so just wanted to make sure that the subframes are interchangable between all the years. i want to switch mine out for this spare i have from this 87 turbo because mine has a crack in it. my car is an 89 turbo.
subframe compatibility
- Thread starter black89t
- Start date
89+ have a beefier rear subframe.
But yes they are interchangeable.
Also better to reinforce while it's out.
But yes they are interchangeable.
Also better to reinforce while it's out.
hvyman;1721341 said:
The subframe itself isn't any beefier than pre '89 model subframes, however the '89+ have two extra braces that go on the sides/under the differential to help strengthen it up.
OP- if I were you, I'd reinforce the new one before you put it in. If you click the SRS BSNS link in my sig and sift through my super-on-hold build thread, you can see what was done to mine for reinforcement. (as hvyman said)
well....i would like to reinforce it but theres an autocross this weekend!!! i went to give my car the once over and what was a small crack has grown to a major crack! i don't really want risk running it. the crack has grown very fast. im just about to pull it to start swapping it out. need to get it aligned tomorrow. so do the braces just bolt right up? from one to the other?
sadly my subframe swap wasnt as straight forward as i thought it would be. started on it last night. i got the subframe out just fine and called it a night. then this morning i started to install the new one. i ended up using all the old suspension arms from my old car since they were in excellent condition and the ecentric bolts were seized on the old ones. i was flyin on this swap. then i went to install the diff......this is were things went bad really fast. it slid right in the new subrame. i got those top two nuts on the back of the diff. went to put in the two by the pinion. one went on great. the other didn't to say the least. i spun it down 4 turns by hand. grabbed my impact to zip it down the rest and bam the bolt jamed in the nut in the subframe then ripped the cage open that holds the nut leaving me with a stuck bolt that just spins.....i just about lost it!!! :: angry ::
after i cooled off and talked to some friends i quickly came to the conclusion that i had to cut an access hole in the subrame to change that nut out. i cut the head of the bolt out so i could get the diff out (seized bolt trapped my diff in lol!). with the diff out i cut the bolt down as close to the subframe as possible without damaging it. since my old subframe was trashed i used the that as a test run to see what i working with. then i went for it with the one on my car. it worked great. then my buddy that is a pretty good weld brought his millermatic over and sealed it up. ended up taking about twice as long as it would have normally but its DONE!!! heres the only pic i have of the whole ordeal. of course from my phone that has be beat so its horrible quality.
tomorrow i can"t run becasue i didn't get it done in time. but i can get it aligned then run on sunday!!!! :biglaugh:
after i cooled off and talked to some friends i quickly came to the conclusion that i had to cut an access hole in the subrame to change that nut out. i cut the head of the bolt out so i could get the diff out (seized bolt trapped my diff in lol!). with the diff out i cut the bolt down as close to the subframe as possible without damaging it. since my old subframe was trashed i used the that as a test run to see what i working with. then i went for it with the one on my car. it worked great. then my buddy that is a pretty good weld brought his millermatic over and sealed it up. ended up taking about twice as long as it would have normally but its DONE!!! heres the only pic i have of the whole ordeal. of course from my phone that has be beat so its horrible quality.
tomorrow i can"t run becasue i didn't get it done in time. but i can get it aligned then run on sunday!!!! :biglaugh:
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