3rd gen rear end in 4th gen
 

For the last 6 months been driving around with what I was told was a busted rear end......anyhow being on a budget had to go with a cheap rear end I found locally however the rear end is from an 88 trans am gta (3rd gen) and I have a 96 trans am (4th gen), was told that this will bolt up however because its more narrow stock wheels arn't going to work, figured I can buy some spacers but just wondering what size of spacers I would need? Saw some posts saying 1" should be fine but cant find a lot of people that have done this kind of swap before, any help would be appreciated

The fuck would you want to swap a 3rd gen rearend in there for? I think I would use a 1.5 inch spacer if you were to actually do it

Being on a budget and finding a cheap rear then having to buy other parts to make it work doesn't make sense. What's busted on the 10 bolt you have it in?

Thank for the response, going to order some 1.5" ones now and cross my fingers this will work and well, started out making a grinding noise from the right rear tire only in 4th gear that progressively got louder, thought it was a wheel bearing so had someone check the diff out and they told me bearings were fine but said the fluid was pretty burnt and that my crown and pinion are likely really worn down found half a tooth in the case as well, kept driving anyways because I was tight on money and now the transmission is hitting 3rd and 4th gear and reving up high after it hits the gear, I thought maybe it was slipping those gears but it seems to hit them when I'm wot its almost like its struggling to move the back wheels in those 2 gears needs to rev high just to go anywhere, 1st gear and 2nd are fine, checked the tranny which is only a year old with a deep pan and cooler and found no shaving in the pan and the fluid is still pink, is there a chance this is the tranny to or can a bad rear also affect some behaviour with the transmisson, someone was telling me a noise in the tranny can travel up to the rear somehow, tranny is an a4 not manual which I know is a weak point to

this is what you need

http://www.4starsigns.com/sign02.jpg

sounds like the trans is slipping. direct clutchs toast

I would run 2" spacers if you actually do it. I run 2" in the front of my third gen with a fourth gen rear and vette wheels all around. Everything sits where it should.
Or, save the cash on the spacers, don't buy the third gen rear, give me your old hurt rear and say $250 and I'll give you the 3.42 posi 4th gen rear that's in my rolling chassis for sale.

wow wish I had known that before, I should have asked, I ended up paying $150 for the 3rd gen one that has 3.42's as well, forgot to add the alarming grinding noise also happens from the rear wheel in reverse as well praying its not the 3/4 clutches, I will look for some big spacers I guess biggest I found and cheapest so far are on ebay 1.5" per side for $90 not that bad...so my total so far is $240, 3rd gen rear is fully rebuilt to it was my buddies spare,

ah looks like it was the transmission, lost 3rd barely have 4th now, horrible, likely the 2-3 and 3-4 clutches the whole time

time for a tranny!!