jetstar88mike

Hi guys

I just picked up my 64 jetstar it has the 330 in it and all my front control arm bushing are shot . the uppers were easy enough to find on rock auto . the lowers I could only find on summit and they were poly bushings from energy . I figured no biggie just wont need to replace them again in the foreseeable future. waited for the because they were on back order ... THEY DONT FIT! they kit came with two different sized shells and bushings and neither fit the control arm opening that are both the same size .

does anyone have any idea where or a P/N for lower bushing rubber or poly . I really don't care . right now my car is torn down and cant go back together with out these bushings .

thanks for any help you can give

joe_padavano

Kanter, P/N 03057H BU 12217

Note that the control arm bushings on a 1964 J88 are the same as on every 1961-64 Olds full size. The tipoff at Summit should have been that when you go to the pulldown menu to select the model, the only options listed are for A-body cars (Cutlass, 442, Vista) and the J88. No other full size cars are listed, yet if the bushings fit a J88, they also fit all 1964 88s and 98s. Since the J88 suspension is completely different from the A-body, common sense says that this online catalog is incorrect.

What a shock.

jetstar88mike

Thank for the PN - Not knowing much about the interchange or specifics for the jetstar was my downfall . I have had the car for about a month . I had some vague info that it was a b-body on an a-body frame .. or something like that but that was about it . So I had to rely on the the part listings for the car I entered.

is there any good info as to what the interchanges are ?

joe_padavano

That's unfortunately a common misconception. Given that the wheelbase and width are different, Olds couldn't exactly put a B-body shell on an A-body frame.

The J88 is a B-body, just the same as a Super 88 or Jetstar I. The frame and suspension are exactly the same as those on all other B-body cars of that year (with the sole exception that the J88 frame has different mounting provisions for the 330/Jetaway instead of the 394/Slim Jim). The J88 used the A-body brakes (front and rear) and a version of the A-body axle.

The front spindles are unique to the 1964 J88 because they are the same as the B-body spindles except that they have the mounting provisions for the smaller A-body brakes and front wheel bearings. The front brake backing plates are also unique to the J88. The rear axle housing is unique to the 64 J88 because it is a different width than the A-body housings with different control arm and spring mounting points.

The ONLY parts on a J88 that are common to the A-body (other than the engine and trans) are the front brake drums/shoes/hardware, the rear brake drums/shoes/hardware/backing plates, the differential and carrier, the ring and pinion, the front hubs and wheel bearings, and the wheels (due to the 5 x 4.75" bolt circle). Everything else is common with the other B-bodies.

Octania

rear axles are one-year, one-model only
and tend to eat the bearing inner race into the axle.

if you EVER find a parts car, you might consider grabbing a spare axle or two.

I have a parts car but its one good axle went to Europe.

There are a lot of odd things about a '64 J88 so inquire first [here] then go shopping.

jetstar88mike

man I went from fire to frying pan -- I had a 47 pontiac that had similar one year part issues .

ok so is there any direct replacement parts for the front end that make life easier ? like control arms from a 67 delmont or something .

also my driver side lower control arm shaft has one of the bushing bolt seized in place . is there a good place you know of to get a new / new used shaft and/ or bolts ? My fear is that it will snap or something and I will be out of luck , but the bushings are shot .


thank you so much for all the info and help. this will definitely be a a great learning experience . it will either break me or I will love it forever haha .

jetstar88mike

oh and one other thing , as best I can tell a th350 trans is a direct replacement for the st300 , correct ? well other than an adapter plate

joe_padavano

Nope. 61-64 full size Olds (and possibly Buick) interchange, but are all the same. The mounting is different, so nothing newer works.

Kanter should sell the complete shaft and bushing kit.

A BOP short tail TH350 does not require an adapter plate, it bolts right up. The only other changes are the shifter and the need to connect the kickdown cable. Since the TH350 was never used in this body, you'll need an aftermarket cable kit.

jetstar88mike

awesome I will check kanter for that too

I have a chevy bolt pattern th350 from another build so an adapter , kickdown cable and fabbing up some shifter linkage ... not to bad to get a three speed .


are there any other popular updates that can be done to the J88 to make it a better car?

joe_padavano

Sell the Chevy trans and get a BOP trans. The adapter plates have their own issues. The biggest problem is that unless the plate includes the spacer that goes in the crank flange, you'll pull the converter too far out of the pump. Also, Olds converters are different from Chevy and can interfere with the balance weight on the flexplate.

Define what you mean by "better" car. Faster? Stronger? Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound?

You won't find much in (like nothing) the way of aftermarket suspension parts. The Olds 330 uses pretty much the same bolt-on parts as an Olds 350. No one makes headers, so don't even ask.

jetstar88mike

I got an adapter kit that included spacer so I think its ok


better meaning updating things to function better . I have no illusions about the 330 engine so im not expecting it to be a speed demon or anything .

like the th350 swap

I am swapping to a dual bowl master to eliminate the window maker factor of a single bowl master.

kanter sadly doesnt have the the lower control arm shaft .

joe_padavano

That's still not an answer. To some people, "better" would mean "better gas mileage", or "better cornering", or "better looking".

They show it as part of their total kit in their paper catalog. Interestingly, they no longer show this kit online for the 1961-64 cars. Try calling them.

jetstar88mike

lets go wih better handing and braking --

is there a spindle swap for front disc ?

joe_padavano

From above:

So again, the front suspension design is unique to the 1961-64 full size cars and the spindles are unique to the 64 J88. Nothing else fits.

The good news is that since the front hubs are the same as those on a Cutlass, the A-body rotors bolt right up. You'll need to modify the A-body caliper brackets, however, since the steering arm bolt locations are different. Scarebird apparently sells a caliper bracket kit, but I have no experience with it. Of course, your stock rims are not disk brake rims and won't clear.

jetstar88mike

excellent info thank you

jetstar88mike

I have come across a 64 starfire being parted out locally - I wanted to verify that the front control arms will work on my 64 J88 but the spindles and backing plates will not , correct ?

are there any other parts I should try and scavenge from this starfire for hoarding purposes ?

Octania

the posi? The entire rear end asm should swap in... oh damn it would have larger bolt pattern for wheels?

joe_padavano

Scroll up and read Post #4 above.

Here, I'll save you the trouble:


Well, I think that's been covered here at least twice, PLUS I just typed a detailed response to the other thread where you asked the exact same question.

Summerof84

There is a 64 J88 on CL right now in need of a frame. I have a 62 Super 88 frame and was curious if there are differences between 62 and 64 outside of the engine mount tabs. They say 73-77 Cutlasses are all the same generation, but the 73 frame is quite a bit different....
How about windshields? Does it go 61-62 the same and 63-64 the same?
I would think the power steering pump/bracket on the J88 would be a one off orphan like the rear end too?
Time to tax Joe's brain again!

Summerof84

Oh oh, if even Joe P's vast encyclopedia of knowledge doesn't include the 61-64 88 frame, then I will stay far away from it. The guy wants stupid money for it anyway, he would have to come down 1/2 for me to even consider it.

joe_padavano

Unfortunately, my personal experience with full size cars only goes back to 1964, which is why I didn't comment. The picture of the 1961-62 frame in the CSM LOOKS like the 64 frame, but I have no proof that they are interchangeable.

Octania

I find it a bit difficult to believe that we have reached any sort of boundary to JP's Olds expertise.

Charlie Jones

The 1963 Olds parts book shows 15 different frames for full size cars from 1961 thru 1963.
88's and 98's are different. (wheelbase) station wagons and convertibles are also by themselves.
The frames do look similar but there must have been enough differences from year to year that Oldsmobile felt that they had to offer different part numbers for each year.

Summerof84

Thanks everyone. It would be nice to save a J88, but I am thinking the frame differences would be in bumper mounting.