RJ's technique IS the one I suggest now for a couple of reasons. First, he is a great machinist, and can get 2L guts to fit into the 101 diff. The unit works. He can make adjustments to ramp angles and add discs for track use. It uses the entire axle, housing center section, tubes brake backing plates and looks totally OEM.
My Jack Beck unit is wonderful, as the center is a 2L and always was. The catch is that the tubes must be cut and reattached to the flanges of the 2L center PERFECTLY
. Jack does have a jig for this, and my laser alignment shop confirmed his tube attachment is more precise than OEM Alfa
. You still have to strengthen the trailing arm mounts. You can use the larger 2 L axle shafts, and the 2 L center can be set up for street or track.
The disadvantage of the Jack Beck modification, is the slightly non 101 look of the aluminum center only for show. A considerable amount of fabrication is required to use the ball set up on the triangulated link, as well as the handbrake for street use. Jack's price is very fair, but slightly more costly than the Richard Jemison conversion. For street, Richard's axle is a bolt in as it IS factory OEM externally. No fabrication of the triangulated link mount or handbrake assembly. It LOOKS stock externally because it IS. He needn't mess with the tubes other than to reinforce the link mounts and spring perches. OEM brake lines fit as is and new ones do not need to be fabricated.
Now, all this said, The most costly conversion is the use of the GB made LS center in the 101 housing. It IS small, and it fits. It works perfectly. It can be set up for street or track. It is VERY
expensive, and parts are Very expensive
. It is not a common junkyard item like a used 2L LS center. It is available, I believe, from Tony Stevens at AlfaStop.
This conversion requires a large financial investment
.
My original comment here was in 2006. The Jack Beck conversion was the best known on the track, and does work perfectly. Jack has mastered the learning curve for this one. Even two years ago, we had to scrounge a little to find a late 101 axle to cut up.
They are getting more valuable as more cars are restored.
Today, Richard Jemison's conversion does not require cutting up tubes, and he too has mastered the learning curve to get the machine work dead on in fitting the 2L internals to the 101 housing. He has even tried this on a 750 housing and found that is also possible, for street, not track
, use. Not enough material left structurally in the 750 housing once opened up.
Check with both these sources. The difference in the driving characteristics of both the Giulietta, and Giulia make this very worthwhile.
You do need to know, for either conversion, there IS a learning curve. This is a job best left to these to gentlemen that really understand everything that is involved. Even as a machinist, this is NOT a job I would accept to do myself. Both Richard and Jack have done enough of them to know what NOT
to do.
I hope this helps anyone considering building a LS rear axle for the Giulia or Giulietta cars for either street or track.
My learning curve update
Linear Mode
