Hi I have a 68 camaro coupe that was originally a 6 with a powerglide and now it is a 350/350th i have the rear out of the car and on jackstands from what i see its an 8.2with 2.56:1 gears open i want to go with a posi
and after much research and reading im still not sure about the gearing. when they say 2.73 and down or 3.08 and up what are they talking about i just cruise with this car and do a few burnouts when required i just like posi and want the tires to wear evenly the numbers on the rear are hard to read but look like BP 0227 G2 im not sure if the g is a G or a 0 and the # on the ring gear is 1GM 3917184 16 41 1168 i would really appreciate any suggestions or help Thanks

Your gear ratio is 41/16= 2.5625 or 2.56 : 1 . 2-series carrier for 2.73 gears and down - Numerically. 3-series carrier for 3.08 -3.73 gears . 4-series carrier for 4.11 and 4.56 gears.

What is your question ?

If all is in good shape inside, you can replace the carrier with a posi, keeping the original ring and pinion, by yourself. You'll need a dial indicator to check and set the backlash. You'll spend about $600 or less for all the parts including new bearings.

Here's where it gets tricky.

As Tom posted, you'd need to buy a 2 series posi to use your original gears, and it won't accept anything beyond one step up, 2.73.

It will serve your need today, but maybe not tomorrow.

Replacing and setting up the ring and pinion is tricky. It's easy enough to explain how it's done, but you need a press, and setting the gears is pretty subjective, a good touch and a lot of experience are nice to have here. Best left to a pro.

But then you're up near a grand, and it's still an 8.2 with stock axles. Ouch.

if i want a bigger gear than a 2.73 when i buy the posi carrier unit do i need to change everything

after much research and reading im still not sure about the gearing. when they say 2.73 and down or 3.08 and up what are they talking about As TJ stated, you have a 2.56:1 rear gear ratio.

When the catalogs are talking about 2.73 & down, 3.08 & up, they are referencing the carrier series. The OE supplier, Eaton (10-bolt), made the ring gear one thickness and made the carrier, three of them, to accommodate the pinion size as the pinion is the determing factor due to the number of teeth made on the pinion. The higher the numerical gear ratio, the smaller number of pinion teeth.

There is a 2-series carrier, for 2.XX:1 ratios, 3-series carrier for 3.XX: 1 ratios and 4-series carrier for 4.XX ratios. The difference between the series is the placement of the ring gear upon the carrier. If the carriers were lined up on a workbench, the ring gear flange gets closer to the carrier center, read pinion centerline because of the smaller pinion.

When the catalog states for a particular OE gear ratio, the aftermarket manufacturer made the ring gear thicker to accommodate the OE carrier series. Unfortunately, one cannot fit a 4.XX gear onto a 2-series carrier because the ring gear would be too thick and too much leverage for the ring gear bolts. One must use at least a 3-series carrier for an aftermarket 4.XX gear ratio. If the aftermarket manufacturer has a particular gear ratio, the series of carrier is needed to get the correct gearset. Example: if you get a 3.73 gear ratio, the ring gear will be thicker for a 2-series carrier than the ring gear for a 3-series carrier, again, to make up for the OE distance.

If changing a gearset, its best left to a reliable mechanic who does gear changes for a living. If the gearset is not set-up correctly, the gear set will wear out, as in grind away the teeth of both gears.

Eaton posi/limited slip carriers, I have read, are the best aftermarket choice in changing from an open carrier to limited slip.

Man. you guys type fast.

i won this car in a raffle last year so i dont know everything about it yet but the right tire is a good inch smaller than the left i'd like to keep the tires even hence the posi,and at the end of last summer i punched it hard and broke the passenger spring thats why the rear end is on jackstands i don't want to do this twice so i'd like to get it right this time the guy i won it from said the rear had been rebuilt and only had 1000 miles on it

You may want to find a slightly used one from someone upgrading to a 12 bolt or something. Guys know of any? I will be upgrading next year not this year sorry.

You may want to find a slightly used one from someone upgrading to a 12 bolt or something. Guys know of any? I will be upgrading next year not this year sorry.

I just switched out my 8.2 2.73 mono leaf open for a 12 bolt that I got from a fellow member. If it is of any use for this project contact me. It ran fine no noises. Complete end to end. I considered putting posi in mine but when contacted by the TC member for a few dollars more I couldn't resist. It came with the gears I was looking for. This came out of my 69.

2.56 was the tall fuel economy gear for the first gen auto tran cars. If you keep the 8.2" 10 bolt, consider a 3.08, 3.36, or 3.55 ring/pinion and Eaton Posi. Check National Drivetrain (Chicago area) at (800) 507-4327 for prices. They gave me a good deal.

I recently did this upgrade on a very similar car. I bought my Eaton from DriveTrainWarehouse who was $100 cheaper than Summit and had free shipping http://www.drivetrainwarehouse.com/PDT263728.aspx ! I did upgrade my ring and pinion to 4.11 gears and replaced all of the bearings.