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Hey, gang! It's been a while........ but I'm back!

also, other options are to look for the S10 'ZR2' 4wd S10's- they had an 8.5" rear end and usually 3.71's with posi and disc brakes. Harder to find, but will be a stronger axle-roughly 3" tube and 30 spline axles, but a few inches wider- approx 63"
 
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I'm not a fan of discs on the rear of a Hot rod...BUT...if I were gonna run some, the Factory Blazer etc setup is really nice.

It uses internal park brake units with a single horseshoe shaped internal shoe per side and a simple actuator per side. The rotors aren't oversize and the caliper is a tidy and small package.
I'm 90% sure you can swap the setup between Blazers and other Chev rearends too.
The Blazer rearends (the ones in the 4.3's anyway) are decently strong...but the Gov-Loc doesn't like to be hammered on so thats the fly in the ointment.
They are GOVerned to LOCk when one axle spins at preset rate compared to the other, and the usually do so with a bang...even in slippery conditions.
A friend of mine destroyed one in a 57 Chevy doing a launch on dry pavement. I mean destroyed too!

I wonder is it possible to disable the locking feature and rely on the clutches alone?
In my opinion a locker with a mind of its own is the last thing a little bucket needs anyway!
 
In my opinion a locker with a mind of its own is the last thing a little bucket needs anyway!

And THAT's been on my mind, too. Lot's of good opinions and ideas here. Thanks, guys. Friday, I went to see my friend who does metal fab and builds engines. He had recently installed one of his fresh SBC's in a friends '64 Chevy P/U. He cranked it over to give me an idea what he has planned for me. All I can say is, my thoughts on how much horse power I need this time around, calmed down a bit. Thought that day would never come. :eek:
 
Yea, I always wanted as many ponies as I could pack under the hood. Now I still do, but think about feeding them and being able to harness them.... I am still running a bbc in a bucket, if that's a tell. Still a kid at heart! I have other toys to ride if fuel consumption is an issue, lol.
 
WHOO HOO! Hi Fred! Glad you are back and the site is back up! I had given up on it! I live in Ok. now so we may get to meet. I'm the one that you gave your wire wheel parts to after the cop turned in front of you. I have given up on my '50 Ford project and my wife gave me a '65 Riviera for Christmas so when I get it sorted out I'm continuing with my bucket. John
 
Thanks Lee. I just found out this was back. I have been lost with out bucketeers, so now I have my first site back. Got a few things to tweek on the Riviera and sell the Ford and get back on the bucket. Got a TIG welder and another shop to work in so I'm excited.
 

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Where you been ORF, have not seen you at the Thursday Night Cruisers.
 
Yea, getting there is tough. I pick my grandson up on Thursday and by the time I get there it's to late. My darling wife got tired of waiting on me to do the '50 coupe so she gave me a '65 Riviera for Christmas. It just needs a few tweeks to be done so I need to find a new home for it and I can start on the bucket. Going to a Cruze in Okc a week from Saturday.
 
My darling wife got tired of waiting on me to do the '50 coupe so she gave me a '65 Riviera for Christmas.
Have you completely finished moving into your new home and setup your shop?
 
WHOO HOO! Hi Fred! Glad you are back and the site is back up! I had given up on it! I live in Ok. now so we may get to meet. I'm the one that you gave your wire wheel parts to after the cop turned in front of you. I have given up on my '50 Ford project and my wife gave me a '65 Riviera for Christmas so when I get it sorted out I'm continuing with my bucket. John

Well I'll be! Great to see you back in here too. I look forward to seeing that Riv! Welcome!
 
Have you completely finished moving into your new home and setup your shop?
Not really. Been dragging my feet. I work out with a trainer 2 days a week and have my grand son 3 days a week so I try to survive between those! I have my welder here and want to finish the welding kart I started and get under way. Need to go get steel and get off my butt. I really don't know when I ever worked. My time management sux! I never have time for anything.
 
I called a few auto yards the other day and 8.8's out of a '96 Explorer are going for $350 - $400 with 3:73 gears and disc brakes. So, I'm really leaning in that direction.

The 8.8 has pinion that is way offset. About 2". In that short wheelbase, the driveshaft will be short and at a lot of angle. You might have to narrow it to center the pinion.

I'm going to be using an 8.8" out of a T-Bird Turbo Coupe. The pinion offset is a hair shy of 9/16", it has Trac Lok, 3.73 ratio, and disc brakes. Around here they're dirt cheap...I got mine for $100. The Explorer 8.8" units are the darlings of the Jeep crowd, and that has driven their prices to $300 and up. Potentially 2 drawbacks...they can be hard to find...and they are wide. Around 61.5" face to face. In my case I wanted the additional width because I am setting the body back between the wheels, and my body is wider than stock.

There is a potential additional benefit...the axles are set up for a triangulated 4-link control arm configuration, that can use Fox Body Mustang aftermarket parts. I've not found any references to this suspension being used in a T-Bucket, but I'm going to give it a try with the help of Granatelli racing and Currie components. It's either going to be a cool set-up or a monumental FAIL...LOL
 
Zandos, is the turbo coupe rear independent?

The Fox Body '87 & '88 models, the ones with disc brake 8.8"s, were solid axle...subsequent years were IRS.

A few things I forgot to mention...

These axles are 4x4.25 bolt pattern. This is a problem for some. If it is for you, there are adapters and conversion kits, and some folks tackle redrilling themselves. I figure that the 4 bolt pattern is the same as used on Fox Body Mustangs with V8s, so they're good enough for me. If you are going for a vintage look the wheel selection is slim...but for a more modern theme there a lot of cool wheels intended for Mustangs.

The other thing I forgot to mention concerns the axle ratio. The axles coming from automatic cars will be 3.73 units...manual transmission cars were 4.10s.
 

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