Chevy Differentials: How to Rebuild the 10- and 12-Bolt

Jefferson Bryant

May 2015 · CarTech Inc

About this ebook

Millions of Chevrolet vehicles were built and sold in the 1960s and 1970s, and the great majority of those were rear-wheel-drive models with differentials known as 10-bolts or 12-bolts. High-performance limited-slip versions of these differentials also have been installed in Camaros, Chevelles, Corvettes, and many other GM muscle cars from 1964 through the 1970s, as well as Chevy and GMC trucks. If you have owned a GM performance car from the 1960s or 1970s, you have owned one of these sturdy, reliable, and versatile differentials.

Many of these differentials are now more than 50 years old and are due for an overhaul. In Chevy Differentials: How to Rebuild the 10- and 12-Bolt, author Jefferson Bryant walks you through the entire process of procuring, evaluating, and rebuilding the perfect differential for your GM application. In this step-by-step guide, you learn how to completely disassemble the differential, evaluate components, and select replacement parts. You're also shown all of the up-to-date techniques for re-assembling the differential and axle. Informative sections on axle identification and replacement parts are also provided. 

Maybe you have found a salvage-yard unit and want to rebuild it to upgrade your existing vehicle. Maybe you would like to install an aftermarket 12-bolt assembly for extreme performance or racing. This is the only book dedicated solely to rebuilding, setting up, and modifying these axle assemblies for long service life and maximum performance. If you’re going to rebuild a Chevy 10- or 12-bolt axle, this book delivers the essential information to get the job done right.

Ratings and reviews

Easy to navigate instructional manual. This is a great addition to my husband's automotive reference collection. Easy to follow, step by step instructions with in color photos to help aleviate any confusion. This couldn't have came at a better time. One of the mechanics at my husband's shop was having difficulties tearing into the rear end of a Chevy at the exact time this came in the mail. The problem was remedied quickly with the help of this book. Being a curious person, and a very nonmechanically inclined person I decided to thumb through this book myself. I actually understood what they were doing as they reassembled parts. 

Doesn't identify most parts. Like schematic. Not impressed, save your money!

The book is all over the place

About the author

A lifelong car guy, Jefferson Bryant has been working on cars since the tender age of 16 when he bought a 1978 Pontiac Firebird. As a hands-on tech writer, he has performed many GM LS engine swaps in his own shop. His work has appeared in the country's top automotive magazines, including Hot Rod, Car Craft, Rod & Custom, Musclecar Enthusiast, and many others. Bryant has written How to Build Max-Performance Buick Engines, the first edition of How to Swap GM LS-Series Engines into Just About Anything, and How to Design and Install In-Car Entertainment Systems. He is a member of the Texas Auto Writers Association.