Hi guys,
I have an '85 GSL-SE. The rear end went out. According to the factory manual troubleshooting guide, it sounded like the ring/pinion gears.

I have the opertunity to get a LSD differential from a GSL. (The housing, LSD, gearing, etc.) I know that the GSL had a lower gearing ratio. Other than that, are there any other problems?

Will the GSL differential housing bolt to the GSL-SE axel housing, etc.?
If I want to fix my speedo reading after the swap, what is involved?

Thanks for your help

Ben

 

The GSL diff is from a 1983. I'm reading in some past posts that my 1985 axels will not fit with the 83 GSL diff. Is that true?

Ben

 

I don't know about the axles, but the gsl has a smaller carrier than the SE. Also your low end will suffer a bit because the gsl has 3.90xx gears and I believe the SE gears are over 4.00.

 

I remember, Your SE axles won't fit in a gsl rearend because the bearings are larger to support the thicker axles of the GSL-SE.

 

if the gsl was 84/85 i think the axles would still fit..

 

I put a rearend from an 84 gsl in my SE. Take the axles out of the SE and slide them in the GSL rear. Yes, they will fit. You need to keep the SE axles due to the bigger rotors. Otherwise I do believe you will have to switch the calipers. There was no difference in the size of the bearings either. It isn't a real hard job, 3hrs. The clutch and pilot bearing was harder.

As for the difference on the low end,......not even enough to notice. The 60' time with the 4:076 was not any faster than with the 3:93 from the GSL. Maybe it is a 3:90, either way 2.2 60', and I do run it alot.

 

all 84//85 axes and lsd units are interchangeable!!!!the only difference is the se axles are a differenf bolt pattern, and the se brakes are bigger......


here is where it gets confusing..........83 was the cutoff.....= early models used small axle rear ends late model 83 got big axle units.......

you can tell what rear end the car has by the deiveshaft flange it has......small axle uses bolts that thread into the rear end flange.........big axle uses a nut and bolt combonation .......bam that should ckear things up!!!


www.Rotaryshack.com is where the fat is!!!!!

 

Damn, never knew some of the 83's got the bigger axles, thanks Robert!

 

no problem fat ***, go eat some cheese!!!! j/k

 

Oooo cheese = some tear jerkin bad gas!! I mean BAD!!!

 

Ok, but he did say he was buying the 83" third member, not 84/85. Also the common axles/rearend on the 83 gsl are the small axles.

Here's a question for Robert, Supposedly all 83 and before diffs swap between cars right? I went and picked up an 82' gsl diff and the carrier on the pumpkin (the ring on the pumkin that gives it stability) was smaller than the one I had to replace. Physically the bolts lined up but the actual housing didn't line up with the axle housing. Now this rearend has the small axles and the smaller axle bearings so what gives?

 

It changed during 83 late 83 got the big axles, so it depends on what part of '83 the car was built. Also I missed the part where he said it was an '83, my bad.

 

excelent info guys. I will see if it is a big or small axel '83.
If it is a big axel '83, will the 83 diff housing bolt to my '85 axel housing?
thanks...

Ben

 

sounds like it would

 

You should be able to swap both the third member and axle's from the 83 straight into the housing currently under your 85.

Try To get the gear from the Speedometer cable off of the donor car, that should take care of the difference in the rear end Ratio's.

 

When I did mine there was no difference in the speedometer. It plugs in through the tranny.