8.5 rear swap

[mrapii]

OK, I think you are talking about PowerTrax which is a "locker" that installs in an open carrier and was developed for use in off-road vehicles. On the street a clutch or cone style limited slip differential is preferable.

 

[steve 86]

yes exactly, however i disagree with it not beeing streetable, ive used one on my daily driver now for 4 yrs. with absolutly no problem.........yes you are right about a clutch or cone style carrier beeing more friendly for use but they cost alot more and then you have to pull the carrier out of the rear, unbolt the ring gear, and then set the whole rear up again, whereas a locker is as easy to install as just changing spider gears. you dont have to disturb the carrier at all...............im just saying its a cheap and very effective way to get posi,and patheticly(i hope i spelled that right ) easy to install. my 12 yr. old daughter installed the one i put in my cutlass last week.............with my supervision of course. as far as reliability, i have many friends using them in their cars....all built big blocks, all over 500 horse, and all have had them longer than me. I just believe that they are truly a great product and apparently somewhat of a secret for street use




Once again, this is only my opinion. Im not disputing the correctness (if thats a word) of your post on cones and clutch carriers

 

[mrapii]

I don't have any experience with the PowerTrax on the street but I have heard good things about them on off-road vehicles. I have had some experience with Detroit Lockers which are ratcheting type limited slip differentials. On the street Detroit Lockers are quite noisy and they are either "all-on" or "all-off" because there are no friction surfaces. On a car that you want to perform well in cornering they are not the way to go as they can upset the handling. I thought that the PowerTrax might have the same restrictions as the operation is similar.

 

[Chevyman85]

will a rear end out of a 3rd gen f-body camaro bolt up without a problem? or will i need to change or modify anything?

Correct me if I'm wrong but arnt most F-Body Camaros running 7.5in. 10 Bolts? What would be the purpose of swapping them out? Just wondering Besides they use a completly different rear suspension set up

 

[ONE EYE]

yup, and they're also 3 link. lower control arms and torque arm.

 

[Chevyman85]

yup, and they're also 3 link. lower control arms and torque arm.

Exactly! So you'd only be screwing yourself by doing that swap. If your not going to be running a lot of power a built up 7.5 can a fair amount of abuse. As long as you run some type of posi carrier. If you dont have enough power to twist the case and snap spider gears and pop axles they you should be fine.

 

[mrapii]

If you think that your engine can deliver 300hp or more to your rear axle assembly and if you plan on sticky tires and drag race starts don't waste your money on a 7.5", it just won't survive.

 

[biff85ta]

will a rear end out of a 3rd gen f-body camaro bolt up without a problem? or will i need to change or modify anything?

Correct me if I'm wrong but arnt most F-Body Camaros running 7.5in. 10 Bolts? What would be the purpose of swapping them out? Just wondering Besides they use a completly different rear suspension set up

Yes but some have the Borg Warner rear which is plenty strong but a pain to find parts for. If the LCA's are in the right place the torque arm would be that hard to adapt to the g-body but you would need a panhard bar.

 

[ONE EYE]

yes there was a B&W rear in the 87-90 irocs but it was a 7.75" ring gear. wow what an improvement .125"!!!!!
and to top that off you CANNOT find parts for them, unless you have a few as spares, AND theres only THREE ring gears for them 3.27, 3.45, and 3.70.
not too much of a selection is it?
p.s. the 3.70 from GM is $1150.50 canadian (it was last time i checked)

but if you do end up wanting to use one they are easy to spot, theres only 9 ring gear bolts and the housing and cover are shaped differently.

you are better off modifying a caprice or3rd gen chevelle rearend. thats whats in my car all that is needed is to move the shock and spring mounts, and the rear is three inches wider. not optimum but what the hell. beats breaking two 7.5 axles like i did...

 

[KevinB]

Don't forget mid 80's Cutlass 442's also had 8,5" rears with 3.73 gears. I just happened to find one last week at an u-pull it yard for $125 The driveshafts for the 8.5's are a little shorter than the 7.5's. Looks like about an inch or so.