1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rear?

Local yard has this. IT was a 455. Emblems were there and the 455 is now gone.

I know jim (Monzas) has discussed this here as I did a search. Can you help Jim?

It is a posi. What ring gear is this? What years also use this carrier?
Thanks for any help.

Here is a pic.

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

Looks like the 9-3/8" rear end. Internals would be compatible with '67-'70 big cars, except for '67 LeSabre, which for whatever reason didn't get the same big assembly as its Wildcat/Electra/Riviera cousins that year (this may be true for '68 and '69 LeSabre as well, I'm not sure).

Good reading here: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?71740

Devon

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

it is a 9 3/8 big car rear

it shows a posi tag on it but it would need to be opened up to make sure

if it has the 3.42 gears it would make an easy resale
if it has the 2.78-2.93 gears i have seen them sold for around 300 complete

i say get it

jake

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

Look for the 2 letter code on the lower L tube. I believe PY was the code for 3:42 posi. PM was 3:07 and PX was the long lost rarly seen 3:91 I can look it up if needed to be sure.

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

Good info and link Devon!

Jake
Good info as that is what I will do . . . buy it to sell it! Sounds like it is worth the time to pull it.

I do not have room for an entire rear end so I would only be pulling the carrier and gears. (I am way overloaded with parts and cars right now. Time to sell!!)

Any other parts I should grab off the rear that are not available? Drums? axles?

Briz
Very good info. I may go out today but it has been raining. If you can confirm codes that would be great. When you say "lower left tube for code, is that drivers side on the front side or back side?
I know chevy rears are stamped on the pass side front side of the tube.

Tim

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

That would be left as in drivers side. take a piece of sand paper with you and a flashlight View attachment 224824 This PM code was from a 3.07 posi outta my Riv.

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

Thanks Briz!

So is that stamped on the forward facing tube or on the rear facing tube? Can be seen from the same view of my photo? Or do I have to crawl under the drivers seat area and look back at it?

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

It is on the very bottom of the tube mid way between the gear housing and the backing plate. maybe just a little closer to the L wheel.

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

Ok. Thanks. a lot of rust under there. I will see what I can find.

Tim

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

The ratio is engraved on the ring gear.

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

Just pop the cover as it will tell you the condition of the parts and it will tell you if it is posi and it will tell you the gear ratio. IT IS not hard 10 bolt and a screw driver and you are in. Wipe the ring gear outer diameter as you spin it around. You will see the ring part number and the tooth count of the ring and the pinion STAMPED in the ring.

Good luck and wish the best for you. Jim

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

Thanks Jim and Jim and everyone else!

Got it! It is a posi and a 3.23 ratio. 42 13 on the gears.
Gears look real good and the posi seemed tight when I was spinning the wheels.

Tim

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

That is a Gem. Jim

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

wish i could run into a pois rearend!ray:

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

WOW, big car, with 455 AND 3.23 gears W/ Posi:grin: Somebody knew what they wanted when they ordered that car! Big buicks W/455 usually had a 2 series rear and MAYBE a Posi, GET THAT REAR:Brow:

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

Just wondering would you be willing to part with the gears and if so would they interchange in my Wildcat?I have 2.93 gears.Thanks Craig

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

Ive been hoping to one day find the 3:91 gear for the rear.

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

av
Put me in line behind Craig OR Craig if you get this set up I would take your 2.93 gears. I apparently have a 2.73 posi in my 70 Wildcat. Not sure what "perfect" is in the days of $3.50 gas but 3.23 is as high as I would want to go and 3.07 sounds perfect for blended city/highway driving. 2.93 isn't far behind....

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

Wow! Nice catch! A posi on a LeSabre with an authentic 9 3/8 rear end. One wonders how common that was back in the day since the '70 LeSabre was the bottom offering of the entire Buick line that year.

I suspect the vast majority of the '70 LeSabre's used the Buick 8.2 peg legs. That of course begs the question of how many 8.2 rear ends installed with the '70 LeSabre's had posi. Precious few I will wager.

This of course leads to a personal story. Our family drove a '70 LeSabre sedan with the bottom of the line 350 2v engine and THM 350 transmission with virtually no options except PS and PB back during the 1970's through mid 1980's. This was my first car and it was a good car to learn driving skills. The Buick 350 with just 2 venturies did not have enough torque to smoke tires thus keeping me out of trouble with the law.

But I just had try to spin the wheels a few times, right:3gears: One day I found a gravel road that abruptly transitioned to blacktop. Sure enough, I could spin up the rear wheels on gravel and then creep up to the tar road and make some tire smoke. The problem is the abrupt transition puts severe stress on the drive train. Sure enough, I chipped off a tooth from the ring gear and it lodged between the ring and pinion and the car would not move. I then backed up and of course the tooth fell down to bottom of the differential case and allowed me to limp home as the differential made a loud clicking sound that increased in loudness and frequency each time the missing ring gear tooth meshed with the pinion.

I just limped into our neighbor's driveway when I heard a soft grinding noise and silence followed by the spinning of the now free drive shift. When we opened the differential later that day, the pinion and spiders lay at the bottom like broken eggs as my dad described it. Luckily, we found another 70 'Sabre at the local bone yard and swapped it out. Oh and Dad was irate. I did a lot of walking for the next several months.

Memories. ou:

I wonder how many folks in here have broken a Buick 8.2 or even a Buick 9 3/8 rear end?

 

Re: 1970 Buick lesabre 455 with posi. Square cover. What years use this type of rea

I put some serious abuse on the 9.3/8 in both of the Rivs ive owned and never did one of them break. Launch a 4600 lb car @ 3000rpm with drag radials. Wrinkels the tires and the rear held up.