Thought you guys would enjoy these pics. First passes with the Drag radials netted 4 consecutive 1.56-1.57 sixty foot times before the driver's side axle went pop. My previous best 60 was 1.519 with a tire that was 26.4" tall, the MT's are 28.1.

My best 60' times were on a day with great air and a prepped track, these 1.56 times were on a street tire race day and air temp in the low 80's (not sure what track temp was but it felt hot). I think these MT radials hook pretty good :D

Also, I already have an 8.5" housing in the shop getting built, so before anyone calls me an idiot for running an 8.2, I already knew it was on borrowed time . . . LOL I'm just glad I got the 5 years out of it that I did.

http://hobbystage.net/camaro/eric_68/1122898400-006831.jpg

http://hobbystage.net/camaro/eric_68/1122898353-006830.jpg

Nice;)
Just wondering, does the 8.2 have 28spline axles?
Is the new 8.5 gonna have C-clip eliminator?

Yes, same 28 spline axles in the 8.2 as in the 8.5. They are even interchangeable if the length is correct (the later cars tended to have wider wheel bases)

The new 8.5 will have a Moser 33 spline spool with Moser 33 spline axles, Ford style housing ends, fully welded tubes, 4.11 gears, and support cover. I found a replacement axle for the 8.2 rear so I will have it for a spare or if I plan on a lot of street driving.

Spool? you know you cant drive a spool on the street;) altho its never stopped me...
How come youre not going with a Eaton posi? it would hold up.
Or are there some plans under your hood we're not aware of?

Spool? you know you cant drive a spool on the street;) altho its never stopped me...
How come youre not going with a Eaton posi? it would hold up.
Or are there some plans under your hood we're not aware of?

Eaton posi = $$$ Dollars I'd rather spend on my new engine. oops, there's no new engine . . .

We'll see how the spool does on the street. There are a couple guys local that run them that INSISTED a spool is no big deal. I'd rather spend the money now on the Ford ends and good axles . . . I can always upgrade to a posi later if for some reason I cannot stand the spool.

I've been running a spool on the street for 4 years now just chirps a little going around tight corners. Checked axels last winter and are in perfect condition. I'm using a strange spool and axel kit with c-clip eliminators.

I've been running a spool for the last 3 years or so on the street. It's going to need to be re-geared for my new motor and I'm going with a posi this time around. I just don't go to the track enough to justify the spool over a posi.

Eric, I can't beleive your 8.2 made it this long!! Mine blew up about a year after i got my car. And it was on the street with street tires!! But actually it never broke an axle, it looked like the center pin in the carrier broke some how and came out and locked up the pinion.....not a fun ride!!

This is good to hear....not the broken axle......but that they work.
I'm considering trying a set for my Nova.
Am wondering about gear ratio though, these are just a bit short, and I'll bet they don't grow like a slick.

I drove a buddies 87 Regal T-Type this weekend at the drags. He has these same tires, and it ran 1.7 60ft times, and as near as I could tell, the thing dead hooked every pass. I was a red lightn fool......

BTW a spool is ok, as long as you drive the car a bit consevative. I have done so fo 7 years w/o any problems. But then I drive around on normal street tires.

Ron

I`m wanting to see the numbers... 26" slicks vs the 28" radials.
What were the ET`s, Mph, trap rpms etc?
Did you change shift points?, launch rpm? That type of information would be interesting to see.

Bye, bye street car. ;) Were you running c-clip eliminators? If not, did the axle get loose?

Eric, I think the biggest thing you'll get tired of with the spool is turning the car while pushing it. It DO get heavy!

Eric you better start saving up for that truck and trailer now :p

John is right pushing a car with a spool is a royal pain even the slightest turn and it just about stops the car. Hopefully you won't have to do much pushing.

Sorry to see your 8.2 finally bit it. To be fair it wouldn't have made a difference if it was a 8.5" as you already mentioned the axles are the same. Were those stock axles? If so, SHAME on you.

I know spools are cheap and easy, but I still don't think they are the best choice for the street. Make sure you get good strong axles (sounds like you aleardy are). If you already bought parts it's probably too late to change. I think a locker would have been a far better way to go, you can keep "mst" of your street manners. One other thing with a spool you will notice, the car will want to push in corners. Takes a little getting used to. 4.11's huh? I will be interested to see the performance difference.

Good luck and get that thing back together while the weather is still good, so you can post result and your thoughts of the spool on the street.

Good luck and get that thing back together while the weather is still good, so you can't post result and your thoughts of the spool on the street.

With the HotRod Drag Week coming up bet you don't hear too much. :D

Damn :sad: sorry to hear. But good is comming from it.

It was you that I talked to that helped me go with the 8.2" in the car since a 12 bolt is $$$$ and an 8.5" is harder to find than a 12 bolt around here. I hope I get 5 years out of mine since I go to the track less, 60' even less, and drive it on the street with common sence. well some anyway :rolleyes:

Eric, friend if mine runs them on His Nova and only got 30-35 passes out of them. They hook great but don't last long as an side effect.

Are the tubes on the new housing welded to the center section? If not, when they twist in the housing, you can expect to contact the guardrail on the respective side.

Just being honest, dont need to hear about anyone wrecking their car or hurting themselves becuase of something as simple as this.

I take it the wheel and partial axle didn't immediately exit the car and mangle the rear quarter? If not, you got lucky. I've seen several local cars do that when guys try and run 400+ hp engines with 7.5" gm rear ends...it isn't pretty.

I'm still just flat amazed that you got the life out of that 8.2" that you did. I mean, thats a rear end gm didn't feel was adequate enough for a street tired 325hp 396.

I know I speak for all of us that have been members of this site for the last several years that it has definately been interesting watching you and that car progress from low 13's to high 10's...especially with a combo that no magazine would have ever predicted to go faster than low 12's at best :thumbsup:

Brian, the tubes on the 8.5 are getting fully welded to the center section while the rear end is in the jig for the Ford tube ends. I agree that a couple plug welds don't cut it.

Travis, The axle did break almost immediately on launch -- I only went about 3 car lengths. And no, it didn't crunch the quarter -- it stayed in the housing. Factory axles are tapered with the thinnest part closest to the carrier so it broke at the carrier leaving a long part of the axle attached to the wheel. I do feel somewhat fortunate though that I didn't hurt the car . . . or even oil down the track.

Still no trailer guys . . . LOL. If I don't like the spool, I can always put a posi back in it. I drive it easy on the street now -- its just too dangerous to be screwing around on the streets anyway.

And I still believe that when built right the 8.2 can take a little bit of abuse. I think an Eaton posi, good gear set and some decent axles would prove reliable into the 11's with 1.6X sixty foot times. Mine only popped an axle after I started consistently 60 footing in the mid 1.5's . . .

. . . and like I said before I fully expected to break the 8.2 -- that's why I had the 8.5 housing sitting. Was hoping to make it to winter though before building the 8.5

Eric,

The spool will be fine. I've never trailered the Nova, and never had any problems running a spool. As far as pushing the car....well us non trailer guys don't push the ca! (read with Boston accent) Get yo momma to push the ca! (Have to be old to remember this line from Cheech and Chong)

Anyway....you will love da spool. More consistent than a posi, because equal traction is guaranteed.....or at least equal wheel speed from side to side. Posi rears tend to need constant shimming because when one tire hooks before the other on the burnout, well, guess what takes the punishment?

As I said, I run street rubber....with plenty of air pressure for the drive to and from the track. So even though it complains on tight turns, the forces on the axles isn't that great. This might be different if you drive to and from with the MT radials.

Girls run posi's, real men run spools. Or lockers. And I hated wearing a dress to the drags! :waving:

BTW.....welding the axle tubes is a no brainer. The damage when the stock welds bust is not pretty.

Ron

I run a spool with no trouble at all on the street, 6 years and counting.

Sometime it is inoying when you turn and a cop is watching you sloooly turn and squiling the tires!!!!

I`m wanting to see the numbers... 26" slicks vs the 28" radials.
What were the ET`s, Mph, trap rpms etc?
Did you change shift points?, launch rpm? That type of information would be interesting to see.

On secound thought, with a bias ply vs radials I bet there really wasn`t much difference. The 26" bias tires growth would almost equal the 28" radial at speed anyway.

Is that close to what you noticed?.
.

Red, the RPMs through the traps were down by a couple hundred from the 26.4" tall QTPs. The 28.1" tall MT's are a bit taller for sure and I could tell when going through the traps. The nice thing is that they are MUCH more stable at high speed than the bias ply's.