I know this has been asked probably a million times but I need to know for sure. My 69 cpe has the stock 8.2 multi leaf rear end. I am going to scrap out my daughters first car which is a 1976 Buick Skylark, same as a Nova. I noticed it has a multi leaf 8.5 under it. Is it a direct no difference bolt in for the 69 8.2? If so I will keep it if not then it goes to the iron pile. Let me know. GL

if the distance between the spring pads and the the distance between the backing plates are both the same as the 69 rear, then, yes, it will bolt right in.
but you might need to shorten the driveshaft about 1" or so, and get a conversion u-joint to make it work.

Here are the measurements you need to be concerned with. If they match this, it's a direct bolt-in. If they don't, you'll be moving parts around with a torch and a welder.

http://www.novaresource.org/axle.htm

I don't know about the axle length/spring perch bits, but I do know a 2nd Gen Camaro driveshaft would be about 1" shorter and if it's from the same year would also do away with the need for conversion u-joints!

I've heard that all x-body rears up to '77 will fit, and some say only until '74. I'm looking myself (someone took my original 12 bolt and tossed an 8.2 under it to roll it :rolleyes: ) so any confirmation would be great...

'68-'79 X-cars will fit, but watch out for the 7.5" units found in '75-up 6-cyl. cars & some early 305's.

So if I understand correctly, all measurments are the same, ie width, spring perch distance, in other words it is a direct bolt in. I can't get to either car right now to measure (6" of snow) so that is why I asked . Thanks for the info GL

I'd measure everything before yanking it out. Why waste your time unbolting the thing if you'll have to have spring brackets moved and it's too wide?

I have installed a few 75-79 Nova/Omega/Ventura/Apollo/Skylark rears in 1st gen Camaros and they bolt right in. The leaf spring channel is the deep one for the multi-leaf springs, but a well placed spacer will take care of the slack. I would also recommend installing some u-bolts in place of the t-bolts.

Hell, I would have thought the 8.5's would be different. I thought Buicks were A bodies, but that must have been just early 70's, right?

So the width drum to drum is the same and the spring perches are the same distance so it should be a direct bolt in. Sounds good. Thanks GL

some say all Nova rears from 68 up to 79 are the same width- but i once put a rear from a 76-ish Nova 4 door cop car under a 70 2 door Nova, and it didn't fit right. it went in, but the spring perches were a bit farther apart so the leafs got kicked way out at the rear, and the tires that didn't rub before (over an inch of clearance all around before the swap) rubbed the inside of the wheel lip pretty good. the only reason it bolted in at all was because of the nifty universal lifting shackles we used on it that allowed the rear of the springs to kick out like that.
but, the stock driveshaft did work, so it wasn't all bad.

Originally posted by HwyStarJoe:
Hell, I would have thought the 8.5's would be different. I thought Buicks were A bodies, but that must have been just early 70's, right? The early 70's Skylarks were like Chevelles and production stopped about 1972. In 1975/76 they made some Skylarks on the same chassis as the Apollo, which shares a lot with the Nova.

Your best friend in the rear end fitment business is Stanley Leverlock - he'll tell you the truth every time.

Originally posted by onovakind67:
Your best friend in the rear end fitment business is Stanley Leverlock - he'll tell you the truth every time. [/QB]That was my point precisely! graemlins/thumbsup.gif
He asked if it would fit no problem so the best way to tell is bring Stanley along and you'll know FOR SURE.