Suspension Swap - Gen 2 to Gen 1 (Brats)

[Jibs]

So my hubs are stripped on my 81 Brat and I'm having a very hard time finding info on what the spline count on them is and which other hubs I could use on it, so I though I'd change the suspension out from a Gen 2 Brat or Wagon instead. I remember someone telling me (Caboobaroo I believe) that it ould be done, I don't remember what is involved. So here goes:

 

What do I need to take from a gen 2 wagon or Brat to swap suspension into a Gen 1 Brat? Thanks.

[Gravityman]

Let me spring board off of this on also jibs if you dont mind.

 

Is it possible (anything is) or has anyone swapped the EA81 strut towers for an ea82 or ER27s? How about reinforced the tower or fabricated new ones? This is also in an attempt to go to an EA82 platform. Thanks all

[Jibs]

No prob Gravityman! Anyone know?

[Caboobaroo]

Ok I'm here:D So in order to do a swap, you'll need the brake rotors with the hubs bolted to them, and the calipers. They're all a bolt on procedure and should take you as long as it would to do a normal brake job. On my '79 wagon, I acutally put EA81 control arms and steering knuckles in it as well but that involves making custom stabilizer bars.

 

As far as putting EA82 struts into an EA81, here's a few ideas. First off, try swapping the tophats from the EA81 onto the EA82 struts so you have the EA82 struts with EA81 tophats. Second, try drilling new holes for the EA82 tophats to fit into the EA81 strut towers. Or third, try cutting the tops of the strut towers out of the EA81 and replace them with the strut towers from the EA82... Like I said, just a few ideas;)

[Gravityman]

Cool dude! Thats what I figured it would take. I'll have to look at my xt6 and brat to see whats going to be required.

[TomRhere]

I too, have toyed with the idea of EA-82 suspension under my '82 BRAT.

My thoughts are around cutting the whole front section out of an EA-82 car, and adapting it into the 10-12" lift I'm planning for under it.

This would use the frame rails forward from the forwardmost bend as they come from under the car, plus the strut towers, continuing on forward to atleast the bumper attaching points. The EA-82 strut tower tops would be re-enforced and attached to the EA-81 body, (method still to be decided), to help in taking any "flex" out of the picture.

Haven't had much time to work on the BRAT, but have had a few moments to do some pondering and measuring, and alot of "what-if".

[Jibs]

Ok I'm here:D So in order to do a swap, you'll need the brake rotors with the hubs bolted to them, and the calipers. They're all a bolt on procedure and should take you as long as it would to do a normal brake job. On my '79 wagon, I acutally put EA81 control arms and steering knuckles in it as well but that involves making custom stabilizer bars.

 

 

So I can just use the rotors and calipers and hubs? I wouldn't HAVE to change the control arms or the steering knuckles? Thanks.

 

Edit: and would I be using axles from the later gens or the regular 81 axles? Thanks.

[Caboobaroo]

You can use what you just listed and it'll all bolt right in. Make sure everything is from the same year car because if you decide to go with vented rotors ('84-newer EA81) then you'll need the matching calipers as well. You can use the EA81 axles in any EA71 but not vise versa. The EA81 axles are about 3/4" longer then the EA71 axles so they would help with the right lift kit in a gen 1 vehicle.

[Jibs]

Thanks a bunch.

[Gravityman]

Hey I was just thinking, if you were to cut the strut towers off and reweld ea82 or xt towers on, instead of mounting it at the original height lower it about 2" for a lift with no shock blocks required. Obviously you would also need to do something to the rear. What do you think?

[TomRhere]

Hey I was just thinking, if you were to cut the strut towers off and reweld ea82 or xt towers on, instead of mounting it at the original height lower it about 2" for a lift with no shock blocks required. Obviously you would also need to do something to the rear. What do you think?

 

If you plan on using the EA-82 engine cradle vs the EA-81 cradle, it will be wider so you have to take that difference into account. Don't have my notes infront of me, but it's something around 2" wider side-to-side at the mount holes, the front-to-rear spacing of the holes are the same. The XT-6 cradle is even wider, and the front-to-rear spacing of the holes be wider also.

 

If you were to cut-out the EA-82 strut towers and include the frame-rail section for the engine cradle, then bolt/weld it under the BRATs frame-rail and use the EA-81 cradle, you'd be good to go, just need to figure the attachment of the strut tower top to the body of the BRAT. This would raise the front by the depth of the EA-82 frame rail, say roughly 3-1/2" or there abouts. Then raise the rear suspension accordingly.

 

This would let you use EA-82 front-end parts, (struts, knuckles, brakes), but you'd still need to use EA-81 axles for proper length. Haven't checked this yet, but thinking the EA-81 ball-joint will fit the EA-82 knuckle, so you can use the EA-81 lower control arm. This will still give you stock width of the front wheels basically.

 

If you use the EA-82 engine cradle, then everything will have to be off-set wider from the BRATs frame-rails. This is the way I plan to do mine, but I also will be raising it some 10-12" at the same time, so it will be worked into the lift-frame at that time.

 

I have the complete engine/tranny cradle assembly out of both the EA-81 and EA-82, along with the engine cradle out of an XT-6, laying out in the garage. I've measured, pondered, measured somemore, flipped them one on top of the other just to see how things line up. I've yet to stuff anything under the BRAT to see what needs to be done for the strut tower attachment, but thinking along the lines of some 1/4" plate welded from strut tower to either the lift-frame or the BRATs body. Time will tell on that one. I may even remove the strut towers from the BRAT completely, just to clean-up the engine bay area. Got lots of work to do, but little time to actually do it, need to clone myself, atleast once.

 

Can tell you this, when you go to cut the frame-rails betwwen the engine cradle and the firewall, there be a sheet-load of metal in there, like to killed my saws-all and my arms/hands.