ok,well after doin some reading and searching ive found out that my monte would of had the 8.2gm 10 bolt rear end.i have measured it but havent ran numbers yet.the punkin housing doesnt look like a 8.2 but it is 55 inches from back of the drum to back of drum.my stepdad has a 72 nova that has the same width as mine..so after reading on chevy high performance state that the 8.2 gm ten bolts are weak.so now im looking for a 8.5 10 bolt..randys rin and pinion website give me a few cars that are compatible with mine..now idk if all these cars came with the 8.2 or if they are talking about the width.so here the list
Belair: 1965 - 1972 (Rear) Bonneville: 1964 - 1972 (Rear) Camaro: 1967 - 1971 (Rear) Caprice: 1965 - 1971 (Rear) Chevelle Malibu: 1964 - 1972 (Rear) Chevelle Malibu: 1964 - 1972 (Rear) El Camino: 1964 - 1971 (Rear) Impala: 1965 - 1972 (Rear) Monte Carlo: 1970 - 1972 (Rear) Nomad: 1964 - 1972 (Rear) Nova: 1964 - 1972 (Rear) Tempest: 1964 - 1971 (Rear)
Belair: 1965 - 1972 (Rear) Bonneville: 1964 - 1972 (Rear) Camaro: 1967 - 1971 (Rear) Caprice: 1965 - 1971 (Rear) Chevelle Malibu: 1964 - 1972 (Rear) Chevelle Malibu: 1964 - 1972 (Rear) El Camino: 1964 - 1971 (Rear) Impala: 1965 - 1972 (Rear) Monte Carlo: 1970 - 1972 (Rear) Nomad: 1964 - 1972 (Rear) Nova: 1964 - 1972 (Rear) Tempest: 1964 - 1971 (Rear)
http://www.ringpinion.com/DiffDetail...=318&Side=Rear

so does anyone know of cars that had a 8.5gm 10bolt thats 55in wide?also if anyone knows or has a 71-78 monte what were in there and how wide are they?

 

the 8.2 has a notch on each side it can be identified by them. the 8.2 isnt as weak as you would think and i doubt it would be worth the money of upgrading to a 8.5 ten bolt. if your going to buid a motor with 600hp the way to go would be a 9" or a dana60 or a 12 bolt with c clip eliminators.

 

If you want to make 600hp, you definately don't want to stick with a 10bolt. My 70 that came with a 400sb, came with the 12 bolt rearend in it and the engine was only rated for 265hp.

Wayne

 

I was sincerely hoping that this thread would be about the posteriors of attractive young ladies.

That is all.

 

lol..well readin on the high performance mag.


The ’67-’69 Camaros are probably the most sought-after and popular performance cars Chevy ever built. If you have one, then you know that finding a 12-bolt rearend for it is even harder than finding a president with high moral standards. The 12-bolt is coveted mainly because it’s as strong as the standard 8.2-inch ring-gear 10-bolt is weak. Abuse an 8.2 10-bolt and it’ll break. Sure, you could bolt in a 9-inch Ford, but there is a more elegant solution that’s also downright inexpensive.
GM enthusiasts assume all 10-bolts are weak. While for the most part this is true, there is one exception—the GM 8.5-inch ring-gear 10-bolt. The truth is the 8.5-inch 10-bolt is almost as strong as a 12-bolt since its ring-gear diameter is only 0.375 inch smaller than a 12-bolt (8.50 versus 8.375 inches) and the pinion gear shaft is an equal diameter. Even better, the 8.5 rear axle assembly was the universal rearend for millions of GM cars and trucks from 1971 through 1996. This means there are a bazillion to choose from.
Our pal Tim Moore, of Moore Automotive, turned us on to this low-buck rear-axle swap for the early Camaros. The corporate 8.5-inch 10-bolt was first used in ’71 Camaros (the ’70 Camaro retained the 8.2) along with several other body styles, including the second-generation Novas. While the Camaro might seem the likely swap, the ’71-’81 Camaro rear axle is 1 inch wider and employs a wider leaf-spring mount. The ’72-’75 Novas also used the 8.5-inch housing and its dimensions make it a bolt-in for first-generation Camaros. But this is just the beginning.
While ’72-’75 Novas offered gear ratios from 2.73 to 3.42 both with and without posi units, most came with open differential 2.73 or 3.08 gears. After dozens of recycling-yard jaunts, Moore has discovered that many ’71-’81 Firebirds and Trans Ams came with posi units that can be purchased relatively cheap. As for gear ratios, Moore likes to look first in ’77-’94 ½-ton Chevy trucks and vans equipped with the 8.5-inch ring gear to find the 3.42 gear sets.
Moore recommends purchasing a bare 8.5-inch housing unless it’s already equipped with a posi and the right gears. By purchasing the gears and posi separately, he can usually find all three major components for less than $200. Chevy’s famous interchangeability comes into play here as well since the stock ’67-’69 Camaro 8.2 brakes and axles will bolt right on the Nova 8.5-inch rearend. What could be easier? Before assembling the rearend, Moore recommends buying a Federal-Mogul rearend assembly kit (PAW offers a great price on these) that includes all the bearings, seals, and small parts you’ll need to assemble an 8.5-inch ring and pinion. The only other parts you’ll need are a pair of new axle bearings.
The only other major expense involved with this swap would be paying someone to set up the ring and pinion. This can cost around $200, which could drive the entire cost of this swap up to as much as $400, but this is still cheap. Even at this price, that’s a third the cost of building a similarly equipped 12-bolt or a Ford 9-inch. This is a classic example of how to use inexpensive factory parts to create a very strong drivetrain that will last for decades in even the most brutal street/strip applications.


they put it in a 2ng gen camaro that wheel stands at the strip..for under 400 or close to it.not a bad deal

 

theres nothing wrong with the 8.5, but if your going to be throwing money at the car considering that you dont have an 8.5 i wouldnt bother trying to find one and build it up if you already have a 10 bolt. 7.5s have been known to stand up to 12s cars on a radial i wouldnt run out and build one.(again) take a pic of the pumpkin of your car. i want to see it.

 

I'm not sure what size 10 bolt I have in my 98 chevy 1/2 ton truck but I would not consider it a very durable rearend based on my own personal experience and from what the owner of the shop told me when I had to have new carrier and pinion bearings installed at a very low mileage. The owner told me they redid lots of these rear ends. Granted they might not have issues in a lighter car application.

I personally would not trust a 10 bolt rearend in a high horsepower or torque application, but thats just me.

Wayne

 

Not sure about what rear axles will fit into your Monte Carlo, but I can tell you that I did swap my '69 Camaro rear axle for a '74 (I think) Nova rear axle after reading that magazine article. My swap took place 10 years ago. I had an open diff - propably a 3.08 in the Camaro. I was able to locate an old Nova in a "hillbilly" junkyard here in Jacksonville. All the dimensions and mounting points were identicle, so in that respect, the article is right on.

Where the article is a bit of a strech is that there are not a bunch of old Nova's in this world waiting for us to pull axles from. Call your local junkyard and ask how many 71-74 Nova's they have - they'll be laughing for a long time. There are probably very few in the world. I was lucky to find one. Oh, and the '71-'81 Trans Ams? Doubt if you'll find any of those either. Finally, the total price of $400 when you're all done? Also a strech. I did buy new gears and paid to have the axle set up, but most people will. By the time I bought the axle, gears, ,posi unit, then paid for the install I was in for about a grand.

That was 10 years ago. No problems since. I beat on it, but I'm running stock tires, 70 series, no slicks, so I'm not really stressing it in that respect.

 

agreed. theyre arent alot of novas out there anymore. i thought the montes have always been coil sprung while all that stuff is leaf sprung. i mean all honesty if your going to upgrade i wouldnt bother with the 8.5. thats not to say that it cant be built to take stupid amounts of power i just think its a waste of money. if your going to rebuild it your going to want to get a new 30 spline carrier, new 30 spline axles, ring and pinion to match your engine trans combo, and c clip eliminators. carrier alone is 400 bucks once you do everything else youre looking at well over a g if you cant do all the work yourself. at that point you might want to shop around for a new 12 bolt or 9" ready to rock. you could check dts = drivetrainspecialist. they have a site, and fair prices. it may be a more expensive route but you could get a brand new properly set up rear that would be nearly indestructible.

 

i agree with everything you all have said.i have been talking to people around town and doin more reading/searching, people also have said to go with a 8.5-10 out of a truck and shorten it.the trucks have larger wheel bearings and such.??so therefore are there stronger?? and just larger in size.but idk the hard part is if i do get a 9in or 12 bolt everyone around my area wants about 1200 for one that needs work. also my stepdad has a donor 72 nova with leafs,but its 55in wide just like mine.i can do most of the work myself beside settin backlash and all in the gears,but stepdad can and he'd teach me how at the same time.just doin the work myself will save alot of money..pics of my rear end comin soon,pouring rain right now