fly1

Debating between a 8.5 10 bolt or possibly a strange s60. The car is a 83 cutlass 455 engine and a 200r4 tranny. Now the Dana 60 is indestructible, heavier and may rob a lil more power but its worryfree. I like the 8.5 its a direct fit but can it handle BBO torque.

gearheads78

A well built 8.5 is good for high 10's. Make sure to weld the tubes run c-clip eliminators and good axles. If you plan on making 550 HP plus you might consider the S60. They are pretty much bullet proof up to the low 1000 HP range

compedgemarine

when one of the magazines did a test between a ford 9", gm 12 bolt and the dana 60 it was found that the actual difference in power to the tires was so small that tuning or weather would make more difference. I think if it was my money I would rather spend it once and go with the S60 and never worry again. I doubt you would ever notice any loss is performance with the added weight or power requirement.

Run to Rund

you can get a Strange 60 with ears cast into it for an A body but I don't know about a G body. OTOH, Quick Performance can sell you a bolt in 9" Ford and they are very strong if built well. By the time you build up a diff, they all cost about the same, $2000-3000 unless you have a lot of stuff to start with. I like the strength of the Detroit Locker, which is available for the 60 and the 9". The 60 will end up around 40 lb more than a 9" and you can further lighten the 9 with the Moser or Mark Williams aluminum carrier (saves about 15 lb). decide what to do first, because 31 and 35 spline axles cost the same, centers with 3.06" or 3.25" side bearings cost the same, etc. You can get the strongest stuff for the 9" at about the same cost as the medium stuff. Same thing with the 35 spline pinion and pro gears, the daytona support and yoke cost the same for either.

507OLDS

A poperly built 8.5" 10-bolt will handle gobs of power.It is also the lightest-weight,as far as taking power to turn it.This would cost the least to build.
The Dana 60 is just plain awesome,but would be the most expensive,and the only place it has shown to possibly rob power,is at the high-end of the track.It is the heaviest,but is the beefiest thing out there.
Regardless of what you choose,you still need good parts inside it.The Detroit Locker is the best differential you can get for either one of those rears.Do NOT confuse this with a Detroit Tru Trac,which is more for the road course guys.The Eaton posis are still good,but you should go through them,when you get it out of the box,and tune it properly.
I agree,I only do things one time,so it does depend on what your goals are with the car.How much power do you plan on making with your 455?Obviously,with the overdrive trans,you plan on driving the car,so it's not just a track car.

fly1

Strange makes a g body housing for the s60 that's supposedly a easy bolt in. I'm trying to get the engine in the 500hp 600ft lbs range while maintaining good street manners. Under no circumstances do I want a turbo 4 or 6 banger to stand a chance and I don't want to be breaking thing in the process. So that's why the Dana 60 is looking good to me. But since I'm a blue collar guy the 8.5 might be a little more economical if it will hold up.

malibu406

I put a Moser 9" with 35 spline axles, nodular center section, Detriot Locker, 3.73's, 1350 u-joints, and F-150 drum break setup in my 81 Malibu. Everything fit perfectly and it was a nice unit. It was pricey even in 2002.

This is all behind a 406 chevy, t-400, 8-inch ATI converter, cheeta manual valve body and S-10 manual steering. I still run it on the street, but it is starting to resemble the driving characteristics of an M1 tank!