle shaft for the inner bearing race.

I could adapt a Jaguar IRS Dana 44 center section to Chevy S10 4x4 front suspension CV joints, control arms and spindles, but might have to almost back-half the car unless I build custom upper control arms to drop down around my existing frame rails (possible and is what Ford does on their late Thunderbird IRS). This would wind up at 56" also, but I haven't worked out all of the variables yet.

The cheapest way to fix my car's out of round welded and redrilled lug bolt pattern would be to send another set of axles and hubs to Dutchman Motorsports and have them weld up the flange and bolt holes and redrill them from 5x4.25" to 5x4.5". http://www.dutchmanms.com/pricesheet.html

The local machine shop did it and got them .05"(?) out of round and had to machine .10" off of the diameter of my shoulder style lug nuts to fit the wheels.

I have been advised that welded and redrilled lugs are a bad idea. Isn't it a common practice for Mopar guys to change from 5x4" to 5x4.5"?

Does anybody have any good successful stories they could relate to me?

[NYrr496]

that change the Mopar guys do is all bolt on parts.

[Jim_Lusk]

There is no strength problem with redrilled axles, up to a certain point. The problem is with brake drums and what will happen when you have to replace them. I wouldn't run wheel spacers, either. What exactly are you working on?

[Volvo Heretic]

I am trying to fix my Volvo 1800's out of round Weld Draglite wheels so that I can drive it after 16 years. Then, deside to either stick with the 138HP Volvo six cylinder motor or stuff in a V8. The stock Dana 30 rear end won't last long with a V8, so I am thinking of a Dana 44. Of course I have very little money to accomplish this with. This car has rear disk brakes and to mill the bolt holes out .125" shouldn't make any difference.

Mopar late B model spindles and 12" brake hubs should bolt right up to my control arms after changing the ball joint sleeves. Steering axis inclination and spindle height are the same. I'm not too shur about the steering arm, but it looks really close, and I won't know until I buy a junk yard spindle and set them side by side. Maybe I will only have to modify my steering end links.

This was the funnest car in the mountains and with a 3.73 rear end instead of it's 3.31, would scoot along alright.



For a good laugh, check out:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKn-LTNa4rc

The real dilemma, is that I want to start building my 200MPH 8 wheeled supercar and am getting too old to maybe do both.

[west]

that thing looks like a wing,don't forget to check your luggage before flight.
  i replaced the axles and drilled out the drums,its good. i always liked the look of those volvo's,nice car.

[Volvo Heretic]

Or maybe just put in any 60" wide rear end of my choise, say a Ford Mustang SVT IRS and just build bigger flares.  Adding an extra 3 inches on each side might make the wheels look too odd from the back though, but if it was pulling away from you, might be alright?

[Volvo Heretic]

Well, I am looking for a Virtual Windtunnel to find out if it will stick like glue or flip over backwards in case the under belly venturies don't work right!

[west]

an independant system would be great on that car,look into a wrecked vette for a drivetrain and susp. my buddy got one reletively cheap.

[Volvo Heretic]

What kind, like a C4?

[loiq]

What kind, like a C4?

A C4 would be your best bet if you want a decent IRS that works, but they are pretty wide and mounting it might pose some problems. If you can TIG aluminum you might be in business, though. Any of the earlier IRS Corvettes aren't worth the time as they are not as well-designed as the C4. They were kinda IRS for IRS' sake deals.

I owned a C4 for 10 years...

[Capt Jack]

  I think that could work well.  with the transverse (I think is the term) single leaf and the ability to adjust the two side driveshaft lengths, it could fit really well under there.

[loiq]

I think that could work well.  with the transverse (I think is the term) single leaf and the ability to adjust the two side driveshaft lengths, it could fit really well under there.

I'd use coilovers - QA1 makes some that are pretty reasonable or you can get the stock bilsteins set up for coilovers even cheaper. Or I'm sure you could even make aftermarket coilovers work.

The problem is the batwing is going to be really wide for that little car, so you'll most likely have to cut it down, then get shorter half shafts. You'll have to fab up mounts for the batwing, then you'll have to fab up mounts for the 4-link and upper shock mounts. Also, there's a C-beam that connects the pinion to the tailshaft of the trans that helps stabilize the rear end, but you could fab something up to replace that pretty easy. If you had a donor car it would be easy - luckily you can get a clapped-out C4 pretty cheap these days. A lot of them are worth more parted out than sold outright.

One more thing, most automatic cars came with Dana 36 rears and the manuals came with Dana 44s. I'm guessing the Dana 36 would be plenty strong for that Volvo and they're cheaper, too. Most guys want to upgrade to the Dana 44 so no one wants the Dana 36.

[Volvo Heretic]

Thanks for the C4 data, this is the second forum that has suggested the Corvette C4. Width really isn't an issue for me and if I used the front suspension also, bigger front and rear flares would fit more in the outragous look I'm looking for.

Going to that much change, I guess I should cut out the entier floor and build a 2x4 perimeter frame to mount a 10 point roll cage that I can purchase and just use the 1800 body. Hard top Cobra with fins here I come?

Any particular years I should look for or avoid?

[loiq]

I would try to get an '88-96 donor car - they changed the track width in '88 and they supposedly work better. Different front spindles, too, and since most of the aftermarket caters to the newer cars there are more options as far as brakes and such. The '84-'87 cars are sort of bastards suspension-wise. they still work, they're just not as refined.

[NYrr496]

If I were doing any off beat type suspension mods on almost anything, I'd almost always use Vette stuff. It's good looking, the geometry is good and the aftermarket stuff is great too.

[Volvo Heretic]

Here is an 1800 that has a Ford V8 and C3(?) corvette IRS under it to give you an idea of what I'm up against.

http://www.britishv8.org/Other/DaleRembold.htm

Hot Rod Magazine also has a pictural of one with a Chevy V8.

[g-cuda67]

  Just an Idea,look into mid 90's BMW 740i or any V8 model. Seen some with 3.54 posi IRS and I know for fact the smaller 3 series and older 6 series have IRS. Like I said just a thought

[Volvo Heretic]

The problem with using any foreign stuff is that I run into the same problem that started this thread; Goofy metric bolt patterns. A Jag rearend would at least be a Dana 44 unit with a 5x4.75" bolt pattern. My wheels are dual bolt pattern, 5x4.5" and 5x4.75".

I've lost my brand loyalty for Volvo's, they never engineered anything to help me out and continualy change and abandon their models like the 1800, and changing the car into a Chevy works for me. I sure miss my old '68 Firebird.