Just wondering what they are like? My 55 came with a 10 bolt 8.5, pretty well setup ready to go drag racing, strange gears & posi, moser cover and c clip eliminators, etc. The problem is I'm going to be driving this thing a lot, and from what I've been reading they are for drag race only due to their ability to leak a lot and not take side loading. Would I be better off from the start here to bite the bullet and stick some 9" ends or moser 7900FM ends on? Would that solve any future problems as far as reliability and leaking on a 10 bolt diff? Are people running C clip eliminators on 10/12 bolts trouble free? I really hate doing things twice, but there is always budget constraints, with new ends I'm sure I'll need new axles. I currently don't have brakes, so I don't need to worry about reusing anything there. Thanks for the help.
The thing I don't like about the weld on ends has to do with the bearings, I'm just not a fan of sealed bearings...
Dad was racing with his 12 bolt and c-clip eliminators for years, along with some street driving. His car is a '71 Lemans station wagon so it has a lot weight on the rear axle. No leaks or bearing problem in 15 years or more.
Long time ago I had a Chevy 12 bolt, with Oldsmobile 12 bolt ends. The Olds ends eliminate the c-clips. I think Pontiac had a similar setup. The Olds 12 bolt is kind of bastardized 10 bolt with some improvement items. But my point is drove all over on street for many years and no leaks.
Can't help with the C clip eliminators but I approached my 10 bolt axle issue differently. Mine came in a '46 Ford Tudor that we brought in from CA and it was a little to wide to allow the rear wheels to come off easily without jacking it up under the chassis both sides and let the rear end hang down ....... you still had to wrestle the wheels to get them out of the fender openings. Something had to be done as I didn't fancy being stuck on the side of the road with a flat and then having to fight with it to change the tire. Was originally going to buy earlier model Camaro axles (3/4" shorter) and then narrow the housing but I would still have the undesirable C clips. By accident I came across NOS Commodore (Aussie GM model) 28 spline axles that were a suitable length and had matching 28 splines, they also have conventional tapered roller style wheel bearings/seals. Adding to that I was able incorporate the Commodore rear disc brake assemblies. The awkward part of the conversion entailed me machining new housing ends and retainers to suit the bearings and brake attachments ...... fortunately being a toolmaker and having a 250A TIG welder helps with these jobs. Maybe you could be lucky enough to find a Ford 28 spline axle length that suits you and just weld on readily available Ford housing ends and use Ford brakes. BTW: 10 bolt axles are the same length both sides ...... GM and Ford use the same 45 degrees pressure angle 28 splines. Good luck with whatever you do.
Thanks for the replies, I did talk to Moser, they weren't super helpful.. Offered advice of buy some type of different ends and axles and brakes, really thought they'd try to sell me on something, or offer a part number atleast. The axles are just stock in there now, so having to buy new axles isn't a big deal. Just finding someone with a jig around here to weld new ends may be tricky. I also don't want the diff to be any narrower as a little tire stick out is what I want on the 55. Waiting to hear back from some other manufacturers for their advice.
Had them on an OT Camaro 8.5" 10bolt for decades, and mostly street driven. Never heard anyone ever say they were only for drag racing, and never saw any sign of leakage. Never saw any reason they wouldn't take side loading, as the design is no different than any bearing setup that doesn't have C clips. Mine were Strange Engineering brand, and had a two piece aluminum housing the bearing was captured inside. It sat outside the axle tube and inside the rear drums. The housing has it's own seal to prevent leaks, so there's no issues with leaking into the brakes.
Strange recommends theirs for drag racing only, but I believe they have a street/strip version with a tapered bearing that might be worth me looking into, I had forgot about that Mine are moser I’m pretty sure, one piece block, also only recommended for drag racing they say. Good to hear you didn’t have any problems.
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