My son and I just started re-building a '68 Camaro together. Not real experienced, but quick learners. A mechanic friend is selling us a 350 stroked/bored to a 383, re-built TH350 and shortened (50" backplate to backplate), 4.11, 12-bolt rear end (Eaton posi) that we want to swap into the car. It's set up in a '76 Pontiac Astre (Chevy Vega) body now. I'll have to have a shop weld on the proper brackets for mounting the leaf springs. We have the original mono springs and a set of 5-leaf.
Question is - given the increased horsepower, can we go with the mono, or would you recommend the 5-leaf? or maybe a 4-leaf? Don't have the $$ for an IRS or anything fancy - this is a just a driver. Thanks.

I'm no technician on this stuff but you'll find alot of great info around here and the people are a wealth of information. Just by reading other posts I'll say the 5 leaf or 4 will be the way to go. Although not a big block, the 383 will probably have enough torque and horsepower to stay away from the monoleaf. Just my .02. Check out www.pozziracing.com. He has alot of information for 1st gen camaro suspension. Good luck with the build.

Not so, you will be fine w/ mono's, shock coil-overs and slappers deep into the 10's, imho and all this is cheap enough by me!

Make sure the slappers you either buy or make slap right under the bottom middle of the front spring eyes tho!!!

And then tune both the slapper snubbers side to side and the shock coil-overs also side by side for pre-load and go!

Sucker will leave like a "Rabbit outta the chute at a Dog-Track!!"....

pdq67

Thanks guys - great info. But I'm green enough that I don't know what "slappers" are and "snubbers" and about the "deep into the 10's". Sounds like something I should check out. Can you explain?

I think I'd like to keep the mono's cuz that's what's on the car now and we like the stance just as it is, but would like some flexibility. Is there a common set of brackets I can have welded onto the diff tubes to accomodate either the mono or a 4 or 5 leaf? Or, do I have to commit to one or the other?

Thanks again.

Terry - welcome to Team Camaro - Paul is talking about building a rear suspension for drag racing... I think your rear end choice is going to be a can of worms. I believe the axles are too short and you will need to tub the rear end and move the shocks to use it. It can be done but will cost you a fortune for the fabrication work if you have to farm out the job.

Terry - welcome to Team Camaro - Paul is talking about building a rear suspension for drag racing... I think your rear end choice is going to be a can of worms. I believe the axles are too short and you will need to tub the rear end and move the shocks to use it. It can be done but will cost you a fortune for the fabrication work if you have to farm out the job.

What Dennis said. That rear end is about 10" narrower than a stock Camaro rear end. That's going to cause issues with the front and rear suspension mounting points for leaf springs.

What are your plans for the car? Local cruising, drags, fast mountain driving, long trips? Whatever you want to do will affect a lot of what you're doing, including the transmission and rear gear ratio choice.

Depending on where you are in SoCal, you might want to join up with a bunch of us for our informal "Cruise the Crest" runs. http://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51796 Ridealongs are encouraged.

Good thing I'm with the experts. You got me measuring tonight. I bought an extra stock '69 rear end from a friend and since it is just sitting in the yard, I measured the plate to plate distance as 54.75". So, I thought 2.4" shorter on each side wasn't that much to deal with. But, as I measure the outside distance between the perches, looks like they will be just shy of fitting inside the 50" I have to work with, just like Mike says.
I hate to give up on this rear end - worth a ton as the guy went through it completely and put top end ring, pinion, posi, etc. into it.

Any other ideas on how to get the leafs to fit? Can I also avoid tubbing by getting a differant wheel offset to move the tires outward slightly?

One last question - since I have two stock, 2.73, 10 bolt rear ends, would it make more sense to have a local shop go through it with 3.73 gears, add the posi, etc.? We expect to just cruise - no drag or road racing (yet). Hooper's in Sun Valley will convert the 10 bolt to a 3.73, add posi, etc. for $1200 and says the setup will easily handle the HP this 350 will put out.

We're in Camarillo, so we just may take you guys up on the ridealong offer!

Good thing I'm with the experts. You got me measuring tonight. I bought an extra stock '69 rear end from a friend and since it is just sitting in the yard, I measured the plate to plate distance as 54.75". So, I thought 2.4" shorter on each side wasn't that much to deal with. But, as I measure the outside distance between the perches, looks like they will be just shy of fitting inside the 50" I have to work with, just like Mike says.
I hate to give up on this rear end - worth a ton as the guy went through it completely and put top end ring, pinion, posi, etc. into it.

Any other ideas on how to get the leafs to fit? Can I also avoid tubbing by getting a differant wheel offset to move the tires outward slightly?

One last question - since I have two stock, 2.73, 10 bolt rear ends, would it make more sense to have a local shop go through it with 3.73 gears, add the posi, etc.? We expect to just cruise - no drag or road racing (yet). Hooper's in Sun Valley will convert the 10 bolt to a 3.73, add posi, etc. for $1200 and says the setup will easily handle the HP this 350 will put out.

We're in Camarillo, so we just may take you guys up on the ridealong offer!

The issue isn't just the location of the wheels and tires, it's the extensive work you'd have to do to get the rear into the car and then the extensive compromises you'd have to make to get the wheels to the right place in the wheel wells. I think you're on the right track to look at another rear. A "deal" that causes you major headaches is no deal at all.

Hoopers is great, I've used them myself. An 8.5" ten bolt rear is worth going through, I'm not sure I'd bother with an 8.2" ten bolt rear unless you KNOW you'll never lanuch the car with slicks. Here's a site that tells you how to identify the rear ends at issue here: http://www.novaresource.org/axle.htm

Mike's right about the 8.2" save the money and hit the bone yard for a '68--74 Nova which will be an 8.5" and bolt right up.:thumbsup: If money allows go through that and build it or wost case leave it stock for now drive 'er around and build it up later. As for you original question you can get by with the mono's on the street, and yes Paul is right you can make them work very well at the track, but for you intended use put some 4 leafs or better yet Hotchkis 3leafs and you'll never have to worry.:beers:

Oh by the way welcome to TC Terry:waving:

I'm sorry, Lakewood type "slapper" traction bars here..

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=LAK-21606&N=700+400272+115&autoview=sku

You cut the rubber snubber to change "slap" aggressiveness is what I was talking about, the narrower the gap, the easier the slap and the wider, the harder the slap which really loads the tires harder on launch.

And deep into the 10's is low 10 second quarter mile times at the drag strip is all.

pdq67

PS., just make sure if you do by chance decide to use old-fashioned slappers to make sure the snubber is located so that it hits the bottom of the middle of the front spring eye even if you have to weld on steel to lengthen the bars themselves and then re-install the snubbers!

And I use 1/2" bolts and nuts for snubbers instead of rubber so I can adjust mine, but they are noisy!!

Mike's right about the 8.2" save the money and hit the bone yard for a '68--74 Nova which will be an 8.5" and bolt right up.

Late 71-79 for the 8.5 in a Nova but starting in 75 they also had an 7.5 rear.Before you condem an 8.2 you might want to read this http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=150772 .Looks like they hold up alot better than they are given credit for.

Not being experienced I suggest you go with a stock width rear.JMHO

Before you condem an 8.2 you might want to read this http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=150772 .Looks like they hold up alot better than they are given credit for.

I'm not condemning the 8.2 - heck, I've got a built 8.2 in my '68 - when it was done it had a new Eaton posi, new gears, new bearings, new "structural" rear cover, new axles - you get the idea. But I always wished I'd started with an 8.5, because I'd love to throw a set of slicks on it and beat it at a track, but that 8.2 just stops me every time I think about it.

The cost of building either is virtually the same, so why not invest a few hundred and start with the stronger rear? As someone said, experience is expensive and I was simply offering my advice based on having been there and done that. :yes:

This is what Freddie said:

(I built an 8.2 for a '69 Camaro several years ago. It had a 383 and a ST10 4 speed. I built it with US Gear 3.55 gears, a Torque-Line posi and Moser axles. It lived behind this engine and transmission for about 6 years. It even had a set of slicks on it and raised the front tires off of the ground a few times.)

Put slicks on it and go for it.I understand that the cost to build them is about the same so if you can get an 8.5 cheap you might as well get one.But from that thread it seems that most of us don't need one.

Hunt up an old Ford work P/U that's clapped out, out behind a shed and buy the 9" that's under it and cut it down to fit and go!

Gotta be 10 million of the suckers rotting down out in the country! Make a Sat. afternoon road trip and see...

pdq67

Terry if you do decide to stick with the 8.2" from the '69 leave the stock spring perches that it has and use that to decide which springs to use. Even if it's set up for mono's now you can always add Hotchkis or Globalwest lowered 3-leafs without changing the perches.

Not being experienced I suggest you go with a stock width rear.JMHO
That's why I suggested the Nova's 8.5 it's a direct bolt in.
Yes the 8.2 will more than hold up to what he needs. I just hate to see someone spend that kind of money and not be well informed from the start.

The info you all have provided is outstanding, and I really appreciate it. Since the base cost will be about the same, and knowing we won't be racing , from everything I've read, I think I'll scrounge an 8.5" to be on the safe side and have it built up. I did learn from a reputable rear end shop that the 8.2 pinion is a 1.438" diameter, 27-spline and the 8.5 is a 1.625 diameter, 30 spline. The 1.625 larger diameter has more cross-section, so will be able to handle more load. The fact that the 30 spline has 3 more splines than the 27 gives it a bit more total "tooth" contact area, so in general, the 30 spline can handle more stress loading. Looks like these factors (and maybe others) would give the 8.5 a bit more load handling capability than the 8.2. But, I probably will never get to that level, so should be good either way.

Thanks again to all for your help. You just saved me a bunch of time and $$'s.:D

Harley - I appeciate the $$'s concern as yes, we don't have a large budget to get this done - especially in this economy. I'll look for the 8.5 Nova cuz it may be easier to find, but might just stay with my stock 8.2 and have it rebuilt. I'll have to see what's out there. Will then have some $$'s to go for the 3 leaf you mention. That's a pretty good idea.

Terry I lived in the Mission Oaks area for 7 years before moving to SJ, I miss Somis Market, Chuys after softball out at the airport and coaching my daughters team...

I think there is a salvage yard in Oxnard called 5th Street Salvage or something like that, you might want to check it out... I picked up a Nova 8.5 multi-leaf, springs, perches pockets etc then swapped a posi out of a truck for the open carrier and it was about $200. A bearing and seal kit is about $100 and then you just need someone to go through it...

And don't worry Terry the Nova rear will have multi leaf perches so you can use the stock 4 leaf or the lowered 3 leaf very easily. Plus 8.5's are still very plentiful.

Thanks guys. Late nights at work kept me away from the updates. Now that we've cleaned out, got some improved lighting and a stereo in the garage, we're actually getting the "new" car this weekend (1975 Pontiac Astre) to pull the drivetrain out of. So the fun will begin. I'll try the Oxnard lot DjD mentioned. If still there, MUCH closer to home than Sun Valley, or into LAX area and south.
Good to know lots of 8.5's out there. Will keep you posted on our progress.