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1983 Chevy Camaro Rearend - Posi-tive Performance
We Opt Out Of Our 10-Bolt Contract In Our Third-Gen With A Beefy New 12-Bolt And Posi Rearend.
January, 2010
By Joe Rode
Photography by Steven Rupp, Joe Rode
Moving forward with our Project Crossfire Z, an '83 Camaro, we are slowly but surely repairing or replacing most of the worn, abused, and neglected parts on the 140,000-mile beauty. In preparation for the arrival of our 400hp Dart SHP engine (complete details in an upcoming issue), and having our third-gen previously outfitted with a new Phoenix trans, it was time to finish updating our "beast's" drivetrain. Of course, the plans called for a positraction unit for the rearend with a full complement of stiffer gears, new axles, seals, and bearings. Oh, and let's not forget a cast cover with bearing supports to button up all the beef. But, after a couple of hours of filling up our Summit Racing shopping cart, and adding up all of the parts needed to get our factory 71/2-inch 10-bolt up to par (see side bar), we decided that stepping up to the Moser 12-bolt package we'd been eyeing would be money well spent. It was hard to vote against the durability and coolness of Chevy's tried-and-true 12-bolt. Is it worth it?
In an attempt to keep the costs of our project down, we fully intended on a nice build of our stock 71/2-inch ring gear-equipped rearend. But in trying to keep it simple, we ran into a full plate of "as long as you have it apart, you might as well ..." to the tune of about $1,400. While considerably less than the Moser package, when all was said and done, we would still have a 71/2-inch ring gear-equipped rear end, albeit one that would probably handle our 400 hp forever. But what if someday we found 500 or 600 hp to drop in? It's just another thing to consider.
| Parts Inventory |
| Eaton Detroit Truetrac, 28-spline, GM, 7.5 inches, each PN: DTL-912A317 |
$375.95 |
| Moser Engineering aluminum differential covers PN: MSR-7105 |
$159.95 |
| Moser Engineering axle bearings PN: MSR-9563 |
$29.95 |
| Moser Engineering replacement C-clip axles PN: MSR-A102804 |
$244.95 |
| Summit Racing Street &Strip ring-and-pinion sets PN: SUM-741011 |
$149.95 |
| Summit Racing ring-and-pinion installation kits PN: SUM-G7821 |
$79.95 |
| Total Parts |
$1,040.70 |
| Labor |
$350 |
| Total |
$1,390.70 |
| Moser Engineering 12-bolt GM housing and axle packages, bolt-in, Truetrac, 33-spline axles, 3.73:1 ratio, Chevy/Pontiac, Camaro/Firebird |
| PN: MSR-12BHBFCBBDXX |
$2,707.95 |
 Removing the old 10-bolt was...  Removing the old 10-bolt was pretty straightforward, especially if you have the luxury of a rack as we do in the Source Interlink Tech Center. Simply unbolting shocks, panhard bar, control arms, and springs will get the job done. |  Here's our Moser 12-bolt assembly....  Here's our Moser 12-bolt assembly. It comes bolted together and almost ready to go. Every Moser 12-bolt begins life as a brand-new, cast nodular iron housing. We paid an extra $250 to have the assembly powdercoated black from the factory. |  The rearend is a direct bolt-in...  The rearend is a direct bolt-in for our third-gen F-body including spring perches mounted in the stock location and integrated control arm relocation brackets. The extra mounting holes in the relocation brackets allowed us to compensate for control arm down angle on our lowered car. We also ordered our rearend with large bearing, Ford-style ends to more easily allow for the adaption of the aftermarket Baer brakes that we intend to employ. |
 As do all Moser rearend assemblies,...  As do all Moser rearend assemblies, ours came with a set of their 30-spline forged steel axles that are put through an arduous manufacturing and testing process. For an extra $125, you can upgrade to 33-spline axles that are warranted for 10 years. |  Our assembly came loaded with...  Our assembly came loaded with an Eaton Detroit Truetrac posi unit and Motive Gear 3.73 ring-and-pinion set. According to Moser, the Truetrac is the way to go as far as differentials. The unit uses helical gears instead of clutches, so they are considerably more durable. |  The axle seals needed to be...  The axle seals needed to be assembled in the housing before installing the axles. Make sure you do this with the spring side of the seal "in" using the proper seal installer. You don't want these things puking gear lube all over your new brakes. |
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