Ok.

I'm going to attempt a full swap including all new Imp cv axles, hubs,

brakes, struts, the whole enchilada.

I know some fabbing will be required, but I figure it'd be easier than

separate 5 lug swaps, and disc brake swaps.

Soooo, I'm not doing it right now, but just gathering info.

I'm still trying to find out what years are the easiest to get a hold of and

most compatible.

I know I'll need 93 fwd imp axles for all 4 corners, and I'm planning on coil

overs for the suspension, maybe eibachs or monroes, not too sure as of yet.

All I know is I want something rally capable without self destruction.

 

So, to wrap it up, all you rally and street racers out there have any

suggestions?

And a shout out to Suber Dave, as he has already done a very similar swap

to what I am attempting.

 

Twitch

Rguyver deserves mention here also. He has one sick brat from what pictures I have seen.

Ok, I may have changed my mind, if it'll work...

I think I'll be putting 94 lego suspension on there.

I have a 94 lego for parts and thought maybe I could use the suspension off

of that instead of finding an Imp that I could scavenge the suspension from.

Any thoughts if it will work with lego parts?

Another thought I had was that I may be able to use outback and spec b stuff.

Please, help is greatly appreciated and pleaded for!

 

Twitch

Keep posting; I'll try to get my Brat started and we can share information.

Keep posting; I'll try to get my Brat started and we can share information.

 

Are you doing a 5 lug swap on your brat too?

If so, I have to go to that rally so we can swap ideas in person

And thanks again for the support.

 

Twitch

Are you doing a 5 lug swap on your brat too?

If so, I have to go to that rally so we can swap ideas in person

And thanks again for the support.

 

Twitch

I have the rear setup from an XT6 and front struts from a '93 Impreza. Now I just have to figure out how it all goes together.

 

I want to do the 5 lug swap first so I can free up some 13" wheels and use all the extra 14" tires I have. Driveline swap will come later.

 

I don't think I'll have anything done on this by No Alibi time. Probably later.

I wasn't going to have anything done either, I was just suggesting we could

swap ideas.

And do you think it would be better to do the suspension swap now and

drivetrain later?

Or the whole thing at once?

I figured it would be easier to do it all at once.

Soon I won't need the brat to drive, so I'll be able to park it and tear

completely into it.

Thanks for the suggestions! And keep'em coming!

 

Twitch

The biggest hurdle is having custom axles made or making them yourself. No stock axle has both the correct outer joint to interface with the 5-lug knuckle and the correct length for the EA81 body. You can either have completely custom axles fabbed ($$$), or cut the two types of axles in half and join them with a sleeve - that means turning the OD down on both sections to accept a sleeve with a .001" interfefance fit. Then you heat the sleeve and install both sections into it and plug weld the sleeve to the axle shafts through prieviously made perforations in the sleeve. It's not a huge deal if you have access to a press, a lathe, and a decent welder. But if you don't it would be nigh impossible.

 

Then there's the issue of the ball joints.... the XT6 knuckle uses a ball joint that isn't compatible with the EA81 control arm. This can be corrected with some machineing.

 

GD

GD, I think he is planning on a custom setup where he plans on bolting up the whole drivetrain from the legacy/Impreza to the Brat body. Which will entail some custom brackets and what not

The biggest hurdle is having custom axles made or making them yourself. No stock axle has both the correct outer joint to interface with the 5-lug knuckle and the correct length for the EA81 body. You can either have completely custom axles fabbed ($$$), or cut the two types of axles in half and join them with a sleeve - that means turning the OD down on both sections to accept a sleeve with a .001" interfefance fit. Then you heat the sleeve and install both sections into it and plug weld the sleeve to the axle shafts through prieviously made perforations in the sleeve. It's not a huge deal if you have access to a press, a lathe, and a decent welder. But if you don't it would be nigh impossible.

 

Then there's the issue of the ball joints.... the XT6 knuckle uses a ball joint that isn't compatible with the EA81 control arm. This can be corrected with some machineing.

 

GD

 

Actually GD, I was thinking of just extending the wheelbase to fit the Imp

axles and creating custom steering, or just pulling the steering out of an Imp

and modifying it so i don't have to keep making new cv axles.

Is this doable?

By that I mean still driveable and adjustable so it can be aligned and the like.

 

Twitch

GD, I think he is planning on a custom setup where he plans on bolting up the whole drivetrain from the legacy/Impreza to the Brat body. Which will entail some custom brackets and what not

 

Actually its not the whole driveline, I have a 5sp d/r that I'm going to put in

and then use 93 fwd Imp axles to attach the EA tranny to the EJ hub.

I'm also hoping to find an lsd, but I'm kinda doubtful I will by the time this all

gets started.

 

Twitch

This was attempted by themixtwo.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=34445&highlight=themixtoo

 

I am not sure if he ever finished. He stopped posting about 2 years ago.

 

Sounds like he had access to some pretty good fabrication equipment.

 

You could e-mail him to see where he is at.

 

BW