Rearend help?

Discussion in 'Race 400/430/455' started by Chris Cornett, Nov 3, 2005.

  1. Chris Cornett

    Chris Cornett Well-Known Member

    Hey guys it is time to put the rear together for the race car and I need some help. What are you guys running in your 10 second street cars. I have a 12 bolt just wondering what needs to go in it.
     
  2. nitrousfish

    nitrousfish Dave Fisher

    12 bolt

    i have a chevelle 12 bolt in mine. i used moser c clip eliminators,moser spool,moser 31 spline axles,and richmond gears. the c clip eliminators are a little difficult,you have to trim off some axle tube that sticks out on the end to install them and use the red rtv they send in the kit,it seals killer,and if you have to redo it, the toyota transfer case,gearbox rtv works. i dont have a ta cover or bearing girdle. its help up for several years now,ive broken a ring gear and thats it...i still havent put a pro gear in it. new gears are working fine. i still use the factory boxed control arms top and bottom,stock springs and right side airbag..fish
     
  3. Chris Cornett

    Chris Cornett Well-Known Member

    This car will see the street as well so a spool is not an option. I am just not sure if I should go with an Eaton carrier or the Detroit locker. C clip eliminators and good axles are also on the list.
     
  4. GS Kubisch

    GS Kubisch THE "CUT-UP" BUICK

    I've driven a spool on the street plenty......That would be my suggestion.

    Why would you dismiss that option?
     
  5. rh455

    rh455 Well-Known Member

    I'm torn on axle selection also. I've got an 8.5 in the car now and considered a 12 bolt. I've heard from several sources that the 8.5 is just as strong as the 12 bolt if built properly. I was leaning to the Eaton posi, even considered ordering a new unit and having the 800# preload kit added. I have a 9" Versailles rear end with disc brakes but it's 58.5" wide rotor surface to rotor surface and the 8.5 is 61". I was leary of a spool on the street too. A local friend tried one and it ate up the tires. Doesn't it put a lot of stress on the axles when used on the street? I'll be doing something one way or another real soon. My concern with the 9" is how to properly set up the brackets to make sure the geometry is correct. Welding is not a problem but I don't know how to set the brackets w/o guessing.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. rh455

    rh455 Well-Known Member

    This is what's in the car now.
     

    Attached Files:

  7. GS Kubisch

    GS Kubisch THE "CUT-UP" BUICK

    Reynold
    I like the 8.5's.......Seen plenty in 8 second cars,Just treat it as 12 bolt when you prepare it IE:weld tubes to center section,good caps,etc.
     
  8. rh455

    rh455 Well-Known Member

    I have a friend that has a rack of 12 bolts(over a dozen) one with Strange axles, posi and Strange gears. I'd buy that from him but his home, warehouse and shop were all in a severely affected area of New Orleans. He had a warehouse FULL of '68-'69 Chevelle SS NOS parts. He had a large stack of SS hoods too. I can't find him to get a 12 bolt from him. So, the backup plan is the 10 bolt with Moser axle converted to 30 spline, Eaton HD 30 spline posi(unless Gary talks me into a spool :puzzled: ) billet caps, TA cover, adjustable upper arms, greasable solid lowers, Strange 3.73's.........did I leave anything out?
     
  9. Todd69GS

    Todd69GS Silver Level contributor


    I always read/hear that you should not run a spool on the street. That you will chew up your axles. Even Strange/Moser etc. say on their spools "Do not use on the street".

    Gary you know a heck of a lot more than I do on the subject. Obviously they are much better on the track but what about for a car that will see a decent amount of street time as well? Is there any concern to running a spool on the street if you have all heavy duty parts in the rear end?
     
  10. gymracer01

    gymracer01 Well-Known Member

    Rear!

    The 8.5 would no doubt work. I use 12 bolts as I had several and like them. I'm not a fan of c-clip eliminators. For me the better idea is to buy the Ford axle ends and order your axles with the Ford bearings. I have Moser and after several sets of c-clips that always leak after awhile I like the Ford deal better and I believe it is cheaper. I have never ran a spool on the street, but don't think you would want to be out in the wet with one much. For me, its how they make the front end push unless you beak the rear tires loose to turn.

    Jim N.
     
  11. nitrousfish

    nitrousfish Dave Fisher

    here's some more about my junk (spool on the street)

    I drove on the street for years with a spool in my car..sometimes on slicks. when i first started to race my 72 i got a rear from a 70 judge (8.2 rear) that was being parted and put a spool in it,3.90 gears and stock axles. I ran it that way for a few years on a few different tires...M&H G60x15,MT 28x10.5,28x13.5 et street,and 30x12.5 et st. the only reason i had to change was the driveshaft disintegrated at the 1000ft mark and the pinion sheared in half sending the fat part thru the bottom of the case. went 10.88 coasting thru. only thing that sucks about a spool is if you have to push it,it makes it hard to make turns...fish
     
  12. alec296

    alec296 i need another buick

    grand nat guys are running 9s on an 8.5 rear not sure if spools or not
    i have a spool in my gn rear with a 455 has axle tubes welded and
    has "big bearing axles" and girdle. but driving on street feels wierd
    like driving a bus and the rear is another 30 feet behind me
    i wouldnt try going around a tight curve fast
    havent gone far though,local stuff no farther that 2 miles.
    might be different on other cars but this is what mine does.
    my thought if you use on street alot go with eaton.
    i had an auburn and the cones wore alittle fast to me.
    andy
     
  13. Chris Cornett

    Chris Cornett Well-Known Member

    This car will not see a bunch of street time maybe a weekly cruise or so. I had always thought that it would be really hard on axles. As far as the c clips go Jim that seems to be an increasingly popular idea.
     
  14. Chris Cornett

    Chris Cornett Well-Known Member

    I have checked with Reider racing here locally and the welding the Ford ends seems to be the ticket soI think I am going that route. My question is will the factory drum brakes still fit properly?
     
  15. GS Kubisch

    GS Kubisch THE "CUT-UP" BUICK

    Chris
    I got ends from Moser that take the Ford bearing but still have the same flange as the GM rear.
    So yes,You can still use your brakes with these particular pieces.
     
  16. oPh

    oPh Well-Known Member

    Moser sells a variety of weld-on ends. For street-strip use, ck out the tapered bearing end for GM bolt pattern backing plates.

    "FORD" hsg ends is a misnomer. True Ford ends are not the hot ticket, due to having to run ball bearing sealed axle bearings, & usually being forced to run Ford backing plates. Sealed ball bearing axle bearings are old technology, really bad with sideloading of wide tires on the street. One hardly ever runs across a bad tapered axle bearing. With seal ball bearing axle bearings, it's an every day occurence.

    With the weld-on ends going on a G-body 8.5 rear, one should take into consideration all G-body rears had 2 5/8" diam axle tubes, while earlier rears had 3" axle tubes. There will be a pronounced step after the ends are jig welded.
    :3gears:
    Roger
     
  17. Chris Cornett

    Chris Cornett Well-Known Member

    Thanks Gary, thatis what I was hoping for. Roger the housing is a 12 bolt chevythat came from the factory in my Canadian built GS.
     
  18. xxtremeGS

    xxtremeGS Mike Barbarino

    Hey Chris,

    I'm going to be running the Powertrax no-slip traction system by Richmond. It uses you open carrier and gives you a spool setup that rachets when you make turns like a limited slip setup. Definitly use the c-clip eliminators and the get rid of the stock axles. Also if you're using the a GM rear end housing make sure you pin or weld up the axle tubes the carrier housing. Good luck and ask any question along the way that you may have, that's what we are here for :TU:
     
  19. Chris Cornett

    Chris Cornett Well-Known Member

    I have talked to the guys at Moser and here is what I am going to do. After I bead blast the housing I am going to have a set of ford style bolt in axle ends with the GM backing plate bolt pattern welded on. I am going to run a 33 spline spool and a set of custom alloy axles. Now I just need to decide to go 3.73 or 4.10?
     
  20. gymracer01

    gymracer01 Well-Known Member

    Gears

    I would consider going with the 3.73 if you are running any on the street at highway speeds. You would need to consider the diameter of the itres you will be running. With my 67 I run 4.11 gears and a 31" tire that goes through at 6350. If you are running 28" or less tire diameter I would go with the 3.73 or possible 3.90's. I tired back to back M/T Street Radials that were about 29" and the 31" M/T 10.5 W's. The 1/4 mile ET's were about the same, but the car was quicker in the 1/8th mile with the Radials but more mph with the 31" tires. This was this fall with a stock Stage 1 engine running 11.10's not my 10.30 race motor. This motor didn't want to run past 6000 in the traps.
    Jim N.
     

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