Rear end/10 bolt

If this has been covered before, I can't find it via keyword searches, if it has link it up for me if you can,


Gonna change the rear end gears over to 3.42 from the 2.73. Thought while I was at it I would look around for a complete rear end upgrade.

If I want discs,posi and 3.42s , what would I look for?

I've looked around and I know about the Impala/Caprice swap, however, those cars are few and far between around here.

There are S-10s EVERYWHERE, but I don't know how easy that swap is, or if they had any thing I want other than the discs. Did they have posi and 3.42s?
There are S-10 based rear ends on CL here , and 20 or so Blazers etc at the local pull-a-part. I've found a couple of articles about swapping the rear in to older A bodies, bit not the G3.

If I can't figure it out, I'll just swap the gears, no biggy, but it would be nice to throw in the whole rear end now.

S10's have leaf springs & 7 -5/8 inch ring gear, just so you know. ZR2's came with the 8.5 inch & 3.73 gears though. Also the ZR2 has a 4" wider track width, so if you did cut off the spring perches & weld on your old ones, this would probably be the only axle to go with from an S-10.

To answer the other part of your question, rear gears on regular S10's varied as did limited slip. Basically they could have came with either 3.08, 3.42, 3.73, or 4.11 gears. There wasn't any gear that was more popular than another that I'm aware of. My 1st one was 4wd & had 4.11 open, 2nd was 2wd 3.73 posi, third was 3.42 posi. I've seen a couple of 3.08 rears too so always run the numbers if you go this route.

I read something about the 96-04 S-10 2WD being almost a direct swap.





What about firebird or camaro?

I would go buy everything new and just use your housing. Summit has everything you need and get yourself a nice Eaton carrier new Richmond gears and all new bearings. Another good source is- Randys ring and pinion they specialize in Rears and have good prices.

ant7377 wrote:I would go buy everything new and just use your housing. Summit has everything you need and get yourself a nice Eaton carrier new Richmond gears and all new bearings. Another good source is- Randys ring and pinion they specialize in Rears and have good prices.

I would, but I'm a cheap bastard, and pull-a-part will sell the whole rear end for like 85.00.
Plus i just found a listing on the local CL sell a rear en for an impala SS. Doesn't say what he wants for it, but probably a lot cheaper than all new stuff.

The Impala SS is pretty much a bolt in deal right? Aren't those 3.08s?

Impala SS should be 3.08 gears. Yes it's a bolt-in, but might be different width due to the disc brakes? Not sure how that works out.


F-Body is a no go as well unless you find a late 70's model Z28 to pull the gears & limited slip out of. It would have to be a Z though, the type LT & others had worse gearing than our cars. Most others had the smaller 10 bolt & all F-Bodies were leaf spring.....

don't forget about the 80's 1/2 ton pickups for gears and posi units.
the only problem with them is that they were trucks, and the 8.5 wasn't the most durable choice for them and as such they are pretty much worn out by the time the trucks hit the boneyard. but you can find 3.42 gears in them all day long.
when i had my Nova, i found a rebuilt used stock posi unit and 3.70 Richmond gears that someone took out of a 78 Z28 and bought it all for $125.

for the disc brakes, the LS1 (98-02) Camaro and Trans Am parts will bolt right on, but later S truck stuff will probably be easier to find. if you get the 4X4 S Blazer disc setup, you will need an LS1 F body or 2wd S truck rotor to make it work since the 4X4 Blazers had a rotor with a deeper offset in it due to the axleshafts they used in the 4X4 trucks.
94-96 Caprice/Impala disc brakes bolt up, but you will either need to drill the rotors for the smaller wheel bolt pattern or get different rotors- i think the LS1 F body or S truck rotors will also work here.

heres a 3:42 posi for 400 bucks.

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/pts/1776263071.html

Roadcaptain S3 wrote:I read something about the 96-04 S-10 2WD being almost a direct swap.





What about firebird or camaro?

the S10 Blazers i think..Dan is the one who knows about it i believe

1973 454 MONTE wrote:heres a 3:42 posi for 400 bucks.

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/pts/1776263071.html

See this is what im saying for about 300 bucks more (maybe less) you can everything nice and new and that smelly job only has to be done once.

coreys73chevelle wrote:

Roadcaptain S3 wrote:I read something about the 96-04 S-10 2WD being almost a direct swap.





What about firebird or camaro?

the S10 Blazers i think..Dan is the one who knows about it i believe

i dont know if it would fit tho.
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/pts/1717534829.html

1973 454 MONTE wrote:

coreys73chevelle wrote:

Roadcaptain S3 wrote:I read something about the 96-04 S-10 2WD being almost a direct swap.





What about firebird or camaro?

the S10 Blazers i think..Dan is the one who knows about it i believe

i dont know if it would fit tho.
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/pts/1717534829.html

If its not an 8.5 inch 10 bolt, I would not want it. JB

1973 454 MONTE wrote:heres a 3:42 posi for 400 bucks.

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/pts/1776263071.html

Might give this guy a call, had no idea the GS had this-Thanks Chris.

If I were closer, I'd be all over it. 3.42 posi is the set up I want since I'm mainly a highway flyer anyways.

Not only that, but NO C-clips. JB