I decided that I need a posi in my 1967 Malibu. The car currently has a 283 with a Powerglide. Lots of questions:

How do I know what style rear end my car has: 8.2", 8.5", 10 bolt?

I have a 3.08 rear gear near as I can tell. Can you install a posi regardless of rear axle ratio?

What is my best choice for value (not necessarily cheapest)? Eaton, Detroit Locker, Powertrax? I would like something reasonably quiet that will hold up to whatever small block I build in the future.

What kind of special tools will I need? Do the posi's come with a good installation guide?

Thanks for taking the time to answer my many questions! :confused:

Malibu_fan Did you check out my recent post about Eaton posi's? I have a 66 Malibu and it has a 8.2 ring in it. I also originally had a 3.08 in mine but blew it up. So I went with a 355. It helped all around plus I can still drive it on the highway. Check out www.gearsrus.com (http://www.gearsrus.com) and take a look at their tech page to make sure what you have in it. I also used to have a 283 in mine. Gears R Us has Eaton posi's on Ebay for $309. Check it out. Burn rubber not your soul!!! :cool:

I also used to have a Powerglide in my 66 Malibu but blew it up and went with the TH350. Screamer now!!

Yes, you can put a posi in your rear end if you have a 3 series gear ratio. The 3 series posi is the only one being made now. The Eaton is the best posi. You will need a dial indicator with a magnetic base and a torque wrench. You will also need a good differential shim set. You should have a 8.2 10 bolt in your car.

The concensus is that the Eaton is best.

Does it come with good instructions? Can I set it up in a afternoon?

It comes with no instructions at all. You must know how to install it. You will need a dial indicator to check the backlash on the ring gear BEFORE you remove your old differential so you will know what to set it at when you put the posi in. You will need a good shim set so you can set the backlash and bearing preload. The original shims won't work because of machining tollerances. You will need a torque wrench to torque the ring gear bolts and bearing cap bolts. You will also need new bearings and races for the posi, and they will have to be pressed on. If you have never done this before then you may not be able to do it in a afternoon. It takes me about 3 hours, but I do them all the time.