[racinea64]

hey guys wats up. so in my quest to find a posi for a good prise i'v had minimal sucess untill yesterday!!!! i desided to check out this new salvage yard around my home town. i was there for around 4 hrs spinning one weal after another lookin for the other one to spin the same way. well i came across this chevy 1500 4.3 vortec which makes me think it's between a 96 to 99 chevy P.U. well i spun the trie and clunk the locker kicked in. the only thing is it's a leaf spring truck and my elcy is a 4 link with the uppers on the diff housing as you all probly know already.

what i'm wondering if anyone knows is the dif fhousing (not the axle tubes) cast iron and can i weld the upper control arm mounts to it. if not how can i mount the upper control arms.

i'm also wondering if it's an 8.5 in ring gear or if it's someting else from what i can find the 10 bolts from those trucks are all 8.5 in ring gears but i dont know if they are 28 spline axles or 30 spline axles.

P.S I already know this rear end is too wide to fit under my 5th gen. i've shortened axles before. my brothers a mchinest and can help me make the lineup tool.

 

[BOOSTED-SS-ELKY]

Yes, you could weld ears onto the top of the carrier housing and axle tubes and mount it under your Elco. The rear end most likely has an 8.5" ring gear and 30 spline axles.

 

[racinea64]

:You_Rock:but brings up another question where can i ges 30 spline axles that are 28.5 in wide

 

[DOUG213XRJ]

Its going to be hard to find someone to weld to cast iron and make it hold.
Ive just found out that the 73-77 Abody 8.5 is a bolt in to the 78-88 Gbody. The upper control arm needs to be drilled, The drive shaft needs to be shorted one inch. Its about one to one ans a half inches wide on both sides.
You can buy off set rims or have the axles and tubes shorted.

Doug

 

[leogexx]

Here is a very helpful link when altering rear ends , this has the widths of various rear ends .
http://www.carnut.com/specs/rear.html

There is a company that makes different control arms to fit an a-body rear end into a g-body

 

[BOOSTED-SS-ELKY]

28.5" Length?

Mine are like 30.5"

You may need to have a set of axles made.

 

[racinea64]

Found out the grand national came with 30 spline axles moser makes replacement that are the right length

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using AutoGuide.Com Free App

 

[racinea64]

so what if i moved the upper control arm mounts to the axle tubes would that eliminate the consirn of having to mount them to a cast iron housing.

 

[DOUG213XRJ]

so what if i moved the upper control arm mounts to the axle tubes would that eliminate the consirn of having to mount them to a cast iron housing.

If the upper control arm brackets are moved to the axle tubes the control arms on the car will not line up.


Doug

 

[BOOSTED-SS-ELKY]

so what if i moved the upper control arm mounts to the axle tubes would that eliminate the consirn of having to mount them to a cast iron housing.

I think at this point you're doing way too many modifications to install a 10 bolt rear end in your Elco.

Welding on ears, shortening axle tubes, custom axles and relocating the upper control arms.

I don't think it's worth it, IMO.

Mario

 

[Zerberfert]

I don't think it's worth it, IMO.

x2

 

[MikesElco94]

How much power do you plan on pushing? If it's never gonna see the strip, and won't be north of 400hp, you could grab a drum to drum drop in posi rear from a monte ss for 200-300 bucks. You could always go bigger and better with a rear from a GN or olds 442, with bigger and stronger comes more money, 600-1000 bucks for one. Mario is right, a lot of work for a 10 bolt. If you're going to put that much time, energy, and money into a rear, you could put that into building a 12 bolt, or having a 9 inch built. Just my 2 cents.

 

[racinea64]

well it's not that i wouldnt if i could but trying to find a 12 bolt in my area is just south of impossable. there is 3 salvage yards near me and they all cleaned up there yards over the summer and they only kept anyhting if it was newer then 95. plus the only rear ends i found are not posi and too wide anyway so i figured if i could pick up an 8.5 in that has a posi already in it for about 130 i could make it work.