So my son got a posi 373 diff carrier ***y. (was told it was from a S10) and we are tring to install it into the 10 bolt housing under his 54 Chevy sedan. The axle under the car is from a 81 Cutl*** and has 26 spline axles. The diff. ***y. from the S10 has 28 spline side gears. Is there some way to solve this other than spending a couple of hunderd on new axles? Do they make side gears with 26 splines that will fit this carrier? Any one have any for sale? any one have any axles for sale cheap?
Probably easier to just put an S-10 rear in the car. Are you sure both gear sets are the same size I was thinking the G body had a 8.2 rear and the S-10 had a 7.5 ?
I have a S10- 7-1/2 carrier that had 3.42 gears so it is the same as yours...but not exactly because mine isn't posi. S10 and G body 7-1/2 are interchangable.I don't know if the posi and open diff side gears will swap,probably not.But PM me if you can use it. You can get used axles,like a million G body cars around...I'm pretty sure the 28 spline axles have metric studs, so keep that in mind ...
Swade41, The Olds rear is a 7 1/2" rear and the S10 is marked 7.62" and I understand they will interchange. Turckedup, I was looking at the side gears in the "open" diff. from the Olds and they don't look like they will interchange. One side is purtty-tore-up if you know what I mean! Maybe thats what I should do, try to find some junk yard axles. Is that what that cutl*** was, a "G" body?
The difference is in the year model s10 diff. the later stuff has 28 spline axles. The early GM gbody rears are 26 spline. Hit the local pik and pull and get the later gbody axles about 84-87 and they should be 28 spline. I had encountered the same problem in my 1979 hurst olds. Ended up with the later axles.
I wasn't sure on that rear size, but I knew it was smaller than the rear in my 86 T-Type which was an 8.5. Sounds like the question is being answered now though.
Just can't make a 26 spline and 28 spline fit together . The only way is to get axles that are 28 spline . You can get a set of new ones for less than $300 . But for that much I would just get another rear in a salvage yard . You can also find some 28 spline axles that will work maybe . Retro Jim
The 28 spline axle will be a little stronger than the 26 spline, something to consider. The carrier case is the weak point in the 7.5 and 7.625 10 bolt rears. There is a company on e-bay, s10warehouse, they specialize in S-10's, they are from Bradenton, Florida and have reasonable prices on the axles you need. I have purchased from them b4, no issues at all. BDM
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