I have the opportunity to purchase a 8.5 10 bolt(3.08 gears) out of a 75 malibu to replace the 8.2(2.73 gears) in my 1970 skylark. The backing plate to backing plate distance seems to be the same(55.5") Is there any reason this rear end would not work in my car? Thanks Jon
That is not the rear that you want. You need something from a 71-72 Skylark/GS or Cutlass/442. the mounting points on the 73-77 are different,the shock mounts are completely different,and since it is from a Malibu,it is a c-clip rear. Not worth chasing,in my opinion.
Just curious, what do people do with the old '70 rears that they are swapping out? Everyone must have more storage space than I've got.
Thanks for the informed replys. I knew it was too good to be true. I've been looking for years for a decent 8.5 but they are quite scarce in this area( New Brunswick, Canada) Oh well, the search continues.
If you buy an Olds rear, be sure it is not a type "O" rear. They are hard to find parts for. If it already has a gear and posi you can use, then mabe.
The 12-bolt O-axle was made from late-67 to 1970. Evrything,including early 71 cars,built in late 70,came with the 8.5" 10-bolt.
Thoughts about spending money on Muscle car rears I think more of you guys are over worrying about which rear to build than who is actually building the rear which will make things hold up and last longer. On the streeet ALL these rears will performance flawless. Only the hard core weekend 500-600Ft Lbs. monster with stick shift / high stall converter and slicks will have to worry. STILL all those rears are LIMITED by the spider gears.... so flip a coin at the track... unless you have a FULL SPOOL. All the rears 8.2, 12 bolt olds, 8.5 corp, 12 bolt Chevy WILL ALL do the job just fine. It is AGE that is catching up with the rears. DO not just install a used rear against a NEW motor and trans.... Your asking for trouble. Some rears are a little more to build than others but basically all rears will be in the 1000.00 range to build properly. Sometimes a good rear under a working car is the best choice to start with as you already know it is straight and true ... Some of these great junk yard deals turn out to be garbage as they were left there for a reason, tossed around the yard and tweaked etc. BE careful 200.00 one way or another will really not make a difference in the long run if that amount is pinching the wallet you probably should not be playing with muscle cars... Sorry... Jim
