Converting a 4 channel to a 3 w/ pics.
Converting a 4 channel to a 3 w/ pics. Idealy, if you blow up your stock 10 bolt and you have a 3 channel car you look for a used 3 channel rear to swap in, and if you have a 4 channel you look for a 4 but what if you cant find any....
For those of you who have a 4 channel car and for whatever reason you have to swap rears and all you could find a 3 channel... well your lucky because all you have to do is leave the 3 channel ABS sensor in the rear and swap over the 4 channel axles and sensors from the current or broken 4 channel rear which is in the car.
Now if your me and you have a 3 channel car and you buy a spare used rear to pound on at the track on friday nights and all you can find is a 4 channel rear, well this is the fun you have to go through like i did this morning but here is what i did and pics (taken from my phone so they are not great sorry) if anyone need to do this.
1. Locate a spare ABS sensor and reluctor wheel on ebay or in the classifieds section, or simply use the ones off the old or broken rear
2. Scribe and mark a spot on the boss on top of the pumpkin 7/8" (0.875") in the y position from the 10mm screw hole
3. Drill a 1/4" diameter pilot hole and check that the ABS sensor will indeed line up.
4. Drill a 13/16" (0.8125") diameter hole concentric to the pilot hole you have just made. As teh housing is cast there is no lub needed, just go at high speed in small plunge incriments, i used 0.050" inch increments
5. Ream by hand using a oversized 13/16" Reamer (0.8130 - 0.8135) with WD-40.
The ABS sensor will fit snug and torque down the 10mm bolt.
Now when you go to install the posi the reluctor ring that gets pressed on with the ring gear should line up with the sensor.
For those of you who have a 4 channel car and for whatever reason you have to swap rears and all you could find a 3 channel... well your lucky because all you have to do is leave the 3 channel ABS sensor in the rear and swap over the 4 channel axles and sensors from the current or broken 4 channel rear which is in the car.
Now if your me and you have a 3 channel car and you buy a spare used rear to pound on at the track on friday nights and all you can find is a 4 channel rear, well this is the fun you have to go through like i did this morning but here is what i did and pics (taken from my phone so they are not great sorry) if anyone need to do this.
1. Locate a spare ABS sensor and reluctor wheel on ebay or in the classifieds section, or simply use the ones off the old or broken rear
2. Scribe and mark a spot on the boss on top of the pumpkin 7/8" (0.875") in the y position from the 10mm screw hole
3. Drill a 1/4" diameter pilot hole and check that the ABS sensor will indeed line up.
4. Drill a 13/16" (0.8125") diameter hole concentric to the pilot hole you have just made. As teh housing is cast there is no lub needed, just go at high speed in small plunge incriments, i used 0.050" inch increments
5. Ream by hand using a oversized 13/16" Reamer (0.8130 - 0.8135) with WD-40.
The ABS sensor will fit snug and torque down the 10mm bolt.
Now when you go to install the posi the reluctor ring that gets pressed on with the ring gear should line up with the sensor.
Last edited by alamantia; Dec 2, 2006 at 08:28 AM.
Originally Posted by keliente
PM the mod of this section and ask him to sticky this.
Yeah the moderator used to be someone with a hot silver 2000 Z28 called "keliente" but I heard she sold out and bought a vette....
Originally Posted by Razor_Blade
Thanks, Good info! I have been looking for a cheap spare and passed on a couple of 4 channels because I was told they couldn't be converted from 4 to 3 channel.
Originally Posted by alamantia
Yeah the moderator used to be someone with a hot silver 2000 Z28 called "keliente" but I heard she sold out and bought a vette....
And I have no mod powers in this section
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Originally Posted by BLKWS.6
What is the difference in a 4 and 3 channel axle? Can a 3 channel axle be used in a 4 channel rear?
https://ls1tech.com/forums/gears-axles/412366-rear-end-faq.html
i have a stock 10 bolt out of a 98 that didn't have traction control, my question is how can you tell whether its a 3 or 4 channel rear the car i have now has a f'ed up rear and i have no desire to buy something i already have, but i need to make sure what i have will work. the FAQ helped but i don't know what rear came out of the other car. the car i have has ASR and i hate it the other one did not, and this older rear is not as loud and the wheel bearings are not toast. and i HATE traction control. i would be thankful for the help
3 channel (No ASR) has a ABS sensor through the top pf the pumpkin it reads off a reluctor wheel pressed on the posi
4 channel (ASR) has two ABS sensors, one on each axle mounted to the backing plate which runs off reluctor wheels pressed on to eack axle just behind the flange
4 channel (ASR) has two ABS sensors, one on each axle mounted to the backing plate which runs off reluctor wheels pressed on to eack axle just behind the flange
I am looking at doing the same- but I have a bare 4 channel rear.- Someone said the backing plates between the 4 channel and the 3 channel are different and the 3 channel backing plates wont bolt up to the 4 channel rear end..- Any insight on this could save me alot of $$.. Thanks
As far as i know 4 channel backing plates are identical as 3 channel aside from the clearance hole and mounting hole for the ABS sensor. The snesor being needed in a 4 channel braking system.
I used the 4 channel plates from the 4 channel rear when I did the conversion and just removed the sensors leaving the holes open as my car is a 3 channel system. I didnt try to reuse the 3 channel plates. However I dont see why the 4 hole mounting flange would differ between 3 and 4 channel axles.
In other words, the only difference in 3 channel and 4 channel plates are the mountiong holes for the sensors on a 4 channel, the 3 channel plates dont have these holes.
So the short answer, yes they should work
I used the 4 channel plates from the 4 channel rear when I did the conversion and just removed the sensors leaving the holes open as my car is a 3 channel system. I didnt try to reuse the 3 channel plates. However I dont see why the 4 hole mounting flange would differ between 3 and 4 channel axles.
In other words, the only difference in 3 channel and 4 channel plates are the mountiong holes for the sensors on a 4 channel, the 3 channel plates dont have these holes.
So the short answer, yes they should work
Originally Posted by indirocz28
I am looking at doing the same- but I have a bare 4 channel rear.- Someone said the backing plates between the 4 channel and the 3 channel are different and the 3 channel backing plates wont bolt up to the 4 channel rear end..- Any insight on this could save me alot of $$.. Thanks
Originally Posted by Razor_Blade
Someone told you wrong. I just put 3 channel brake hardware and axles in a 4 channel rear end. It's running in my car now, with no abs.
Hmm.. ..
FWIW, I have a 4 channel car and installed a complete 3 channel rear yesterday.
Yes, the axles need to be swapped, which is no big deal...you need the axles with the reluctor wheels on them so that ASR and antilock are functional.
but...
I didn't see anywhere about the part that says you need to clearance the 3 channel rear's outer flanges for the 4 channel backing plate/sensors to be able to be bolted on the 3 channel axle housing.
On mine, the 3 channel's axle housing flanges need to be clearanced a good half inch or more.
I also have read that the axles are the same except for the reluctor rings, but in my case, this is not true. The 3 channel axles do not have the capability to accept the reluctor rings...no way, no how. They are two completely different axles in my situation.
stock "4 channel" axle: (note reluctor wheel pressed onto axle flange)
http://home.comcast.net/~rel3rd/wsb/...2/site1464.jpg
stock "3 channel" axle: (note that there is nowhere for reluctor wheel to be pressed onto)
http://home.comcast.net/~rel3rd/wsb/...2/site1465.jpg
For the record, the car is a 2000 Camaro SS, originally equipped with ASR and antilock
Stock 2000 Camaro rear with ASR and ABS: (factory shaped to clear ABS/ASR sensor)
http://home.comcast.net/~rel3rd/wsb/...2/site1467.jpg
New rear is out of a 95 F body: (note flange shape difference)
http://home.comcast.net/~rel3rd/wsb/...2/site1466.jpg
Hopefully this helps someone doing this swap. I screwed myself by not checking the fitment of the backing plates before new rear was swapped in. So now instead of grinding and clearancing the axle flange at work where I have plenty of compressed air volume, I get to do it here at home with my oil-free (& VERY LOUD) Home Depot air compressor trying it's best to keep up with the demand...
Yes, the axles need to be swapped, which is no big deal...you need the axles with the reluctor wheels on them so that ASR and antilock are functional.
but...
I didn't see anywhere about the part that says you need to clearance the 3 channel rear's outer flanges for the 4 channel backing plate/sensors to be able to be bolted on the 3 channel axle housing.
On mine, the 3 channel's axle housing flanges need to be clearanced a good half inch or more.
I also have read that the axles are the same except for the reluctor rings, but in my case, this is not true. The 3 channel axles do not have the capability to accept the reluctor rings...no way, no how. They are two completely different axles in my situation.
stock "4 channel" axle: (note reluctor wheel pressed onto axle flange)
http://home.comcast.net/~rel3rd/wsb/...2/site1464.jpg
stock "3 channel" axle: (note that there is nowhere for reluctor wheel to be pressed onto)
http://home.comcast.net/~rel3rd/wsb/...2/site1465.jpg
For the record, the car is a 2000 Camaro SS, originally equipped with ASR and antilock
Stock 2000 Camaro rear with ASR and ABS: (factory shaped to clear ABS/ASR sensor)
http://home.comcast.net/~rel3rd/wsb/...2/site1467.jpg
New rear is out of a 95 F body: (note flange shape difference)
http://home.comcast.net/~rel3rd/wsb/...2/site1466.jpg
Hopefully this helps someone doing this swap. I screwed myself by not checking the fitment of the backing plates before new rear was swapped in. So now instead of grinding and clearancing the axle flange at work where I have plenty of compressed air volume, I get to do it here at home with my oil-free (& VERY LOUD) Home Depot air compressor trying it's best to keep up with the demand...
Last edited by rel3rd; Aug 2, 2007 at 07:20 PM.
If you plan on putting a 3ch rear end into you car that is equipped with a 4ch setup, there is also modification to be done on the housing. See my writeup about it.. Scroll down to the "traction control modification" part.
http://www.geocities.com/duragizer444/install.html
Its not as involved as converting the other way around, but still needs to be done one way or another.
-Jeff
http://www.geocities.com/duragizer444/install.html
Its not as involved as converting the other way around, but still needs to be done one way or another.
-Jeff
Originally Posted by rel3rd
FWIW, I have a 4 channel car and installed a complete 3 channel rear yesterday.
Yes, the axles need to be swapped, which is no big deal...you need the axles with the reluctor wheels on them so that ASR and antilock are functional.
but...
I didn't see anywhere about the part that says you need to clearance the 3 channel rear's outer flanges for the 4 channel backing plate/sensors to be able to be bolted on the 3 channel axle housing.
On mine, the 3 channel's axle housing flanges need to be clearanced a good half inch or more.
Yes, the axles need to be swapped, which is no big deal...you need the axles with the reluctor wheels on them so that ASR and antilock are functional.
but...
I didn't see anywhere about the part that says you need to clearance the 3 channel rear's outer flanges for the 4 channel backing plate/sensors to be able to be bolted on the 3 channel axle housing.
On mine, the 3 channel's axle housing flanges need to be clearanced a good half inch or more.
Exactly...which is why I mentioned above.
Originally Posted by rel3rd
Exactly...which is why I mentioned above.