D's89IROCZ

I have a chance at getting a 12 bolt houseing ( 78 Chevelle )
I am told it is the same width as what we already have. Also I can get the strange spool with it and axles . All I will need is a gear set ( he has 5.80's he will sell too ) . Also I know a guy that will weld alll the brackets for the suspension ( he does the 9" conversions for F-body's ). What I am wondering is....


for $ 250 CDN am I getting hosed for the 12 bolt rear houseing and the spool ( strange ).

and is it worth my time

Thanx all

Cruzin Kaz

The strange axles and spool alone brand new cost around $2000 Canadian after tax and duty and what not..If it's all good $250 is a steel!

D's89IROCZ

oh ya .... 9it was a 68 chevelle opps

the axles weren't strange ,...... just the spool

thanx

AlkyIROC

If it's really a car diff then it's not a bad price. Truck diffs are not worth using.

However the diff won't work unless you find some way to attach or eliminate the torque arm. It's not the same on a 12 bolt housing as a 9" housing. The 9" housing is easy since the housing is just steel. The 12 bolt housing is cast steel and I wouldn't trust anyones welding to be strong enough to hold all the torque put on the welds. Moving all the spring, shock, LCA, panhard bar mounts over to the new diff is the easy part.

By the time you're done converting everything over to make it work in a third gen it would be cheaper to just buy a complete aftermarket bolt-in diff.

Spools are cheap even in Canadian funds. It's the posi's that are expensive.

Strange axles are around $800-$1000 Canadian for a set.

383backinblack

yikes.....we can get good strange axles down here for about half that stephen. canada is scary

D's89IROCZ

hmmmmm . There is a guy at Lowdown hotrods who says he will convert everything and in stall it for about 450.00. I don't mind that . But ...... isn't the spool all I need ( ie posi ) . I might need the C clip eliminator kit ..... a rebuild kit ( ie bearings and seals , etc ) then finally gears ( he has some crazy 5.8x or something close) I would have to find some I think


all and all with those figures .......
450 install
250 for rear and spool
??? gears
??? rebuild kit
.............. I can say ( over shooting ) maybe 1100 totall ??

you really think I should just buy something aftermarket ...and complete ?

AlkyIROC

A spool isn't a posi. A posi is still a differential but allows the wheels to turn at different speeds when going around a corner. A spool locks both axles together so they always turn the same speed. When going around a corner the outside wheel will try to turn faster. Since it can't, the tire will slip across the pavement trying to catch up.

You don't "need" a c-clip eliminator until you run 10.99 or quicker in the 1/4 mile. At that point you also need aftermarket axles.

D's89IROCZ

Thanks alot man ......
i know this is silly asking ...what would you do but ....should I just not get this. i thought I was getting some kind of deal with this
.... guess not

Randy82WS7

there was no 12 bolt in 78 unless it was made to fit in a 78 chevelle, no 12 bolt car after 72

if its really a 12 bolt round cover axle then hell yes get, even if not a posi, the posi wil be good eaton posi or aftermarket good unit

you wont want to run a spool on the street, you risk breaking a shaft and ruining tires in very short order and also losing control of the car on turns

AlkyIROC

If it was me? I'd get it if I could use it or needed it but from the sounds of it I wouldn't consider buying the diff if I wanted one for my third gen. A deal isn't a deal if it cost more to convert something you can't use or are willing to modify something to fit.

It's being sold as a diff for a Chevelle. Someone who owns a Chevelle should be considering buying it. At least they'll know better if it will work in their car. You might as well be asking if a 9" for $100 is a good deal. It's not going to be a direct bolt-in so you're not really getting a good deal since you have no idea what the final cost is going to be once the part is on the car.

Buying a diff like that means you need to do a lot of research to know what to look for first. There are so many things different that you should be aware of what your getting into before you start. Simple things like the width. Will it fit under the car? If the diff fits under the car, where is the pinion located. Little things like that if not properly checked can make what seems like a simple swap turn into an expensive part in the garage that can't be used.

I had someone wanting to buy my 87 9 bolt. He wanted to put it under a 67 Cougar and had no idea what it would take to do the swap. I would have sold it to him anyway but he finally went away because I wouldn't tell him how to do a diff swap. There's only so much you can explain without actually doing it.

D's89IROCZ

Thanxforthe guidance .... I just get so excited about makeing this thing .... unbreakable ( for my power levels )



Hay fast 68 ....scroll up I corected myself .... it was out of a 68



thanx again

Randy82WS7

if its a 68 and 12 bolt cover and round shaped cover then DO get it, unless is overpriced, remember youre gonna have to swap the spool out of it unles you plan on only straight trackin the car

good luck