Guy says he has a rear from a 2000 z28 and it is a 273 ratio 3 channel rear end. Does this make sense to anyone? Thought z's would have a limited slip with a lower ratio?

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/faq-...-gen-rear.html

This should be able to answer all your questions. Just curious, but how much is he asking for it?

 

asking 100 bucks. This has got to be a good buy! If i read your posts correctly, it would have came from an auto tranny because of the 273's. Looking for something a bit stronger to go under an 88 firebird. It has a 305 for now. Am building up a 350-010 block for next summer to do some racing at a local track. I know the ratio is not what I need, but it should be a lot stronger, correct?

 

No... not really. Maybe a couple of percent but that's it.

They're the same model of rear; the 7½" 10-bolt. The only differences are, it has a different carrier (Zexel instead of Auburn); 28-spline side gears and axles like the 90-92 3rd gens, instead of the older 26-spline; the axles are about 1¾" longer on each side; and it has better brakes.

$100 is too much for a rear with that useless gear. If I was you, I'd keep my money in my pocket until a 3.23 or 3.42 one comes along. It'll cost you WAY more than the difference in what you'll have to pay, to turn that one into something you can actually use.

 

I would be all over that for $100, when I was looking for a LS1 rear every junkyard here wanted $650+ for 2.73 rear . I ended up buying mine off ebay for $485 shipped with 3.23. They're not unbreakable, but they are plenty strong enough for the power I am putting down.

 

Around here they're $300. Whatever they've got. They don't care what gear or anything. You just gotta hang around and wait for somebody to wreck a car with the one you want. Needless to say, it's not like junkyards can "order" these things or something, like some people seem to think ("where can I get a xxx", well out of a WRECKED CAR of course; do you or I know when and where the next one of those is going to appear? I don't think so)

You can't buy a core and build a rear end, with a gear change, for $300; especially not when there's a series change involved.

I'd leave it in the mud, myself.

 

The brake upgrade on that rear end, compared to the 88 and prior, is worth the $100. You don't have to change the carrier if money is an issue, you can always buy a thick gear from moser engineering for around $180. If you can install the gears your self you can have whatever ratio you want and a quality rearend for under $300, not to mention that 10 bolts have a massive aftermarket and are so common you can find anything for them relatively cheap, compared to when I had a 9 bolt and everything was used and took quite a bit of searching to find what you are looking for.

 

$100 core
$200 gears
$100 kit
$25 fluid
$???? tools
$???? time
$???? risk of failure

Do the math.

I think you'll find that you could get that grocery-cart geared core FOR FREE, and it's still not economically competitive with paying more to get the right thing in the first place.

 

Well I don't know what kind of gears he is planning to use, if he is looking to go with 3.23 or 3.42 then yes I agree with you that it would be better to get a rear end with that set up since they are plentiful. But if he is planning to use a lower gear he is going to need all those things in your price list.