SRA to IRS Swap - Opinions Please!!

[stprorolla49]

I am 95% sure I will be doing an SRA to '04 Cobra IRS trade with a guy this weekend from SVTP. The trade consists of:

My: Stock Bullitt SRA w/24k mi, Magnaflow Catback, Bilstein HD's from MM notched for rear coilovers w/ 3k on them, Bullitt rear springs, stock control arms, UPR Urethane Pinion Snubber, ABS Sensors, SRA Pinion Flange, etc. + $200.

-FOR-

His: '04 Cobra IRS w/ 40k mi, Magnaflow IRS catback, Bilstein HD's, Eibach Prokit rear springs, ABS Sensors, IRS Pinion Flange, MM Low-Profile IRS bolts, etc.

Sounds like a pretty legit deal to me. I have always contemplated an IRS swap, but I can never find anyone close enough. This guy is only 2 hrs away, and will have the IRS out of the car, and all the hardware in labeled bags for me. I will be driving down with my SRA with all the hardware in bags as well, checking everything over, and if all checks out, I'll take the IRS.

Is there anything I should really look out for when checking it out? I will be taking note of the subframe bushings as well as the bushings that hold the center section in the subframe assembly. If they look beat, they will get replaced. I'm hoping to just drop it in next weekend, then over the winter accumulate some parts to beef it up (Billetflow IRS brace, MM urethane bushings, etc.)

Does this seem like a good deal? I certainly think so. This car is my DD and occasional auto-x car, so I want the car to ride really nice, and handle well. Any opinions / suggestions would be great, thanks!

 

[SteedaGT9150]

do it!

 

[Kilgore Trout]

And another bullitt goes from being special to being just another chopped up mustang... sigh...

 

[Night Shifter]

do it or im gonna find the guy and give him my sra lol

get a better rear spring when you do the swap though.....nice trade

 

[stprorolla49]

And another bullitt goes from being special to being just another chopped up mustang... sigh...

I would hardly call my car chopped up m. I have done nothing but clean, tasteful visual mods, and nothing but top of the line parts for performance and suspension mods.

I'm over the whole, "It's a Bullitt, don't mod it" crap. It's a damn GT with some small, subtle changes which I plan to retain! I plan on keeping the car a long time and really building it up while retaining the mostly stock Bullitt appearance.

I do believe in my Pic thread you commented saying it was a "****ing awesome Bullitt!" So what had changed in your opinion. I can reverse any mod I do if I really want, and I have kept every factory part I've taken off.

I'm gonna quote my mom from when I was 2 years old say, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

I put a lot of time and money into the car to make it perfect, and it makes me happy. I don't see altezzas or window louvers or huge cowl hoods here. Nothing but clean and stock appearing.

do it or im gonna find the guy and give him my sra lol

get a better rear spring when you do the swap though.....nice trade

Thanks. I plan to run these springs for a little while til I do some more research on what I really want. Like I said, over the winter I'll be saving up some parts to beef up the IRS.

 

[Night Shifter]

sweet...gonna be sick!

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Sorry if the truth hurts your fellow nullity owners will be happy there will be one less making theirs rarer if that makes you feel better.

 

[stprorolla49]

Sorry if the truth hurts your fellow nullity owners will be happy there will be one less making theirs rarer if that makes you feel better.

I won't loose any sleep over it. I don't care what others think.

Back on topic please, I am looking for objective opinions on other things I should look for when checking out this IRS, and what other small mods can be done to beef it up.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Be sure the IRS has a brace on it and check for leaks on the diff housing.

 

[stprorolla49]

Be sure the IRS has a brace on it and check for leaks on the diff housing.

Yea, the brace will be the first thing I get, along with some urethane subframe bushings. If the diff is leaking, is that a gasket, or just silicon RTV gooped in there?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Well an IRS with no brace will often have leaks due to the diff case or cover cracking.

 

[stprorolla49]

Well an IRS with no brace will often have leaks due to the diff case or cover cracking.

Gotcha. Sounds like a brace should be purchased and installed before the IRS goes in the car. Are the a pain in the ass if it's installed after the IRS is in the car, say in a few weeks?

 

[Night Shifter]

if you wait to install it afterwards:

- pull off catback
- pull the 5 differential housing bolts off, and put the jack under the diff per the instructions from BilletFlow.
- take off the two Differential Mounting bolts that connect it to the IRS Frame.
- Put the IRS brace up there and hand tightened the first 5 bolts (raise the jack/diff to clear the middle bolt from the crossmember thingy), then put in the upper Differential Bolt (once the jack/diff is lowered the length of the bolt makes it impossible to install due to clearance with the IRS frame thingy).
-then tighten all the Housing bolts, and lower the differential and install the final Differential mounting bolt, and torque everything down to german torque specifications (Gutenteit), as there was no way to get a torque wrench to any but the bottom most two housing bolts.
- Reinstalling the Catback
- The front hangar isolator will not go with ease, pry it into placeand attach the rest

you may need ramps for this as well....good luck

 

[stprorolla49]

if you wait to install it afterwards:

- pull off catback
- pull the 5 differential housing bolts off, and put the jack under the diff per the instructions from BilletFlow.
- take off the two Differential Mounting bolts that connect it to the IRS Frame.
- Put the IRS brace up there and hand tightened the first 5 bolts (raise the jack/diff to clear the middle bolt from the crossmember thingy), then put in the upper Differential Bolt (once the jack/diff is lowered the length of the bolt makes it impossible to install due to clearance with the IRS frame thingy).
-then tighten all the Housing bolts, and lower the differential and install the final Differential mounting bolt, and torque everything down to german torque specifications (Gutenteit), as there was no way to get a torque wrench to any but the bottom most two housing bolts.
- Reinstalling the Catback
- The front hangar isolator will not go with ease, pry it into placeand attach the rest

you may need ramps for this as well....good luck

Thanks for the info! I think its gonna have to get installed in a few weeks. I don't really drive the car that hard so I'm not too worried. It would just be piece of mind.

 

[Night Shifter]

no problem!

that think is going to handle awesome

 

[stprorolla49]

no problem!

that think is going to handle awesome

Thats what I'm hoping. Right now the car handles great, and the ride is decent; probably about as good as stock with the current suspension (Bilsteins, MM front coilovers w/250 lb springs, and the stock rear Bullitt springs cut a coil in the rear). I'm hoping with the IRS and some nice rear springs, the car will handle even better and ride a lot smoother. The front suspension rides pretty smooth, its the rear that seems to jump around a lot on bumps. I just don't see sinking probably a thousand bucks into quality SRA suspension components and still not have it ride as smooth. I'm sure it would handle just as well, but I'm pretty sure an SRA with U/L CA's, TA, PHB, and rear coilovers would ride pretty harsh. Not to mention cost a ton of money, probably closer to $2k!

I figure I'm putting $200 on top of my SRA, plus $50 in MM urethane subframe bushings, and $150 on a Billetflow brace, and for $400, I can be happy for quite a while.

I also LOVEEE the way the IRS catback looks with fat tires in the back. I will absolutely be polishing the tailpipes to perfection before I install them!

 

[Night Shifter]

all very good points....and youre right, IRS catbacks =

 

[crazystang25]

I've wanted to do this swap for a while now too but not sure what all would be needed.

 

[BLOWN347STROKER]

Hey if any of you are interested in seeing pics of the swap I am currently in the process of doing it right now. Here is a link to my thread. I am swapping in 03 cobra IRS in mine. Traded him my 95 cobra rear with Tubular upper and lower control arms, welded tubes,new spring isolators, 97 cobra rear springs, +250 for his complete irs setup and helped him do the swap. Took us about 5 hours to pull his and put the SRA in. Th irs i picked up has a diff. brace on it and a Kenny brown hard launch bar.

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/799847-blown-347-progress-thread.html

 

[Kornnut]

I would consider a PHB/TA combo first, but if that isn't in the budget I would go for it.