How to identify a 8.5" 10 bolt...

[Goatman]

Its been a long, long time since I paid any attention to 10 bolt rears, so forgive the ignorance...


I have a 10 bolt out of a 72 lemans. One wheel peel, who knows what gears (and who cares). But, if its a 8.5" rear, I'll probably keep it and build around it. I think the earlier A-bodies used the 8.2, so how can I tell if its a 8.5?

[big gear head]

The 8.2 has a 1 1/8 inch pinion nut and 3/8 ring gear bolts with 9/16 heads. The 8.5 has a 1 1/4 inch pinion nut and 7/16 ring gear bolts with 3/4 heads and left hand threads. The early A body 8.5 rear ends didn't have c clip axles. The axles were retained by pressed on axle bearings and retaining plates.

[Goatman]

That was fast......


So I can just check the pinion nut and leave the stank-ass fluid in the housing for now?

[MonzaRacer]

The 8,2 will have dimples on the rear cover at 3 and 9 too, BUT never count out the 8.2 as I have experience in those as a friend had one in a 64 Tempest that had a 400 Pontiac set on kill with a 4 speed runnng in a 11 1/2 pound class (ie the car had to weigh 11 1/2 pounds per cubic inch to race) the onlytime he ver broke anything was when he used street gears instead of race gears(race gears are softer so they bend before breaking).
Good Luck
Lee

[Goatman]

Thanks, but I don't trust them.

I had a buddy that wa running 11's on a Buick 455 that he pulled out of a junkyard (with a 250 shot of nitrous), but I wouldn't do it. ;)

[dhardison]

http://novaresource.org/axle.htm

[Goatman]

Well, it appears that I have the 8.2"........ That sucks. I'll have to do some more measuring, but its got the small pointed tabs on the bottom of the housing..


That sucks!

[Chad-1stGen]

You did check the link in the post above yours right? Not sure what you mean by saying "two small pointed tabs on the bottom" because that sounds like an 8.5" to me or the 7.?" but not the 8.2"

[Goatman]

Yeah, 8.2, 7.XXX. all the same as far as I'm concerned. Both junk. But it is a 7.xxx rear from the looks of it.