46 Buick Rear Suspension Upgrade??

[Bib_Overalls]

Friend of mine is building a 46 Buick convertable.  It is getting a Fatman front stub and an LS1.  Outback is still under discussion.   It has coil springs and a torque tube rear end.  

I know that similiar vehicles have been updated to open drive rear ends.  This being the RRT, I was woundering if any of you have ever updated one of these puppies?  

Friend wants to run air ride and that makes me think a 4 link is the answer.

I want to be armed if he asks me for an opinion or recommendation.

[Dave]

4 link would be finw but you could run  newer style locating arms with coils too. I guess its bottom line ? How much ya wanna spend
Dave  

[enjenjo]

I did a 48, a 49, a 50, and a 52, all basically the same. the easiest one I did, I used an 80 Bonneville rear end, and lower control arms. Made mounts for the lower control arms off the frame. The Bonneville spring pockets lined up with the Buick spring pockets. I used 80 Malibu wagon rear springs, they bolted in, and lowered it about 4". I then made a torque arm off the right side of the housing, that extended up into the X member, and fastened to the Xmember just behind where they come together in the middle, about 45". I used the stock panhard bar, fabbed a mount on the Pontiac rear.

A Caprice rear is the same width, but has a 4 3/4" bolt pattern. I used the Pontiac rear because it was 5" bolt pattern, which matched the Caddy spindles and rotors I used on the front with a Camaro Subframe, the Caddy stuff bolts into the Camaro sub. For 12" brakes on a Camaro sub, with a 4 3/4" pattern, you can use 94 Camaro rotors, on Caddy spindles.

For a Ford bolt pattern, you can use a 9" out of a 70's Tbird, along with the lower control arms and do the same thing. In that case, I used Caddy spindles, on a camaro sub, with 71 Mercury rotors, for the 4 1/2" pattern, again it all bolts together. You need the 94 Camaro outer bearing, set 34.

Glen did his 46 using an 80's Camaro rear, control arms, torque arm and all.

Any of these are easy to do air ride on, Glen did on his, and I did on a 48 Convertible.

[Bib_Overalls]

That is what I like about the RRT.  There are always one or two guys who have been there and done that.  

Thanks guys!!!

[GPster]

If you use long bars that aim to the center of the chassis and are fastened solidly to the rear end you can keep the coils and do it with just 2 bars. Two examples would be the early '50s Oldsmobile (with the springs behind the axel) or '60s Chevy light duty pickup trucks (with the springs in front of the axel). They also used this type of suspension in NASCAR. I thought that I saw an article in Rod and Custom recently but I don't see it now. We had a talk about this recently when I was thinking about re-framing my Jeepster and a suggestion of S10 frame with this type of rear suspension came up. Sumner (1FATGMC) came up with a site then but I didn't bookmark it. GPster

[Glen]

Glen did his 46 using an 80's Camaro rear, control arms, torque arm and all.

Any of these are easy to do air ride on, Glen did on his, and I did on a 48 Convertible.

Yes the third generation (85-93?) camaro stuff fits right in, it already has a pinion mount for a torque arm from the factory.  I used the two factory trailing arms for the initial install but later had a custom set made with the same dimensions.  The stock panard rod will work.

The coil mount is also directly under the Buick coil mount so an air bag is a simple addition.  I have a 48 but its the same thing.

Here it is in stock configuration:  

[Glen]

And if you want to go low, this car does not even have a c-notch.  For reference the tire is 27" tall.

[sirstude]

The other option, depending on the yards around you, is the 41-48 Olds stuff.  They were an open driveline.  the front mount unbolts and the trailing arms are pretty sturdy and long like the truck stuff.  I cut the mount off the Olds rear and welded it back onto a Ford Econoline 9" rear.  Like Glen, I put air bags on but everything lines right up.  I think the Pontiac stuff is also the same.

Glen, how long ago did you have to start working with the Barret people to get your car in.  A couple of us were talking about that and figured the lead time is pretty substantial.

Doug

[Glen]

They would not allow any submissions until July of 2006 for this 2007 auction.

We are also running these three cars.

Here is a link to the Buick.

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/carlist/cardetails.asp?In_AuctionID=221&In_LotNumber=706.1


Justin's Chevy:

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/carlist/cardetails.asp?In_AuctionID=221&In_LotNumber=437.1

Aaron's Chevy II:

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/carlist/cardetails.asp?In_AuctionID=221&In_LotNumber=72

Hennesey viper:

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/carlist/cardetails.asp?In_AuctionID=221&In_LotNumber=432.1

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Left side muffler on the Nova is not quite level......    

Nice cars.

I drove one of the first black Vipers built   that came to AZ .  A local fellow with connections would buy this new issue stuff , then peddle them at a mark up.

It was amazing what people will pay for the "I want that"  stuff,  as now evidenced by the prices at the recent B-J auctions.