8.5" in '84 Cutlass Supreme?

[JBreu]

I will put my two cents in here............last year or so Super Chevy did a article where they compared the Forf 9", Dana and 12 Bolt rears........and guess what.....They were all pretty much the same...The 9" weighes a lil less.....That being said, I will put my 12 bolt up against any 9", currie included and be fine.....I say keep your GM car all GM... :!: Only saying 8)

 

[stomis]

If you do the math it's cheaper to buy a Ford 9" for a G-body than it is to find an 8.5" and have to rebuild it.
Most people just slap in the 8.5" not caring that most likely it has close or over 100k miles on it and that posi is NOT gonna hold up under any race conditions. In the long run that 8.5" with all those miles is no better than having a nicely rebuilt 7.5"
Think about it, most don't and just slap in the rear after whoring a good numbers matching low production rarity.

Ford 9" for those who are serious, GM 8.5" without a rebuild if you just want 'braging rights'... because that's all it's good for until your first bracket race... I just spoke with a racer yesterday about this and he was bent out of shape over how people charge high dollars for something that is no better than putting the money into something that will actually hold up like a 9".

Debates like these always makes me smile 😀 This conversation is all point of view, sure it might be cheaper to go with a new 9" that's set up for g-body (you must be making new comparisons because your not going to rip any rear from a stock ford that will fit in a gbody), because if your talking used parts to used parts and the guy cannot rebuild his own rear end 7.5" or 8.5" then most likely he may not have the "know how" to modify his used 9" so he still has to pay someone to do it for him, so it makes it kind of moot point. If we are talking all about price point (cheaper this, cheaper that) the cheapest way is to learn how to do it your self. When I swapped in my 8.5 gn rear I got for $300, all it cost me to rebuild was the cost of the bearing and seals and gear oil.

But to each his own! 😀
wade

I could have a junkyard 9" bolted into a gbody in a full day....

DOM tube sleeves welded to the top of the housing for the uppers and cut the lower brackets off a garbage 7.5 and weld them on.... 9in are great for custom fab because theres no cast pumpkin to be scared of welding to.

 

[JBreu]

If you do the math it's cheaper to buy a Ford 9" for a G-body than it is to find an 8.5" and have to rebuild it.
Most people just slap in the 8.5" not caring that most likely it has close or over 100k miles on it and that posi is NOT gonna hold up under any race conditions. In the long run that 8.5" with all those miles is no better than having a nicely rebuilt 7.5"
Think about it, most don't and just slap in the rear after whoring a good numbers matching low production rarity.

Ford 9" for those who are serious, GM 8.5" without a rebuild if you just want 'braging rights'... because that's all it's good for until your first bracket race... I just spoke with a racer yesterday about this and he was bent out of shape over how people charge high dollars for something that is no better than putting the money into something that will actually hold up like a 9".

Debates like these always makes me smile 😀 This conversation is all point of view, sure it might be cheaper to go with a new 9" that's set up for g-body (you must be making new comparisons because your not going to rip any rear from a stock ford that will fit in a gbody), because if your talking used parts to used parts and the guy cannot rebuild his own rear end 7.5" or 8.5" then most likely he may not have the "know how" to modify his used 9" so he still has to pay someone to do it for him, so it makes it kind of moot point. If we are talking all about price point (cheaper this, cheaper that) the cheapest way is to learn how to do it your self. When I swapped in my 8.5 gn rear I got for $300, all it cost me to rebuild was the cost of the bearing and seals and gear oil.

But to each his own! 😀
wade

I could have a junkyard 9" bolted into a gbody in a full day....

DOM tube sleeves welded to the top of the housing for the uppers and cut the lower brackets off a garbage 7.5 and weld them on.... 9in are great for custom fab because theres no cast pumpkin to be scared of welding to.

What's your point? That's you.....Not all have the facilities or abilities to do this......I knew this thread was getting off track.....

 

[joelbert62]

I agree with Stones on this one here..........Think about ot for a second. The only G Body cars that the General put the 8.5 rear ends in were the high performance muscle cars.....YOu know the HUrst Olds, Grand National, T-Type and the 442....That being said, lets look at the rest of our G-Body cars......They were turtles from the factory and the 7.5 rears were adequate....Apparently the General forgot that these cars would be modified through the years....I think they shoulda put the 8.5 rears in all our G-Body cars in the first place. Anyways, when I decided to build my Monte up the first thing I did was replace the stock 7.5 rear with a '69 Chevelle 12 bolt 8)

That's a cool Idea. I always thought the older Chevelles were wider than a G-body.

The 78-88 G Body rears housings measures 52.125"
The 64-65 Chevelle 54.250"
The 68-72 Chevelle 55.250"
For the three inches that my rear is , isn't that much of an issue to even worry about. Some people have "hidden" the extra width with backspacing on their wheels......

I thought a A body-chevelle had a different top control arm mount? I do have a few 8.2 housings. looking for a 8.5 chevelle housing for my 71 chevelle

 

[TexasT]

I do have a few 8.2 housings. looking for a 8.5 chevelle housing for my 71 chevelle

I believe you'll be looking long and hard as the 68-72 A body chevelles were all 8.2. Hit some 71-72 Skylarks and Cutlass s those are the good 8.5 ten bolts with the bolt in axles. Check out the link

8.5 Info