^^^^ X2 - I would do it myself but just relocated and dont have any access to the equipment to accomplish this anymore.
A couple of quick questions.
Did you have the holes filled in as it looks like you did. How much or did you do this yourself??
Any local machine shop should be able to do this, yes??
Btw, your car looks great and give kudo's to your hard work and passion. It's beautiful and the lengths you're going through to make it what it is, it's astounding.
I'll be waiting for the driving impressions.
Btw, got mine all cleaned up today, both the factory and aluminums and hope to have the old ball joints drilled out by next weekend.
Oh, I've been recommended by a suspension expert to not slot the holes. It would be unwise with all the load the ball joints take.
Misnblu
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO! 
Great job Gary! Both the CAs and the rest of the car!
yes please make more of these and name a price ^^
Hmm.....at the looks of it all you needed was a TIG and some center punches with a drill press + a little grinding. Nothing a well equipped garage should have besides a TIG. I'll hunt around local to see who can run 6 holes for me, let us know any little tips that you might have found useful or anything you would have done differently. Man I wish I would have finished these before I moved.
Looks very nice Gary, as usual!
I think I'm going to go with the 1/2" wider after all... since my rear IRS pushed the rears out an inch each side, why not bring the front out a bit to match!
I have to have the L67 axles shortened as it is... so I'll just have them shortened up to match the wider track... and slot one of the strut-to-knuckle bolts to adjust the camber properly.
Heh... I'm contemplating the C-body knuckles from the Park Avenue my engine came out of... we'll see if that works or not... shortly...
Excellent work! Good to see someone taking pride in their work instead of "hack jobs" that we often see. Beautiful.
"If you aren't shifting, then you certainly aren't driving!"
Oh, forgot. Are those the same poly bushings as standard J-body fare? They appear to be, just want to make sure.
"If you aren't shifting, then you certainly aren't driving!"
Sorry guy's I just can't take on anymore work right now if I had to...
As far as the bushings go. Prothane J-body fit right in.
Any local welding shop should be able to weld the holes closed for $30-$40. You'll have to grind some of the inside edges of the CA for the balljoint to sit flat , but it's not a big deal. I just used an old balljoint to get the bolt pattern. Drill them out to 7/16". You can just grind or dremel the 1/2" of material off the end of the CA.
BTW: Thanks for all the compliments.
"The FACTS are always subject to CHANGE once the TRUTH is applied"
"In the entire history of man the only stupid questions are the ones that don't get asked"
Thanks John for the answers to the questions and inspiration to complete these.
They may not look as nice as yours but will be just as functional.
I've already called a few of the metals fab shops with some estimates.
Misnblu
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO!
dam gary , you make the rest of us as green as your s/f , LOL
excellent job !!!!!!!!!!
exactly far in did you have to move the holes in ??
hey gary if it wouldnt be to hard, do you think you could write up a nice set of instructions I could drop of at my local machine shop, and have them have a go. For some reason when I explain things, they end up returning to me a rubber duck or some crap, rather than the metal I needed machined.
hey john lenko, what are you thinking about the c body knuckle????
whats the advantages? bigger cv joint on the end? also what is the l67 axles you speak of? the longer alero/grand am ones?
i dont think the wider track if only .5 inch on each side will be an issue for the j cv's. guess we will see.
farmerz24
C-body (actually, G-body, but that's another story) is the Buick Park Avenue that the L67 aka 3.8L V6 supercharged Series II motor I'm using came from...
I'm using the L67 axles, because they're really thick compared to the J-body axles... they're much longer tho, so I have to have them shortened (I haven't quite figured that part out yet tho... ha ha!). The CV on the L67 axles is MASSIVE... if the C-body knuckle fits the J-body.. I'll use it.
How did you guys get the bushings out the control arm??? I tried with a press and they are not moving. I have drilled holes in the bushings, then headed back to the press, and no luck there either
Jason
99 Z24
157hp/171tq
wheres my boost??
hi john,
so c and g whats the diff? is c just the buick and g the impala/grand prix? doubt that that knuckle would fit, but sweet if it does. The only issue with the l67 axles, do they plug into the getrag 5 speed transmission? or are you using an automatic? the way to shorten the axles would be to actually shorten the outer end where it plugs into the cv. you can get it shortended, and then new splines machined so it will plug right into the outer cv, just being shorter.
The other option is to turn down the outer end of the big cv (c or g, u must explain the diff) where it plugs into the wheel bearing. getting it machined so it fits in the grand am wheel bearing, but i would rather the first option as it nets you a bigger front wheel bearing.
then the last issue is where it plugs into the transmission. I guess if its thicker i could machine down that end also and get new splines recut -- OR -- is the c/g a direct plug into the transmission. i dont even know if you have the getrag or not.
input appreciated. let me know or snap some pics of that knuckle.
farmerz24
This has nothing to do with the control arms
but I digress...
C is the Buick Park Avenue, by the VIN... but it's built on the G body platform in 2000 model year (others as well, I just know the 2000, because that's what I have). The G body is the Bonneville, etc. The W body is the Impala, Grand Prix, etc.
The knuckle from the Park Ave is aluminum, just like the N-body one. People don't use the W-body knuckle for the swap, because it's cast iron like the J-body one. If the Park Ave knuckle fits my J-body front struts (which it *looks* like it will, but I have to measure it still, I've been lazy... lol...), then I'll use it... because then all I have to do is shorten the axle length, keep the same ends.
I'm using the whole Park Ave drivetrain for my swap - L67 engine and 4T65E-HD auto transmission. I'll use the inner CV for sure, as it's still in the transmission. The axle will be shortened to fit the width of the J-body... and the outer? That depends if the knuckle fits the strut or not. (and the ball joint too.. I'll be using 99 Alero aluminum ones, which already have the larger ball joint on them.. if it's the same as the C/G-body, great! If not.. I'll figure something out.)
I'll have pics of my L67 swap.. but I'll keep that to a separate thread..
Check out www.l67swap.com or www.3800pro.com for updates
ok john one last thing..
so the w body should be the same knuckle as the park ave... less it being aluminum. so then it should work? i guess then you get an even bigger front wheel bearing, as long as the top strut bolts to this knuckle.
then i would reccomend just shortning the axels and getting it resplined if you are going that route.
for me, i am going to try and see how i could get the w body or park ave whole axle on mine. then i should have an unbreakable drivetrain and should be able to launch hard.
farmerz24
ok so another wrench into the mix..
is the w body hub on the aluminum w body knucle larger than the n body hub? if so and its a bolt on id rather go w body. or what? anyone have a w body hub and n body to compare?
what about the w/g body cv's how much larger? any pics?
farmerz24
