chevy s-10 rearend 8.5

[dice64]

What year trucks came with the 8.5 rearend?Is it possible to use this rear in a g-body without modifications?

 

[Blazer406]

In my experience (I went from GN rear... and installed it in an S10).... this is no where close to a bolt in swap.... For starters... the GN rear was much wider (approx 6 in as best I can remember). GN's run factory coil springs with a 4-link. The S10 uses leaf springs. In my case... I cut the lower control arm mount and spring seat off the GN rear.... and welded on leaf spring perches (from a donor rear end) in the correct location to install rear end in my S10. You will have to reverse this process with the addition of fabricating the upper control arm mounts on the rear end......

Hope this helps....

 

[Missouri T]

What year trucks came with the 8.5 rearend?Is it possible to use this rear in a g-body without modifications?

Not sure of the years BUT....
The only S10 that came with the 8.5 is the semi-rare ZR2 off-road package models.
They're far from a bolt-in but the ZR2 8.5 is wider than the standard S10's 7.5/7.625" wee 10 bolt.

My brother is parting out a late-80's (I believe it is) Suburban here with an 8.5 in it for sale. 3.73 geared, if I'm not mistaken.

Best of luck.

 

[Blazer406]

Not sure of the years BUT....
The only S10 that came with the 8.5 is the semi-rare ZR2 off-road package models.
They're far from a bolt-in but the ZR2 8.5 is wider than the standard S10's 7.5/7.625" wee 10 bolt.

My brother is parting out a late-80's (I believe it is) Suburban here with an 8.5 in it for sale. 3.73 geared, if I'm not mistaken.

Best of luck.

I also think the S10 8.5's have the smaller 7.5" axle tubes...... the neck down just outside the pumpkin.....

 

[novaderrik]

In my experience (I went from GN rear... and installed it in an S10).... this is no where close to a bolt in swap.... For starters... the GN rear was much wider (approx 6 in as best I can remember). GN's run factory coil springs with a 4-link. The S10 uses leaf springs. In my case... I cut the lower control arm mount and spring seat off the GN rear.... and welded on leaf spring perches (from a donor rear end) in the correct location to install rear end in my S10. You will have to reverse this process with the addition of fabricating the upper control arm mounts on the rear end......

Hope this helps....

why did you cut up a GN rear to put into an S10? couldn't find a rear out of a mid 70's Camaro?
as for the S truck 8.5- i've never looked at one very close, but the tubes do look pretty beefy on them. i think they were even 30 spline axles. but unless you go to a truck arm or aftermarket4 link setup, it would be pretty much impossible to get them under the car.

 

[Blazer406]

why did you cut up a GN rear to put into an S10? couldn't find a rear out of a mid 70's Camaro?
as for the S truck 8.5- i've never looked at one very close, but the tubes do look pretty beefy on them. i think they were even 30 spline axles. but unless you go to a truck arm or aftermarket4 link setup, it would be pretty much impossible to get them under the car.

The GN was totaled.... hit a bridge going backwards at 70 mph.... actually snapped the PS axle off flush with the backing plate. I got the whole rear for pulling the engine for the guy..... he was a paraplegic (sp?). I put a stock rereplacement axle and bearing in the rear... and did the modifications I mentioned in the post above.... and ran it for about 10 years.

I did pull it before I sold the truck and sold the rear end to a Turbo Buick guy....who sold it to another guy to put in a Monte Carlo I think..... so it did go back to a G-Body at least....

 

[turbofish38]

You could get the 8.5 in any ZR2 or if the powertrain was the 4.3 V-6 with a 5-speed. The non ZR2 autos used the 7.5/7.625.

10 times as many S-10 8.5's out there compared to the G-body. You weren't looking hard enough. The 98 and newer Blazer/Jimmy version came with 4-wheel discs.