[frost2000]

hi im wanting to put in a posi or locker on my 81 malibu it has the 7.5 10bolt axle lookin for cheaper also car is going to be a daily driver no track and also is there any axle that i can go the the junkyard and get and just remove the internals to swap them thanks n advance.

[BOBCRMAN@aol.com]

" is there any axle that i can go the the junkyard and get and just remove the internals to swap them"

No. All 7.5 GM rear gears are indidually fitted to the housing. This means re-set must be done by an experienced set up person with tools/parts.

Best bet is find a 7.5 posi and have it installed. Not cheap!!

[AutoGear]

locker in a daily driver? Are you serious? I guess get out your welder and try to make a Lincoln Locker out of it if you're feeling extra thrifty...Going around corners and in parking lots will be an adventure

If you relocate your battery, it'll help until you can afford to swap in a proper axle.

[frost2000]

i think i might just leave it for now

[Blazin72]

A 7.5 10 bolt really isn't worth the money it would cost to upgrade it to a posi or locker. When I was in high school I had a 78 Malibu that I stuck an air bag in the right rear coil spring to give me sort of a "poor mans posi". I think I had it filled to right around 15 psi or so and I was able to spin both rear tires when I punched it from a stop.

Basically all it did was prevent the axle from trying to lift the right rear tire off the ground and forced the car to transfer its weight evenly to both tires.

It might sound silly but it does work. You just have to experiment with the air pressure a bit until you get it just right.

If you relocate your battery I believe it should go over the right rear tire.

[frost2000]

heres a pic of my axle i clean and painted it and got it reinforced so weight over the non spinning wheel will make it spin at the same time as the other?.

and are posi bad when turning corners, and when its snows or rains, i heard that they loose traction really bad in snow and rain

[Blazin72]

When you step on the gas the torque of the driveshaft turning the pinion in the axle tries to twist the axle in one direction around the axis of the driveshaft. When it does this it is trying to lift one tire up and force the other tire into the ground. This is seen by the axle compressing the coil spring on that side of the car and since gravity holds everything to the earth what you actually see is that corner of the car dropping. The air bag prevents the axle from trying to lift the tire. A stiffer coil spring on that corner of the car would do the same thing.

What have you done to the rest of the car? Do you have a more powerful engine? (that doesn't say a whole lot because the stock engines were pathetic, wheezy turds. And that's probably a compliment to them...) Reinforcing the axle housing isn't going to do much because the weak points on those axles are the internals themselves.

[frost2000]

yea it has a mild compcam in it bored over 60 with flat topped pistons airgap intake chrome headers double rollor tiiming edelbrock 600 carb and tbi heads. basically wanted to keep it on the gas savor side but still strong.

heres a pic of it now getting ready to swap frames the frame is reinforced i might build a 383 stroker later

i do have adjustable upper and lower trailing arms. what would u recommend me do to this axle to make it less crapy lol, or should i just leave it be as farr as the internals go

[Blazin72]

Don't do anything to that axle. As long as it's in good shape just leave it be. It will work ok with a mild 350 as long as you aren't beating on it. If you're upping the power then look for an 8.5" 10 bolt. Some of them are bolt in swaps if you get one from another G-body.

[frost2000]

ok sounds good thankf for all your help ill leave it the way it is thanks again

[junior stocker]

Find a G-Body 442 or Turbo Buick rear end (hard to do and costly). Or, swap to an Eaton posi unit (NOT a Gov-loc), some after market gears, and axles; still somewhat costly. I believe the former Southside Machine used to make a kit to install the earlier Chevelle style 10 and 12 bolts into a G-Body; they're no longer in business, and I don't know if anyone else makes the same sort of kit. Might try looking over on MalibuRacing.Com or Gbody.org junior stocker.