Cobra IRS into a Fairmont?

[fasfivo]

Anyone done this swap? With all the straight line guys swapping their IRS for straight axles, I've been considering seeing if I can buy one and put it in this Futura I just bought. I already have a Mustang with all the drag stuff, no A/C, no P/S, etc. It'd be kinda neat to have a car that rode nice, handled decent and was different from the norm. Thoughts?

[mfpmax]

Should be "almost" the same if not the same as it would be in a Mustang.

[86fiveoh]

i would love to put an IRS in my86 stang

[fasfivo]

I'm assuming that if all the Mustang live axle stuff fits a Fairmont, the IRS should be a direct swap as well. Not sure about E-Brake cables, etc. I've never looked under a IRS Cobra to be honest. It seems like it'd be pretty straight forward. Anyone know what the IRS setups are going for used? Might be more than I want to spend.

[eric5oh]

I'm assuming that if all the Mustang live axle stuff fits a Fairmont, the IRS should be a direct swap as well. Not sure about E-Brake cables, etc. I've never looked under a IRS Cobra to be honest. It seems like it'd be pretty straight forward. Anyone know what the IRS setups are going for used? Might be more than I want to spend.

99-01 are cheap, 28 splines and 3.27 gears. 03-04 are more desirable, with 31 splines and 3.55 gears. $600-750 for a 99-01, and $1000-1250 for a 03-04 around here. Those prices are STOCK though. When you start talking about stronger half-shafts and differential braces, the prices get crazy. Maximum Motorsports sells the bushing kit to install in a fox, BTW. I had one I was going to put into my Capri, but to me it was way too wide.

[fasfivo]

...it way way too wide.

I hadn't thought about the width being different. How much wider are they?

[mfpmax]

It is generally too wide for various wheel choices...backspacing being the key. Most of the 17x9 wheels with the 99-04 backspacing will stick out further than most people want their wheels to. The backspacing on the 05-08 wheels apparently is more suited for 99-04 width rear ends when underneath fox bodies.

But it isn't physically "too" wide. Just makes the wheels stick out due to the increased track width out back.

[fasfivo]

Thanks. All good info.

[mfpmax]

Some IRS equipped foxen.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v105/alstaregixxer/New%20Notch/IRS%20install/IMG_5408.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b63/BHeadedBird/Mustang/P4200043.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b63/BHeadedBird/Mustang/P4200040.jpg

[detroitiron2000]

There was a Fairmont on Protouring.com with the IRS but I just went to find it and can't. I recall the wider track width caused issues with the rear fenders since they aren't radiused like the 'stang. I think he ended up buying custom wheels with backspacing that worked but honestly I can't recall. Maybe you can try searching the site and find it...

I'd love ot do the same thing with my Futura. WHere I live, straight line tracks are a pretty far distance away but there's a nice roadcourse nearby.

Don

[Mad Max]

There was a Fairmont on Protouring.com with the IRS but I just went to find it and can't.
Don

thought that it was a chebby only site 'till i was three pages in...

[Juanizzle]

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b63/BHeadedBird/Mustang/P4200043.jpg

i know this guy, ive bought from him, he has some saleens on the car now, so im assuming you can run most wheels if you flare the wheel wells. good luck. get the tool, dont use a baseball bat.

[LTDScott]

A buddy of mine installed a Cobra IRS in his '80 Mustang. Fit without much of a hassle, so I would assume the Fairmont should be fairly similar.

The IRS is wider, so he's running 05+ Mustang wheels on his car to fix the offset.

[mfpmax]

A buddy of mine installed a Cobra IRS in his '80 Mustang. Fit without much of a hassle, so I would assume the Fairmont should be fairly similar.

The IRS is wider, so he's running 05+ Mustang wheels on his car to fix the offset.

Which are apparently perfect. When I was looking at buying a 99 Solid I was hoping to get some 05 GT Preimums to go with it since I like the way they look and missed a set for $200 :(

[fasfivo]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Still haven't decided if I'm going to do this. Maybe if I can find an '03 or '04 setup for a good price, I'll go for it. Either way, I'm going to need a rear axle setup at some point before I go V-8. I really don't have alot to spend on this thing right now so I'm in no hurry.

[mfpmax]

If you're not going to drag the car, try to look out for the 99-01 rears since they'll be cheaper. They are 99% the same AFAIK with the main difference being the 31 spline axle/diff vs 28 spline.