[Formulajones]

One inch difference Will.
2nd gen f-body increased width one inch but spring purches are in same location.
71-72 Nova used same width rear as a first gen f-body

[Formulajones]

Strange c-clip eliminator axles are all I'd recommend, especially a street car.
Taper bearing and sealed well.
Moser was a nightmare. Long story. went through that stuff 20 years ago and I doubt it's changed.

[grivera]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

One inch difference Will.
2nd gen f-body increased width one inch but spring purches are in same location.
71-72 Nova used same width rear as a first gen f-body

Thank you - my goal is to gain room for tires with the narrower rear and some trimming of the wheel well lips!

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

One inch difference Will.
2nd gen f-body increased width one inch but spring purches are in same location.
71-72 Nova used same width rear as a first gen f-body

8.5 Nova rears are exact same width as OEM '67-69 CAMARO rears & '68-71 Nova rears.
'67 -69 Firebirds all used an 8.2 Pontiac rear that is a hair over 1/2" wider on each side. By going to a Nova 8.5 rear in a 1st Gen Bird, one will gain that 1/2" per side tire clearance at the wheel well lip. That's just an additional plus, the main pluses are the added strength & availability of aftermarket parts of the 8.5 rear.

A '72 Nova (or Ventura) 8.5 rear is a one year monoleaf housing. Over the last 25 years ive built up nearly 2 dozen 72 8.5 monoleaf Nova rears for early Camaro's, & '68-72 Novas, and even later street/strip Novas that chose to run monoleaf rear springs. Running multileaf rear springs, it not that hard to cut some steel plate & make spacers for U bolts & T bolts to go through each side to take up the space between the perch & the stock shock plate or shock plate on a Lakewood tractionbar.

[grivera]

I didn't realize it would be a mono-leaf rear. Is a multi-leaf better?

[Formulajones]

Not entirely. The 72 SS nova was a multi leaf 8.5 inch application. Others were mono leaf. Not that difficult to remedy either way.

Matter of fact, I have a complete 72 SS nova 8.5" rear here, positraction with 3.42 gears that I robbed out of a wrecked 72 SS 350/4-speed nova decades ago, multi leaf purches and and grabbed the springs while I was at it. Dime a dozen then but it's a somewhat rare piece to come across these days.

[grivera]

So the rear is an 8.5 posi multi-leaf from 72 Nova. Pics attached. Seller says axles are in his garage somewhere. Good deal at $250?

[Formulajones]

Yep. Multi leaf in 72 is SS Nova only as far as I'm aware, and not easy to find these days.

Gear ratio has likely been changed to 3.73 as I believe a 3.42 is the steepest gear offered on that car in 1972, and only available with the 4 speed if I remember correctly. Check the axle code, should be JS. A pretty scarce piece.

If not, I'd like to see a closer pic of those multi leaf purch welds. That looks awfully pretty for a factory weld.

Not that this matters really for what you're doing. If all else looks good I don't have a problem with the price, I'd use it.

[grivera]

Thanks for the tips- Think I’ll grab it and get it built!

['ol Pinion head]

Have never had a '72 Nova or Ventura 8.5 hsg with multileaf perchs. have 3 '72 mono leafs in the racks right now & am running low on '73-79 X multileaf housings.

If the housing is factory posi coded, it's very possible the original posi unit was a Warner-Motive cone style. The posi in the pic is def a cone style. Def worth $250, cleaned and painted I've been at that on a '72 mono hsg & rear cover for quite some time. Typ don't price the multi leaf Xbody hsgs that much in a build, but the days of buying them cheap are pretty much over.

[grivera]

More close up pics:

[amcmike]

Go get it.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Have never had a '72 Nova or Ventura 8.5 hsg with multileaf perchs. have 3 '72 mono leafs in the racks right now & am running low on '73-79 X multileaf housings.

If the housing is factory posi coded, it's very possible the original posi unit was a Warner-Motive cone style. The posi in the pic is def a cone style. Def worth $250, cleaned and painted I've been at that on a '72 mono hsg & rear cover for quite some time. Typ don't price the multi leaf Xbody hsgs that much in a build, but the days of buying them cheap are pretty much over.

If I ever get around to building the shelving unit I need and stack the pile of rearends I have stashed in an orderly fashion, I'll snap a pic of that 72 multi leaf I have. The GM posi in that one is the "S" clip clutch style Eaton. Right now it's buried with about a dozen other rearends.

[FrankieT/A]

I use the pinion yoke from a 90's Chevy pick up. Its a 1350 and bolted right on the 10 bolt. Junk yard $20 bucks

[Navy Horn 16]

I'm not going near as fast as some of these guys*, but I put an Eaton Tru Trac in my 77 to replace the factory S spring unit, and I love the hell out of it.

*yet

[grivera]

I’m not well schooled in posi rears- is it clear it’s a posi based on pictures?

[b-man]

Originally Posted by grivera

I’m not well schooled in posi rears- is it clear it’s a posi based on pictures?

Most definitely a posi.

['ol Pinion head]

Def a cone type 8.5 posi carrier, believe its an original Warner-Motive, have had a few 71-73 original 8.5 rears with them. Still have an original 71 3.08 posi Firebird rear with its worn out Warner-Motive cone type carrier in it. The crosspin was galled & prev owner beat on the pin with a big punch & sledge & bottomed the pin out against the pinion. Didnt know what he was doing. Since the C clips won't drop, I began taking my cutting torch to the cast steel carrier. Real PITA to deal with, just like prev owner

[grivera]

Thank you

[wovenweb]

Originally Posted by grivera

Thanks for the tip...

Thanks for the fingertips!

About half my pictures have mine in them. Glad to see I'm not alone. Or were you trying to hide items in the background?