Got nice 8.5 Posi -ARGHHHH - my 80 has 8.2 with 2.11 gear

[big gear head]

The second gen Camaro and Firebird rear ends were 61 inches wide over all. The '68 to '72 Chevelle and other also had a 61 inch rear end, but no 8.5. The '71 and '72 Cutlass, Skylark and LeMans had the 8.5 rear end. The Chevy truck got the 8.5 in '82 and still uses it today, but in '90 it was upgraded to 30 spline axles. They are also wider, but only about 2 inches. The X body (Nova, Omega, Ventura and Apolo) got the 8.5 rear end in '72 and it was 60 inches wide, so you could use it after you move the spring perches about 2 3/4 inches farther apart. I can't think of anything else that's close.

 

[sbca96]

A 2.73 axle would work nicely with a TH700R4. Just sayin.

Tom

 

[caribbean camaro]

Thanks BGH for the list - that gives me some options

A 2.73 axle would work nicely with a TH700R4. Just sayin.

Tom

I think it should - I plan to use it for now - already filled her up with oil last night -

just dont want my 8.5 posi 4.10 gears swap meet deal to go to waste

 

[caribbean camaro]

UPDATE - Good news

OK - just to follow up - I got a complete rear with spring leafs attached out of an Oldsmobile Omega - cant say the year

This time I checked for the two flats sticking off the bottom of the center section portion of the housing

First thing that struck me is that it takes a chevy style 5 x 4.75 bolt circle wheel -

could this mean that this is perhaps a donor from another GM platform

My searches of Oldsmobile say they use 5 x 5 bolt circle during the seventies

I will be doing some measurements and will attach a picture in due course and will open it up to see what gears / unit is that

 

[big gear head]

The Omega rear end should be 1 inch narrower than the second gen Camaro and the spring perches should be about 2 3/4 inches closer together. You can make it work, but it will require some cutting and welding, and your wheels will set in 1/2 inch more on each side. The 5 on 4 3/4 inch bolt pattern is correct for the Omega. The Omega rear end is a bolt in for the first gen Camaro, but not the second gen.

 

[caribbean camaro]

The Omega rear end should be 1 inch narrower than the second gen Camaro and the spring perches should be about 2 3/4 inches closer together. You can make it work, but it will require some cutting and welding, and your wheels will set in 1/2 inch more on each side. The 5 on 4 3/4 inch bolt pattern is correct for the Omega. The Omega rear end is a bolt in for the first gen Camaro, but not the second gen.

has anyone just cut off / join / sleeve and re-weld the tubes on the housing themselves - like in the middle

thereby set the length with the original perches in place to your required length -

is it a strength of the housing tubes would be compromised issue ??


something similar to when you are shortening a rear end for a tub