Couple rear end / driveshaft swap questions

[MegaHertz]

I'm wanting to swap to a posi unit / alum drive shaft and have been doing a lot of reading as to minimize the noobness of my questions and this is what I think I know so far:

I haven't checked my codes but I'm pretty sure I've got a series 3 carrier with and open diff and 3.23 in it which are stock for a 96 M5 i believe (I will be confirming my codes before buying anything tho). I've decided on a complete z28 rear swap. It seems the easiest way to do this seems to be to find a complete z28 rear without traction control (3 channel abs) and swap the whole thing. I have 2 questions on the rear swap:

1: Can a 4 channel be used if my car is set up for 3 channel abs (most posts I saw said no - one had someone claiming to have done it)

2: Is there anything brake wise I will need (new lines or ebrake cable) or does all that swap over with the new rear.

Also, if i do the drive shaft before the rear end - are the 98+ drive shafts shorter? I read a couple posts stating they are but the modifications encyclopedia states they are all interchangeable. Also would like confirmation that all 4th gens use 28 spline axles.

Sorry, I know this is a topic that has gone around and around just wanted a little clarification on the fuzzy details.

[ACiFiC]

Re: Couple rear end / driveshaft swap questions

kind of depends, do you have a rear in a mind? or one priced out? if so what is on it or what's it from?

And you could always just throw in a torsen if you wanted.

[cam98aro]

Re: Couple rear end / driveshaft swap questions

the aluminum driveshaft IS shorter than the stock 2 piece, BUT it will work just fine in any 93-02 fbody

[bigbrian442]

Re: Couple rear end / driveshaft swap questions

I'm wanting to swap to a posi unit / alum drive shaft and have been doing a lot of reading as to minimize the noobness of my questions and this is what I think I know so far:

I haven't checked my codes but I'm pretty sure I've got a series 3 carrier with and open diff and 3.23 in it which are stock for a 96 M5 i believe (I will be confirming my codes before buying anything tho). I've decided on a complete z28 rear swap. It seems the easiest way to do this seems to be to find a complete z28 rear without traction control (3 channel abs) and swap the whole thing. I have 2 questions on the rear swap:

1: Can a 4 channel be used if my car is set up for 3 channel abs (most posts I saw said no - one had someone claiming to have done it)

2: Is there anything brake wise I will need (new lines or ebrake cable) or does all that swap over with the new rear.

Also, if i do the drive shaft before the rear end - are the 98+ drive shafts shorter? I read a couple posts stating they are but the modifications encyclopedia states they are all interchangeable. Also would like confirmation that all 4th gens use 28 spline axles.

Sorry, I know this is a topic that has gone around and around just wanted a little clarification on the fuzzy details.

The one guy that says he has a 4 channel rear in his 3 channel car spliced some wires to use one of the two sensors from the 4 channel rear in place of the one sensor on the pumpkin the 3 channel rear uses. While his car may not set an ABS code because it "see's" the sensor working, the ABS WILL NOT WORK CORRECTLY.

ALL 4th gens have 28 spline axles.

One piece drive shafts interchange from like 82 to 02. The highest quality aluminum DS are in the 98 to 02s.