Just a thought
Just a thought I was sitting and waiting on a green light the other day and noticed a caprice in front of me. Correct me if im wrong but isnt the caprice/impala rear end a 8.5 10 bolt. Would it be easier than swapping over a 8.8 and cheaper than a 12 bolt/9". Its just a thought prolly wouldnt be worth it but figured would hurt to ask.
Iam not a B Body guy but I would check to see if it is the same type of suspension system. Not sure if B bodies used TQ arms. They may have had upper trailing arms which is akin to the older G bodies.
Edit:
I skimmed over google, came up with this....
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...:1&um=1&itbs=1
Edit:
I skimmed over google, came up with this....
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...:1&um=1&itbs=1
Last edited by BlackScreaminMachine; Nov 3, 2010 at 10:52 AM.
You could make anything work if you have the time & are creative enough at fabricating. How do you think these guys are making these 8.8s work? Theyre welding the 10 bolt axle tubes on it & making a mount for torque arm, & using the 10 bolt axles. I gotta hand it to them for doing so but I would rather buy one from someone that makes them that I know will be reliable.
the f-body is the only torque arm later model car that gm ever produced. the caprice uses a coil-spring suspension that is similar to the 82 and newer mustangs and would be no different that the 8.8 swap. a GM 8.5 rearend can be built as strong as a 8.8 ford, but can be costly.
You could make anything work if you have the time & are creative enough at fabricating. How do you think these guys are making these 8.8s work? Theyre welding the 10 bolt axle tubes on it & making a mount for torque arm, & using the 10 bolt axles. I gotta hand it to them for doing so but I would rather buy one from someone that makes them that I know will be reliable.
No i was planning on taking it on myself i was just wondering if it would be any easier than an 8.8 conversion. Basically i was wondering if most of the suspension and axle tubes were the same.
From what I read the 10 bolt axles slide right into the 8.8 rear, same splines. The 8.5 rear axles & tubes are larger diameter.
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I think you can thank the 82-84 f-body cars they had hp numbers that would be lucky to break 200hp with a shot of Nitrous
they knew there was an issue and used the 9bolt 7.75" and offered a dana 44 but the 7.5/7.6 was in the s-10 so parts were cheaper which im sure they figured well parts are cheap and we can make these in house. had the 8.5 been cast from the start like the 7.5 im sure thats what you would have been given and wondered why not a 12 bolt
they knew there was an issue and used the 9bolt 7.75" and offered a dana 44 but the 7.5/7.6 was in the s-10 so parts were cheaper which im sure they figured well parts are cheap and we can make these in house. had the 8.5 been cast from the start like the 7.5 im sure thats what you would have been given and wondered why not a 12 bolt
