Well it seems I can't weld worth a dam as my 8.5" 10 bolt Chevy axle I put in my 67 Firebird parted company with the rest of the car last night! It took out the fuel tank also spilling petrol everywhere! Shame it never caught fire and went up in flames the way I feel about it at the moment. Then I could have claimed on the insurance as it's insured for £12.500($18,750)
The prop came out and the car jumped up at the back a couple of times before grinding to a halt! I jumped out and then saw fuel pouring out and waited for but no fire. There is some damage to the wheel arches and it ripped the side wall out of the passenger side rear tyre. No one was hurt just my pride. I done a few quick lauches before with the car with no problems and I decided I need to give the car at least one almost full throttle launch before I go drag racing to see if the axle install would hold up!
Oh boy was that a mistake but it's better the it broke 5 miles from home than 45 mies from home at the drag strip on the start line. I got the car recovered home ok because I'm in the RAC. They just brought a truck out and loaded it on the back. The police stopped and helped out putting their red lights on directng traffic around me and the highways agancy came out and put stuff on the spilled fuel to soak it up. No oil came out.
It seems my welding was at fault, I had a 2.56 open diff in my car and I needed a LSD axle. I found a 1979 Trans Am axle which is a Chevy 8,5" 10 bolt axle for a reasonble price I put some 3.73 gears in there. 1st gen Pontaic axles are hard to come by in the UK. Because I have a 67 Firebird it has mono leaf springs so I ordered the mono leaf spring perches and TIG welded them on.
On reflection I think the should have been ARC welded. Anyway I could just put my 2.56 Pontiac axle back in with a new fuel tank and a new U joint to get me back on the road but I really want to have the LSD and 3.73s im there so I could mount the Chevy 10 bolt using U clamp bolts through the spring mounts under the shocks.
Has any one put a Chevy 10 bolt in there Firebird using U clamp bolts and if so what size u clamp bolts do I need?
Last edited by ineedalager; 06/03/1105:38 AM.
67 Firebird 350, TH350 auto Convertible, B&M 3000 TC, 4bbl Edelbrock Performer carb and intake Black Jack headers,disc brake conversion. 10 bolt chevy axle with 3.73's and B&M Rachet shifter.
Sorry for your bad luck. Yes, I think you should have arc welded it. I'm guessing you used the factory T-bolts ? You can go with 7/16 NF U-bolts. Factory set-up on 68 and up (all the way to 1981) is one U-bolt and two T-bolts per side. A lot of people go with two U-bolts per side. Some even go with 1/2" NF U-bolts (drag racing, mostly). Frank.
I used a MIG welder I got that wrong in my first post. Yes it's a gas welder and yes to the 4 T bolts. It was all down to my crap welding now I have the Chevy 10 bolt out on the deck and look at where the welds actually pentrated the axle it's no wonder it came out. No more welding for me!
I put my old Pontiac 2.56 axle back in just to get the car mobile today so I could get it back in the garage. My brother says he will reweld it for me as he done a couple before for his 56 Chevy belair he used to own and he thashed the nuts of that and never had an axle problem.
That U clamp fixing with to T bolts sounds good or even 4 or 1/2" ones I am planing on drag racing. Now all I need to know is where I can get some will Rockauto stock those? Remember I'm in the UK so I need some one who does International shipping Rock auto and Summit are good.
Last edited by ineedalager; 06/03/1105:28 PM.
67 Firebird 350, TH350 auto Convertible, B&M 3000 TC, 4bbl Edelbrock Performer carb and intake Black Jack headers,disc brake conversion. 10 bolt chevy axle with 3.73's and B&M Rachet shifter.
I mesured the axle and the spring perches. They are pattern mono leaf spring perhces and the hole centres are 3 1/2" for the u clamps and the axle tube is 3" dia and a u clamp bolt about 7" long should do it.
67 Firebird 350, TH350 auto Convertible, B&M 3000 TC, 4bbl Edelbrock Performer carb and intake Black Jack headers,disc brake conversion. 10 bolt chevy axle with 3.73's and B&M Rachet shifter.
I found some u clamp bolts on Rockauto for a 68 Firebird they are for a multi leaf spring set up I may need some washers or a spacer to make them fit. I have a new tire and a new fuel tank on order the damaged arches can be repaired later.
67 Firebird 350, TH350 auto Convertible, B&M 3000 TC, 4bbl Edelbrock Performer carb and intake Black Jack headers,disc brake conversion. 10 bolt chevy axle with 3.73's and B&M Rachet shifter.
The 68 axke u clanp bolts from Roskauto fitted right in to my mono leaf spring 10 bolt chevy setup I know have the spring perches welded and with 4 axle u clamp bolts all I had to do was cut off 2" of excess thread.
I am now waiting on my fuel tank which is stuck in UK customs for a week so far! That sucks but if it arrives in time drag racing next weekend.
67 Firebird 350, TH350 auto Convertible, B&M 3000 TC, 4bbl Edelbrock Performer carb and intake Black Jack headers,disc brake conversion. 10 bolt chevy axle with 3.73's and B&M Rachet shifter.
