Another 69 Camaro Stock 10 bolt question

[cham]

Any good estimates on what they will withstand power wise. I should be in the 350/400 hp range now with no posi and all is good so far. What I would like to know is if its worth putting a posi into it or am I on borrowed time, better just buy a 12 bolt.

Unlike some people around here I have a tight budget for my car so not only will it take alot of time to save up for the 12 bolt but it will take away from other areas of need. I dont plan to up the HP very soon. Lots of other issues to deal with first. This is a street driven car with rare runs at the strip, no drag slicks. Maybe good hooking tires but I will not be doing high revs and dumping the clutch.

Thanks!
Edit: Ok, I am new at rear ends and trying to learn. So how do I figure out if I have a 8.2 10 bolt or an 8.5? An 8.5 would be sweet and it seems like I could make that into a stout rear end. I have yet to crack the rear cover open to see what I have.

[73z-6sp]

What little I have learned is that the 8.2 is junk. Ditch it for a 8.5 10 bolt or go with the 12 bolt or even a 9 inch but only if you are going to put some power to it, otherwise it is a waste. I fell for the "I have to replace it anyway so why not build a 12 bolt" idea. I have had nothing but a PITA since I decided to go 12 bolt. If I had it to do over, I would have bought that 8.5 10 bolt posi when I had the chance...

Look for a 73-75 Nova/Omega/etc for the 8.5 that will bolt right into your car. (I think those are the years) Good luck!



Unless someone has changed the rear in your car, its gonna be a 8.2 but I dont know how to tell by just looking at it.

[rob07002]

What he said.....

[Mkelcy]

For rear identification see: http://www.novaresource.org/axle.htm

As a risk taker myself, if money is tight why not run it until it goes, and then do whatever you might decide now to replace it?

[MarkM66]

I've seen guys run 10's on the 8.2, with slicks at the track. So I'd bet you'd be fine on street tires at your power level.

Even late model F-body guys can get into the 11's with the even weaker 7.5" 10 bolt.

[Ralph LoGrasso]

IEven late model F-body guys can get into the 11's with the even weaker 7.5" 10 bolt.

While there are 4th gens in the 11s, and I think even one or two in the 10s with the stock 10 bolt, they are few and far between. These rears are very weak in a drag situation, and people have been known to break them with stock HP. Most people breaking them however are M6 cars, the A4s seem to break the trannies first.

[cham]

For rear identification see: http://www.novaresource.org/axle.htm

As a risk taker myself, if money is tight why not run it until it goes, and then do whatever you might decide now to replace it?

Because with the power I have now I have to ease out of the hole (even normal driving) to keep from spinning one tire. So I was wanting to put a posi in it, but it sucks to spend $300 + labor to install a posi for a rear end thats junk.

I think it may hold because it has been doing good so far but I didnt know if I am on borrowed time.

[Joe_Rocket]

I swapped my 8.2 for an 8.5 by following what this article says:

http://chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/48518/

I found the 8.5 10 bolt in a 73 nova at the 3rd wrecking yeard I visited once saturday. I couldn't seem to find a posi assembly in any of the wrecking yards, though. They wanted $150 for the complete assembly, so I stripped the guts and took the bare housing for $50.

To find your own, look at the article and it tells you what year cars to look for. You can spot the right 10 bolt easiest by looking for the squared-off corners just to each side of the bottom 3 bolts of the rear end cover.

I see 10 bolt limited slip units on ebay often enough, so you may get one for under $200, though I see the new Eatons for the 8.5 10 bolt were only $365 (last I checked), so I went with a new one.

In the end, I powder coated the housing for $100, added all new bearings, seals, gears, and got a set of forged axles. So, I ended up with about 1K in it, but you can definately do it cheaper if you stick with stock axles and find a good used posi unit and gears.


The article says:

"The truth is the 8.5-inch 10-bolt is almost as strong as a 12-bolt since its ring-gear diameter is only 0.375 inch smaller than a 12-bolt (8.50 versus 8.375 inches) and the pinion gear shaft is an equal diameter."

And someone here once explained, the cost for the 10 bolt vs 12 bolt internals and buildup are about the same. It's just the housings that are different. And the last I checked, a bare 12 bolt housing ran $800+.

[73z-6sp]

Thanks for that link! I like CHP. They have some good articles on upgrading different items at times.

[cham]

I read that article once before and saved it on my computer. Very good info. Most likely I may go that direction when I do swap the rear end.