I had a guy ask my rear gear ratio and I told him 4.10. He told me the gears were changed at one time because that ratio was not available for my '69 ss/rs when it was new. My rear end is 12 bolt posi with 5 leaf and correct stamping and date code (original). Is this guy correct? I have not found out any info as of yet.

I believe you could have ordered any rearend you wanted on an SS/RS.

I believe you could have ordered any rearend you wanted on an SS/RS.
Thats what I thought but this guy was positive and he seemed to know alot about the cars of that era.

I believe you could have ordered any rearend you wanted on an SS/RS.


I second that.

I had a guy ask my rear gear ratio and I told him 4.10. He told me the gears were changed at one time because that ratio was not available for my '69 ss/rs when it was new. My rear end is 12 bolt posi with 5 leaf and correct stamping and date code (original). Is this guy correct? I have not found out any info as of yet.

Well I know you could get a 70 with a 4.10, my 70 1/2 Z28 had a 4.10 and TH400 from the factory. 69 had even more options.

Post the axle code off of the front of the passenger side axle tube for us and we can tell you what gears the car came with.

Crawled under the car this am and got the numbers. Wrote them down when I purchased the car, but dont know where I put it! So its good to have for records.
BL? 0916O2 or G2?. An E below these numbers. Really hard to see/read. Cast date on upper L. center section is L 118. Dont know how to find out ratio by these numbers. How do you?
I know it is a 4.10 or 4.11 because I did the drive shaft/ wheel turn check.

Are you certain that's a BL? I'm showing for BL, a 3.07:1 non-posi, but the E under the numbers stands for Eaton Posi. The 0916 is Sept, 16th day. G is for Detroit Gear and Axle. For it to have come with a 4.10:1, the axle code would have been QY.....or BE for a COPO 4.10:1 Posi. Get some steel wool and make sure that's not a BE!!!

Now I am really confused. Went back under the car and cleaned and scraped with a razor blade. It is a BI or BL or BE or BT? (looks like a faint strait line) too hard to tell for sure 0916G2 and an E (or I) below. Could this rear end posibly only come with a COPO car?!

Further confusion: The build date on my car's cowl tag is 9B (early Norwood no X code). Second week of sept.(?). Is it possible to have a rear end with build (casting) date of Sept. 11 '68 as this is so close to the body build date?:confused:

A Z/28 or L78 car could have had 4.10s. Standard on COPO.

Clean again and post a picture please. Of all dates, 9/11/68.

Just found this http://www.camaros.net/years/69/69rearcodes.html DUH! How could I have missed it?!
Hard to get this photo without a hoist. I am on vacation to do the 'honey do's' (some vacation) but will try to take some later. I will guess that the letter is a T but may never be sure.

Assuming the rear has not been apart before, you can verify the "BE" code question by numbers/dates stamped on the ring & pinion and the posi unit assembly code.
All of the numbers are easy to read when the cover is removed.
If it is a Sept 68 "BE", it is the earliest one that I have ever heard of and would make for some good data for Kurt at the CRG.

On a different note, I have been told the A/C cars could not be ordered with 4.10 or higher gearing. I don't know this to be a positive rule and would like to hear if anyone can verify this.

Hope this was of some help.

Eric

According to a print out of 1968 Camaro power teams, 295-hp 350 engine had these options:

(4 speed) 3.73, 4.10, 4.56, 4.88. (non a/c) (no listings for a/c?)

The lowest listed axle gear on any other 1968 Camaro (a/c or non- a/c) (automatic or 3-speed manual ) was 3.55 for 10 bolt, 3.73 for 12 bolt with powerglide or special 3-speed manual.

I will see if I can locate the 1969 Camaro information.

Mike where is that information from?

Fwiw, my "box unchecked", special-ordered by me, '67 car came stock with 3.31's!! (350SS/RS, M-20, posi car..)...

I figure the Z-'s came with stock 3.73's but don't know about the 375hp/396 SS cars?? But looking back 3.73's for them too is my guess.

I say this b/c the Salesman talked to me for about 5 minutes asking and telling what and why about the gears and I said, heck, "Stock should be fine!" which it STILL is!! I dearly love my old 3.31's!!

pdq67

The information I have is from a 1981 book "Camaro! Chevy's Classy Chassis" by Ray Miller (Evergreen Press). For each year Camaro they have in the book, they have what appears to be a copy of GM powertrain specs on a chart.

For 1969, the highest ratio gear listed was 4.10, and (like the 1968) it was in the 4 speed 350 engine Camaros.

According to the 1969 Dealer Ordering Information, the AMA specs, and the Chevrolet Engineering Specs, the 4.10 axle was not available on any car with air conditioning.
:beers:

As well, the graphs in the book I mentioned only indicated the 4.10 axle for non-ac cars (1968, 1969).

John,

Onna my friends had a '69 Z- car with I think 4.10's and another friend had a '69, 375hp/396 w/ 3.73's AND I always wanted to get them together on the old Hwy 63 north of town at Atlanta, Mo back then just see WHO would "eat the cabbage"..

Never happened!!

pdq67

The first BE was much later than September of 68...

Thanks John and Mike for answering the A/C question for me.

James the earliest BE I have seen is from Nov 68. I think that is when the complete assemblies were started. Does that match with your info?
I have seen the 234 units and 3917971 gearsets dated back to 67, but never any listing for complete rear assemblies with these parts.

Mark, have you had any luck with the numbers from the rear's internals?

Eric

I wont be opening the rear end any time soon (I hope). I used some spectacles and took a close look at it. Still faint, but i'm sure now it's a BT stamping. Looking hard at the rear cover shows some blue silicone at the gasket area. Pritty sure that's not stock! The 4.10's should work well with the TKO600 i'm putin' in right now! Honey Do list is done.
Thanks for all the info guys.
ps- I should have asked that guy if he was a TEAM MEMBER. Smart Fella.

3:73 's do work well with Tk0 600 and I am considering 4:10 as I used to have with a muncie but over all the 3:73 is ideal for me. 70 @ 2250 rpm. 140 @ 4400 or so..Beyond that its "O Wow"