ok well the car im talking about is my 86 transam with a 305 4bbl. My question/problem/concern is that this is a trans am and it doenst even have posi?!?! is that weird? or is it just me who sees a problem with this. i dont get it, its the preformence firebird model and its a one wheel wonder, is it just "broken" or what. i kno jack about rear ends, i just know that i want both my tires movin together when im gettin on it thanks joe

 

maybe it is posi and it's broke, you ought to take a look insdie and see. even if posi was standard "delete" would still be an option for anyone ordering the car new so yes your car could of came with posi and easily as without.

 

if it was a delete would it show on the rpo sheet?
thanks joe

 

If you have the RPO codes for the car, just check for G80 the Limited Slip RPO.

 

ok well aperently its the 6cyl bird that has the sheet in it still. Could some one give me a link or tell me what to look for if i take the cover off and stuff like that? or just a link that could teach me a little more about rear ends? thanks you guys are great

 

If you have the Rpo Codes check for the above number. And for others check the Home page of this site for the RPO decoder.

 

The gear ratio is stamped on the edge of the ring gear. So for instance, if it says 41:11, that's 3.73 since 41/11=3.7272727272....

Lots of TAs and Z28s came without posi, even some of the best ones. My 83 HO Z28 came with a 3.73 non-posi, that being the standard rear for it; posi was an option that could be ordered, but usually wasn't.

Here's what a stock posi unit looks like. Note the springs and plates inside it. If yours doesn't have that, if all you see in there is 4 gears and a shaft, then it isn't a posi.

 

the older posi units had what some call "gov lock" it was a very weak one but, locked solid when you got on it. you can tell by the levers inside vs. the springs like the above pic

 

so i just pull the cover and i should see that thing in the pic? sorry for the dumb questions

 

Yup, that's about it. You just take off the cover and look.

Except that hopefully, the one of those in your rear end now, whatever type it is, will have a ring gear bolted to it.

 

The name "Trans Am" doesn't mean anything, really. My '87 is a "Trans Am" and it came with a 2.73 Peg Leg (Open) rear, low output 305 LG4 engine, rear drum brakes, steel driveshaft, auto trans, F41 suspension, etc... Basicly as low performance as you can get other than a V6 and an FE1 suspension (standard on V6 cars).

Even my '92 'vert "Trans Am" has 2.73 gears, rear drum and F41 suspension. You had to get something like WS6 with your "Trans Am" to get some better stuff, but even my WS6 'vert has drum brakes.

 

No, some people who special ordered cars just did not want to spend money on performance options. They just wanted the Flash of a new car at the least amount of money. Aren't you the same now.