I am about to remove my cradle for a 3800 sc swap. I noticed mine was rotted really bad under the battery area. I am purchasing a bare cradle with control arms this coming weekend from a forum member .
My question is:
When I move my tranny and spindles from my cradle to the new one, does anything have to be welded or pressed in Like ball joints to attach the spindles to the control arms and do I need to change the tie rod end attachments?
Thank you!
Pics would be very helpful.
Louis

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===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
3800sc series 2 swap in progress
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Peugot 604 Intake manifold
Exhaust headers
Anti-3rd brake light

The knuckles attach to the ball joints with pinch bolts. Pull the bolt and nut off and the knuckle will lift right off of the ball joint stem. I would replace the control arm bushings and ball joints on the new cradle or simply move your control arms over if they are in better shape. Do not loosen or remove the knuckle to strut bolts, just unbolt the struts at the top and drop them with the cradle. You may still need an alignment when all is said and done, but it will be much closer if you leave the struts and knuckles together.

Thank you . I am pulling the struts out with the old cradle. I have new struts and spring to install once i swap the tranny to the new cradle. I have poly control arm bushings to put in the new cradle which has better condition control arms than what I have . Do I have to install ball joints and do the ball joint have to be welded in? There MAY be ball joints on the cradles control arms I buy, if I replace them with new ones do they have to be welded or pressed I to the control arms?

Sorry I wasnt clear

The rear ball joints are bolted in. You will have to grind / drill/ / chisel / dynamite the old rivets out to remove the original ball joint, then the new one just bolts on.

[This message has been edited by tesmith66 (edited 04-17-2015).]

If the control arms on the new cradle have ball joints, can I just attach my spindles to them?

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
3800sc series 2 swap in progress
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Peugot 604 Intake manifold
Exhaust headers
Anti-3rd brake light

Sure can. Now is a good time to replace them, though.