I'm looking at doing the full 10 bolt upgrade. Axles, posi, gears, bearings, girdle, etc. etc. MUCH cheaper than 12 bolt or 9" rears, and my planned TPI build shouldn't produce more than low 300 rwhp anyhow (if I'm lucky LOL). I'd actually be fine with my BW 9 bolt, but it's gettin old, and the posi is starting to show some age. With parts being so hard to find, and often used, I just assume swap over to something much easier to work with in the future.

....so....my question. Since I really only need the empty housing itself, is there any difference from one year, or option, to the next? Will ANY 10 bolt rear (from a 7.5/7.625 thirdgen) work?

....and since I've got you reading......will my PBR calipers swap over from my BW 9 bolt?

 

The 3rd gen started out with the 7.5 10 bolt and was upgraded to 7.6 around '86, but the housing wasn't changed. The early rear ends had the odd looking 3 bolt flange for the brakes. The later housings had the standard Chevy 4 bolt flange for the brakes. The 4 bolt flange is what you need for your brakes. In '90 the 7.6 was upgraded from 26 spline axles to 28 spline axles, but the housing wasn't changed. Somewhere along the line ABS and electric speedometers were added and speed sensors were added to the rear end.

 

Yes, but you'll need 10-bolt backing plates (the axle flange bolt patterns between 9- and 10-bolts are different).

JamesC

 

all 10-bolt third gen drum rears are the 3-bolt pattern at the axle flange.
all 10-bolt third gen disc rears are 4-bolt; different than the 9-bolt like James said.

I'd definitely try for 28 spline axles; they're a little bit bigger than the 26 and carrier selection is the same or better (Torsen is made for 28; not 26)

 

Yea, I guess all of the 3rd gen drum brake rear ends had the 3 bolt housing ends. I was thinking of the S10 7.5 rear ends. Somewhere in the early '90s they went to the 4 bolt housing ends with drum brakes.

 

Technically, the housings are all the same as in they'll all swap from one year to another. GM did do some design changes over they years to change the strength but they're still all basically the same.

If you had a diff from an 82 sitting beside one from a 92, you could see the design casting changes they did.

If you find some 28 spline axles from a 90-92 or buy some aftermarket ones, you can put them into an earlier housing providing you also use a 28 spline carrier (posi). Only axles from a 82-92 third gen will fit a 82-92 third gen housing. No other diff uses the same axle length so you can't go find S10 28 spline axles and expect to use them.