swaybar question

[mdkingsley]

I bought a posi rear end that is from a 75 Pontiac station wagon. The sway bar is shaped different than the one on my 76 442. Can anyone tell me the difference or which one may be better? They both are the same diameter

[jds1976cutlassS]

I'm not positive, but I dont think station wagon rear axle parts will work on 2dr-4dr cars,somthing about the width and mounting.Does the swaybar look like it'll bolt up?

[mdkingsley]

I measured drum to drum and they were both 55 inches everything looks the same but the sway bar is different. My 76 442 swaybar bolts to the bottom of the trailing arms and then goes across and under the axle as you have probably seen before, but the one on the rear end I bought has some very pronounced bends and turns in it. I will have to take pics of both and show them. Its kinda hard to explain the difference without a Pic to look at.

[jds1976cutlassS]

While I was at the salvage yard today I peeked under a '76 vista crusier to see if anything was different from my Cutlass,looks the same so I guess I'm not much help.The only thing I can think of is maybe it mounted up different in a station wagon.Not to change the subject,but while I was out there I took some great pics but I cant get them to upload,said the file size was too big.Help! I want to share these!

[mdkingsley]

Okay anybody with a 77 book? I need this decoded my 76 book does'nt cover it. It is a 77 8.5 rear 7LZK077. After looking at my 76 book I found out the guy I bought it from was incorrect ,thought it was from a station wagon but that is incorrect thank goodness since SW rears are 8.7/8. Any help appreciated.

[ragz442]

Okay anybody with a 77 book? I need this decoded my 76 book does'nt cover it. It is a 77 8.5 rear 7LZK077. After looking at my 76 book I found out the guy I bought it from was incorrect ,thought it was from a station wagon but that is incorrect thank goodness since SW rears are 8.7/8. Any help appreciated.


I checked my '77 service manual, wagons had a 8 3/4" diff. The graph in the manual for i.d. codes states 7 [model year] LZ [axle ratio and type] K [manufacturer] 077 day built. On the chart on the next page I don't see an LZ code though, there's an LA, LX, LF and LT. They are all in the 88-98 model [ex. wagons] 8 1/2" with 7/16" wheel studs and all conventional [non anti-spin] diffs.

[Stocker]

Isn't the K for GM Canada? Would that mean that the axle is from a Canadian-built car?

[ragz442]

Isn't the K for GM Canada? Would that mean that the axle is from a Canadian-built car?
Good question. The other MFR codes are BOPC, so I figured they were Buick, Olds, Pontiac and Caddy, or is it Chevy? I'm sure they probably explain it somewhere in the manual, but I didn't investigate any further.

[mdkingsley]

Thanks for the help. It leaves me a little confused After comparing the pics in my 76 manual and measuring it it is definently an 8.5 10 bolt clutch style posi measuring 55 inches plate to plate. I am taking it to the shop next week to have 30 spline spider gears a 342 and new axles with disc brakes. Can't wait to get it back and under my car. Thanks for the investigation.