I am an avid recycler and I would like to identify the persons willing to adopt my take off axles.

Other than 3rd gen. f bodies, are there other platforms able to accommodate the 4th gen. axle assembly w/o major modification?

I understand that the internal components are just as strong as those in the V8 assemblies.
Is it cost prohibitive to install a posi and / or disc brakes to give it new life?

 

when you say axles... what do you mean? the entire rear end? just the axles? the tubes? what?

the V-6 rears often got better gear ratios than the V-8s and it would be a drop in for a 3rd gen only difference is with the 3rd gen tires will stick out a bit more... some like it some dont

where are you located? i would pick it up

 

the f-body axle is unique to the f-body

 

How to turn a drum/open 6-cyl rear into a disc/posi rear, 2 methods:

Method 1:
1. buy V8 rear
2. throw 6-cyl rear in trash

Method 2:
1. buy V8 rear
2. take 6-cyl rear apart
3. take V8 rear apart
4. modify flanges on 6-cyl rear to accept V8 brake parts
5. take all useful parts off V8 rear and bolt to 6-cyl housing (identical in every way to V8 housing, except for the mods in step 4)
6. buy various bearings and other soft parts
7. assemble combination of V8 & 6-cyl parts into modified 6-cyl housing
8. throw 6-cyl brakes & carrier, and V8 housing, in trash


OK: now, please explain what the benefits of steps 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7 in Method 2 are, in comparison to Method 1.

Looks to me like, if you wanted a V8 rear, you should have just bought a V8 rear; that way, you wouldn't have to buy a V8 rear AND a 6-cyl rear, plus soft parts, plus labor.

Especially considering that LS1 cars come with 3.42 gears as THE BAD choice, and 3.73s as the GOOD one. Tell us, what value are you REALLY getting out of that 6-cyl rear, anyway?

 

Other than gear ratios, there is no such thing as a V6/V8 rear in the third and fourth gens. They all use the same 7.5/7.625 ring and pinion 10 bolt diff. In 1990, the 26 spline axles were upgraded to 28 spline. This was in all the f-body cars no matter what engine it has.

As for the entire differential assemble, you could put it into anything you want with some modifications but it will only be a direct fit into a third or fourth gen.

The axle shafts (half shafts) from a fourth gen diff will only fit into another fourth gen diff. Same goes for third gen half shafts.

 

= Drum/Disc, = open/posi

 

Did all V8's come with disk? Did all V8's come with posi? If not then that's not a very good example of V6/V8. Just because it has disk brakes and a posi doesn't mean it becomes a "V8 diff". It would be better to just call it a 4th gen disk brake posi diff.

The strength difference between all the third/fourth gen 10 bolt diffs is the same. It's not like the older cars where a 8.5" 10 bolt was common and the 12 bolt was the performance diff.

 

I have never seen a 6 with posi, all 8s had posi, the TTA of course had posi, but it was not a 4th gen.

 

LS1s did; most LT1s did. I'm not going to talk about "all", since as sure as I do, somebody will pipe up that they saw one once that didn't.

But that's not the question. It doesn't particularly matter whether "all" did or not, he asked basically "is it sensible to take the discs and posi from a V8 disc/posi rear [that being the only place they'd come from in the first place] and put them in a 6-cyl drum/open housing", not "do all V8s have discs and posi", or "is a V8 rear stronger than a 6-cyl rear".

That's what I spoke to, was what he asked about: getting the discs and posi out of a 4th gen V8 rear and putting them into a 4th gen 6-cyl rear.

 

Actually Sofa you misinterpreted my question. No one would consider Method 2 over Method 1.

I asked :

“Is it cost prohibitive to install a posi and / or disc brakes to give it new life?”
I was actually referring to installing a brake conversion kit and / or posi unit from an aftermarket company. Unless someone was lucky enough to a find stock takeoffs removed when someone else upgraded or when someone was parting out their axle assy.

My main question though: Does the 4th gen. V6 axle have any use?

“I would like to identify the persons willing to adopt my take off axles.”

For example:

Your fbody has a high mileage non posi/disc assembly or one with major components going bad. You have been happy with its performance. I think it would make sense to swap in a low mile non posi/disc assembly.

Your fbody has a POSI/DISC assembly with axles and / or gears failing from normal use. You don’t need to upgrade. Would it make sense to purchase a cheap non posi/disc assembly to remove the parts from?

Your fbody has a high mileage or failing non posi/disc assembly and you are ready to upgrade to better than OEM brakes and / or posi. I think it would make sense to start by purchasing a cheaper, low mile, non posi/disc assembly instead of a posi/disc assy. since you will be discarding the posi and / or disc anyway.

Your fbody has a high mileage or failing non posi/disc assembly and you are ready to upgrade to OEM brakes and / or posi. Would it be cost effective to combine a non posi/disc assembly with a take off disc brake assy. and/or posi, instead of purchasing a posi/disc axle assy. especially if you only wanted one of the two features.

Your fbody has a high mileage POSI/DISC assembly with bad axles or gears. and you are ready to upgrade to better than OEM brakes and /or posi. I think it would make sense to start with a cheaper low mile non posi/disc assembly than a posi/disc assy. since you will be discarding the posi and / or disc anyway.



ZONES89RS : A Package w/ disc brakes, posi and dual exhaust outlets was offered on later V6 4th gens.

 

Yes; it is cost prohibitive.

Add up the cost of a set of aftermarket disc brakes, a posi, a set of gears (maybe), and a set of carrier bearings.

Now price out a 98-02 (LS1) one.

I think you'll see pretty quick what the problem with the 6-cyl rear is.

Not a whole lot of the rest of it has any particular value.

None of those other scenarios make much sense. For example, if you had a rear that needed axles, you could buy these for probably about the same or a little less than the cost of a whole 6-cyl rear; and you'd be getting BETTER axles, which are UPSable (unlike a rear...). Unless you got it dirt cheap, and can actually sell the axles to someone and it not be a contribution to charity. And so forth.

About the only value it would have, is to someone who had a 6-cyl 4th gen car with a torn up rear, that they needed to just fix and get rolling again.