From what I have read and have been told, the 122/220 volvos have different gear ratios, despite the fact that a 220(wagon) is only about an inch longer than the 122(sedan). I'm not sure why this is, as the base and length of the cars are nearly identical, but I'd guess that there is a reason.

This raises an issue for me. I'm planning on pulling the disk-brake rear axle from a P1800E (sedan) and installing it on a P220 (wagon). Aside from the specifics of bolt-up and panhard rod connections, what sort of trouble woudl this cause me. That is, just what will happen if I put a sedan's rear axle on a wagon?
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1967 P220 Amazon, 1972 145S, 1976 245 DL, 1983 245 DL, 1986 745 GLE, 1990 745 GL, 1995 945....
You mean to tell me that Volvo makes cars that are *NOT* Wagons?!?
1971 P1800E... Not a wagon, but it's just a donor car for the Amazon...

Someone I'm sure has told you the '67 220 and the 1800E have different bolt patterns...right?
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Jim - '67 122, '71 1800E, '82 242 GLT, '89 240 DL, '95 850 T5

Aside from getting rear disk brakes, getting the "updated" bolt pattern is the point behind doing this. I want to put some regular volvo alloy wheels on this thing.
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1967 P220 Amazon, 1972 145S, 1976 245 DL, 1983 245 DL, 1986 745 GLE, 1990 745 GL, 1995 945....
You mean to tell me that Volvo makes cars that are *NOT* Wagons?!?
1971 P1800E... Not a wagon, but it's just a donor car for the Amazon..

It's not worth going that route in my opinion. Basically to fit another axle on the 220 you need to chop off the mountings and weld ones on that match the wagon rear suspension. At which point you might as well use the axle from a 240 because they're more plentiful and the handbrake works. Besides which someone with a late 120 saloon will pay sensible money for the 1800E axle because it's a straight bolt on.

There was a guy in Denmark making the brackets to convert a 240 axle into a 220 axle.

Regards


Pete

You can do that? A 245 rear axle will fit to a 122 with minimal modification?
The oldest junkyard Volvo that I've been able to find in St. Louis is a 1975 245. Nice because it has a B20, D-Jet and an automatic tranny... I've never considered taking the rear axle. I've always thought that a 122/220 was narrower than a 240-series.

What do you know about this bracket conversion kit?
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1967 P220 Amazon, 1972 145S, 1976 245 DL, 1983 245 DL, 1986 745 GLE, 1990 745 GL, 1995 945....
You mean to tell me that Volvo makes cars that are *NOT* Wagons?!?
1971 P1800E... Not a wagon, but it's just a donor car for the Amazon..

Geez... why had I never thought of that. Thanks Pete! I had planned to put the rear out of my 1800e bits car in my 122 wagon. Until now... as I realize I've got a perfectly good rear end already pulled out of a low mileage 145. Just as easy, and the handbrake works..

duh....
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-Matt I ♥ my ♂

Wha the!? Who the!?

I never looked under a 145 myself, Matt! Is the 145 rear suspension very similar to
to the 220?

oops, guesit is... Wow.... just back from the GCP parts catalog! Might be surprisingly easy to make the mods. What is the the flange to flange measurements of the axles? I don't have a 145 axle handy to play with. I snagged the B20F and OD from the last one I saw at the local crusher place but didn't think the rear end had any value to me... DAMN!!!

later

mike

Just to clarify, which are we talking about here. I recall that there are relatively minor rear-end differences between the 140 and 240 series, but if such a conversion would work, which would be the better choice? Do both have a better highway-use gear ratio?

There's a 75 245 in an area junkyard that I might be able to axle-raid.
Alternatively, I think my 1st volvo (1972 145) still exists in a junkyard in Columbia, MO. It'd be a real trip to get part of my 1st volvo back... :)

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1967 P220 Amazon, 1972 145S, 1976 245 DL, 1983 245 DL, 1986 745 GLE, 1990 745 GL, 1995 945....
You mean to tell me that Volvo makes cars that are *NOT* Wagons?!?
1971 P1800E... Not a wagon, but it's just a donor car for the Amazon..

So if there is compatability, why don't more people do this?
Could I grab the front rotors and calipers from a 145/245 also?

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1967 P220 Amazon, 1972 145S, 1976 245 DL, 1983 245 DL, 1986 745 GLE, 1990 745 GL, 1995 945....
You mean to tell me that Volvo makes cars that are *NOT* Wagons?!?
1971 P1800E... admittedly not a wagon...

Actually, although the suspension itself more closely resembles the 122 wagon's, the actual mounts on the 140 axle are really scarcely different than the 1800E's. It's just that the Panhard rod is on the wrong side on a 140 axle.

Both axles use a dropped mount for the main arm, with a single hole in it, and an inboard position for the torque arm. The 122 wagon uses a double-bolt on the dropped mount to the main arm, and an outboard location for the torque arm. Although really, it might not make much difference if you just bent the arms inward/outward slightly (they are on bushings) and bolted them up, using just one bolt on the bottom.


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I'm JohnMc, and I approved this message.

Ha!!! Very revealing, John!

It might well be a fairly simple conversion. Depending on the location of brackets and such. I really don't care about the brakes so much, but a taller final drive ratio is intriguing.

Looks like it is CVI that makes the sedan to Kombi axle conversion brackets...about $180.

Later

Mike

I'm not saying the 140 rear would be simple... just that it won't be any harder than using the 1800 rear... I'd still plan to weld attachment points. I havn't looked though... perhaps it would be easier to weld to the car than to the axle.

Either way... it definitely has me thinking again. Especially since I've got another 145 rear in a (could be) parts car that has a new limited slip. Hmmm...

Too many cars. Too many parts. Too little time.

hmmm....

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-Matt I ♥ my ♂

Some pictures from www.gcp.se's online Volvo parts microfiche:

Late 122 sedan rear suspension:


122 Wagon rear suspension:


1800E rear suspension:

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I'm JohnMc, and I approved this message.

Gettign the 1800 axle to bolt up will really be the only problem. And it's a biggie. The axle ratio in the wagons is much shorter just because the wagons were intended as more of a utilitarian vehicle and Volvo figured wagons wouldn't see as much high speed travel as the sedans.

Getting the suspension mounts changed though is not gonna be easy, and you better be damn sure to get it just right. When you do though, you'll be happy with likely better brakes, and more relaxed high speed travel. Especially with the overdrive in place.

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-Matt I ♥ my ♂

The '75 242 I have sitting in my driveway has the same B20/Auto combination and has a 4.10 ration rear end. My 122S has the same so nothing would be gained in terms of highway speed revs. If you're going to the trouble of doing this swap, find a 3.91 or 3.73 and gain some benefit...

I plan to play with this as well but with a 3.73 rear end so when I get it right, the brand new TrueTrac will work. In the meantime the trueTrac will reside in the 4.10...

Seeing as the original 1800 was basically a rebodied Amazon, won't the innards (ie hubs, halfshafts & diff) of the 1800E axle fit into the 220 axle casing???