Did a search on this and there is a lot of info out there, even went to Nova site, lots of good stuff.
I found a 77 Nova in the salvage yard with no engine so not sure what was in it, If the bosses on the housing are as described in the Nova site and and it is a 10.5 will it bolt up in my 69 multi leaf . Are the demensions the same as the '74 Nova? It is according to Nova site. I have a 74 Nova rear in it now with 3:70 gear, I just want to build up another with 3:08's for cruising . 383 with Muncie M20 and 3:08 still should "pull" strong.
Thought I'd pick up the 77 rear($50) while its available.
Thanks,Guy

hey i think the cut off is 75 for the nova's 8.5 10 bolt i think 76 cars got wider and longer,i got mine out of a 75 and it has the right spring perches and all, but goodluck
Jake

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1968 Camaro convertible, 454,th400,3500 stall,8.5 10 bolt,3.90 gears

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

this shows them being the same from 68-79, is this true? It opens alot more doors for rears.

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My '68 Camaro (http://hometown.aol.com/Dougs68Camaro/index.html)
Doug G.
68 Camaro
406 ci.
13.5@102 W/ 2.73POSI.

Yes, it's true.

no, it's wrong. the 68-74 Nova has the same width rear end as a 67-69 Camaro, and the 75-79 Nova is the same as a 70 1/2- 81 Camaro. the newer rears are about an inch wider on each side- 2 inches overall, and the spring mounting perches are also moved an inch out per side.
it might go in- with some fighting. i put a rear from a 76 nova cop car under a 70 nova once- had to fight like hell to get the springs to line up- and they ended up kicked WAY out at the rear shackles. the wheels that fit fine with the stocker rear wouldn't even go under the wheelwells anymore.
i would say to pass on it and find one from a 72-74 Nova, unless you don't mind moving the perches for the leafs and have some deeper offset wheels that you just have to use on the rear.

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1971 Nova(looks like 69 camaro from underneath!)
355sb, vortec heads, HOT cam,T-10 tranny, 3.70 gears 16X8" IROC wheels. 12" Corvette brakes on the way.
see pics here http://community.webshots.com/user/novaderrik

[This message has been edited by novaderrik (edited 07-27-2002).]

The '75 and up rear end is wider and the spring mounts are farther apart. They are the same as the second gen. Camaro. I know novaderrik already said this, I just wanted to back it up. There was no 10.5 rear end in the Nova. I assumed you ment the 8.5. Starting around '76 the 6 cylinder Novas started getting the 7.5 rear end, so look out for it.

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'69 RS/SS396 pro street
427/4spd/9"
Byars Performance
High Performance Drive Train Parts And Service
www.lubedealer.com/biggearhead (http://www.lubedealer.com/biggearhead)

10.5 rear, now that's a beefy rearend http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif
Yeah BGH I did mean 8.5. I guess I'll just have to go to the "yard" and give it a close look and take some measurements, its sitting on the drums, no wheels. The Nova site shows 'em with 8.5's on the V8 powered Nova.
Thanks guys,
Guy

hey, i went to local yard and got a 75 nova 8.5 and it dropped right in, along with having 15x8 ralleyes with 4.5 backspace and 275/50/15 that clear the fender lip??? so either someone put a 74 and earlier rearend in the 75 i got it out of, or it was a late 74 and got registered as a 75??? not sure but i have multi leafs and it dropped right in and fits perfect, i just rebuilt with all bearings/races/ring,pinion 3.90, but anyway just my thoughts
Jake

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1968 Camaro convertible, 454,th400,3500 stall,8.5 10 bolt,3.90 gears

We have yes and no answers, which is correct. The nova site mentioned does list all 65-79 differentials with the same dimensions. Is this information correct? Because I too am looking at swapping to an 8.5, this will open up more possibilities.

Yes, The measurements at Scott Windles site are correct. Scott is one of the most knowledgable Nova guys around and drives a 76. I own a 75 Nova and it has the same width rear as the other X-body cars. I spent some time in the local boneyard today with my good friend Stanley Leverlock, a renowned arbiter of short-distance measurement. We found several 71-79 X-body cars, and he declared that they all had the same width rear with the same spring spacing.

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1967 Nova coupe daily driver
406, 10:1, 224° cam, Q-jet, 700R4, 3465# w/driver
11.76 @ 116 thru the mufflers
18 mpg on the road

If this is true, I know where about 4 rears are that were priced very good.Now the question is " are all 8.5's created equal ?

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My '68 Camaro (http://hometown.aol.com/Dougs68Camaro/index.html)
Doug G.
68 Camaro
406 ci.
13.5@102 W/ 2.73POSI.

The spring perches are different depths, depending on whether it was a multi or mono leaf. I've done several swaps into 1st gen Camaros using X-body rears and gearsets from 2nd gen Camaros/Firebirds. You can make a 3.42 posi in the boneyard by using a carrier and gears from a Camaro in the 8.5 housing from an x-body car. Around here this setup will cost you about $70 out the door.

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1967 Nova coupe daily driver
406, 10:1, 224° cam, Q-jet, 700R4, 3465# w/driver
11.76 @ 116 thru the mufflers
18 mpg on the road

Went by the salvage yard this morning to look at that 77 Nova rear. When I saw the little "ears" sticking out on the bottom of the housing where there should have been "blocks" I didn't linger anymore, that indicates the 7.2 rear. I looked around and found a 4dr '73 Nova. I'm going to get the rear out of it, $50 pulled. I just have to find a posi carrier now.
Later, Guy

Now you guys got me nervous. I have a 75 housing coming. I just called the guy who will be putting the 3.73 posi in it and he is picking it up this afternoon and will call me with the measurements tomorrow. I'll let y'all know what they are.
Oh, and I based my decision on the specs on that NOVERRESOURCE site too. It shows the same dimensions for 68-79 housings but it also shows that 7.5" rears started appearing as well as the 8.5" in 76 and up. And then the article in CHP has this:

All it takes to swap an 8.5-inch rearend into a ’67-’69 Camaro is a ’72-’75 Nova housing, a clutch-type posi unit from any 8.5-inch rearend, and a set of used factory 3.42 gears. All of these parts can be found in the recycling yards for $200 or less, depending upon your bargaining skills.


[This message has been edited by Winch (edited 07-29-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Winch (edited 07-30-2002).]

ok, now without opening the cover, a 8.2 has a 1 1/8" nut,8.5 has a 1 1/4"nut, so what about a 7.5/6 pinion nut?...anyone?

P.S. my 8.2's (2) looks like the 8.5 but has the 1 1/8" nut,codes to a 71Nova(3.08open), and other codes to a 67Camaro(2.73posi with "eyebrow" cover).

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My '68 Camaro (http://hometown.aol.com/Dougs68Camaro/index.html)
Doug G.
68 Camaro
406 ci.
13.5@102 W/ 2.73POSI.

[This message has been edited by DOUG G (edited 07-29-2002).]

[This message has been edited by DOUG G (edited 07-29-2002).]

The 7.5 10 bolt has the same 1 1/4" pinion nut as the 8.5. I guess I was wrong about the '75-'79 Nova housings. I know the inside of them very well, but as for housing lengths and such I just never paid much attention. I measured a 8.5 at a swap meet that the owner said came out of a '77 Nova and it was the same a a second gen Camaro. I guess he didn't know what it was and just told me it was from a Nova.

------------------
'69 RS/SS396 pro street
427/4spd/9"
Byars Performance
High Performance Drive Train Parts And Service
www.lubedealer.com/biggearhead (http://www.lubedealer.com/biggearhead)

ok, looks like I'am pulling the cover off the 71 Nova rear in the garage. now if I measure the ring gear, do I go inside to inside or outside to outside?what else if anything should I look for?

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My '68 Camaro (http://hometown.aol.com/Dougs68Camaro/index.html)
Doug G.
68 Camaro
406 ci.
13.5@102 W/ 2.73POSI.

[This message has been edited by DOUG G (edited 07-30-2002).]

Just check the ring gear bolts. The 8.2 has 3/8 bolts with 9/16 heads and the 8.5 has 7/16 bolts with 3/4 heads and left hand threads.

------------------
'69 RS/SS396 pro street
427/4spd/9"
Byars Performance
High Performance Drive Train Parts And Service
www.lubedealer.com/biggearhead (http://www.lubedealer.com/biggearhead)

will do, thanks.

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My '68 Camaro (http://hometown.aol.com/Dougs68Camaro/index.html)
Doug G.
68 Camaro
406 ci.
13.5@102 W/ 2.73POSI.

well, opened it up today, 9/16 ring gear bolts, measures 8.2" outside to outside, code is GR W335 2 1 on tube. so it decodes as a 71 Nova rear (right?)but is an 8.2.... what gives?

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My '68 Camaro (http://hometown.aol.com/Dougs68Camaro/index.html)
Doug G.
68 Camaro
406 ci.
13.5@102 W/ 2.73POSI.

[This message has been edited by DOUG G (edited 08-02-2002).]

[This message has been edited by DOUG G (edited 08-02-2002).]

my 71 had the 8.2 with 2.56 gears. i believe it was the last year for it.

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1971 Nova(looks like 69 camaro from underneath!)
355sb, vortec heads, HOT cam,T-10 tranny, 3.70 gears 16X8" IROC wheels. 12" Corvette brakes on the way.
see pics here http://community.webshots.com/user/novaderrik

I just came from the bone yard and looked at the rear I'm getting. It was already cut out and I didn't get to see the car but the guy says 75 Nova. It measures exactly the same as my 68 - 42 3/4 center to center of perches, 53 1/4 backing plate inside to backing plate. It has the sqaured tabs on the bottom so I'm sure it's an 8.5. It still had the drive shaft attached so I couldn't put a socket on the pinion nut but I'm sure it would be 1 1/4. It has multileaf perches and it had 4 leaf springs on it. The funny thing though is it still had one shock mount plate dangling and it was a mono leaf mount plate. At least it had brackets on both sides of the shock not just one side like the pics I've seen of multileaf shock plates. I wonder what's up with that.

I got my 73 rear yesterday and it has the same dual tabs for shock mounting as you described. It had multi-leafs, probalby just the way they came. Mine had a JA code, bummer, 2.73 open carrier. Oh well, now all I need is a 79,80 TA rear with 3.42 posi and disc brakes to convert it to something special!

ooppss doubled up.


[This message has been edited by DOUG G (edited 08-02-2002).]

Yeah, you guys need to be careful like Doug found out... the 8.5" didn't come out until '72, so be careful on anything before that date. Also be careful like Derrik said that in '76, the 7.5" rear showed up and was used a lot after that. I just went to the junk yard this last weekend and found several 77 and 78 Novas with 7.5" rears. I also pulled a 73 Nova 8.5" and found a series 3 posi carrier in a 75 Buick Skylark 4-door!! Was not factory, you could tell someone added it later, but in good shape!

Turns out, the guy who wnated this stuff backed out on me, so I have a 8.5" posi carrier and 73 Nova rear-end for sale. There is no gear on this setup as I pulled them from different cars and didn't mess with the 3.08 pinion.

Bill C.




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Bill C.
Colorado Springs, CO

68 Camaro... someday!
71 Chevelle SS
70 Nova

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by gjohnson:
I got my 73 rear yesterday and it has the same dual tabs for shock mounting as you described. It had multi-leafs, probalby just the way they came. Mine had a JA code, bummer, 2.73 open carrier. Oh well, now all I need is a 79,80 TA rear with 3.42 posi and disc brakes to convert it to something special!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are you going to use the Nova mount plates? Are the shocks to use with those plates the same length as Camaro multi-leaf shocks?

I just read another post and it looks like there might be a difference in the bolt hole pattern between Nova perches and Camaro mount plates. You might want to measure or see if they line up first.

[This message has been edited by Winch (edited 08-07-2002).]

I posted this on the other rear end post, but for those looking here:

"One thing that seems to be peculiar about these rear ends is the published interchangeability. I was at the junk yard just the other day and asked for all the possible interchanges for a 73 Nova... here is the list I was given:

Camaro '67-69 10 bolt cover
Firebird '67-69
Nova '68-71 10 bolt cover
Nova '72-75
Nova '77-79 11x10-1/4 cover
Apollo '73-75
Omega '73-75
Omega '77-79 11x10-1/4 cover, 9-1/2x2 brakes
Phoenix '77-79 11x10-1/4 cover, 9-1/2x2 brakes
Ventura II '71-75
Ventura II '77 11x10-1/4 cover, 9-1/2x2 brakes

That's it!
Several things caught my attention on this list tho: First, there is no distinction between the cars that are known to be 8.2" versus 8.5", so they must only be concerned with it fitting in the car properly. The second thing that sticks out is that fact that none of the cars listed include the '76 model year! Any body know why that is? 76 model year list includes all the different makes list above as being interchangeable, but only with other 76 models.

Also, I didn't see this picture out on the site referenced above, so here is a decent picture comparing the rears: http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/rears.jpg

good hunting...
Bill C."