In searching for a S-10 rear end out of a 90's 4x4 S-10 I know some were posi. I have had someone tell me NOT to consider a posi unit in a car as light as a T bucket because if one tire is spinning and the other one hooks up you could have your hands full in a bad way. Is there any truth to this? The car is going to run cartoon whitewall slicks in the rear with a 350/350. With those slicks I don't see it hooking up very hard anyway. Eveytime I see somebody get on it with them they seem to spin pretty easy. So for a bucket, posi or no?
I went posi in a 9" Maverick rearend in my 27 Roadster, powered by a SBC. I jumped up the gears to a 3.45, I like the way it helps it "hook up".
I never had any problems. 350/350 with a shift kit into a chrysler 83/4 with a sure grip with 4.10. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
When I was first building my T, I called Brian at Total Performance and he told me that due to a T Buckets light weight, I'd find myself in a world of shit. So, I didn't even look for one. As I drive through my neighborhood, the dual rubber patches in front of the house where the V8 S-10 pickup guy lives, make me wish for one. Taking off with a open rearend is fun, but sliding sideways isn't. Although, my friends seem to get a kick out of it. The T Buckets being built by Hot Rod magazine and Rod & Custom both had a posi rearend. So, for my next build, a lakester of some sort, I'm thinking it's going to happen. But, I'd still like the opinion of a few HAMBers.
What's wrong with going sideways during a burnout? I do it in my 26Ford T powered by a blown Flathead all of the time. When it tries to kill me, I know that it's running right!
There would be some truth in that if the whole car is a P.O.S in the handling department. If you WANT the tyres to break loose you'd de taking a risk. The whole point of a posi is a traction aid. A lightweight vehicle like a T-Bucket should launch pretty good compared to a heavy car. So if "they seem to spin pretty easy" you are looking at a bad example Over the years of racing evolution rear-ends got narrower to aid this issue
I guess I am getting too old. I prefer to have my burn outs somewhat predictable......so I used an open S10 rear end in my "T" Coupester.. Cheers......
The wrong is that it looks like the cars out of control and actually, it is. When I stomp, I want to go straight and I want to do it quickly. Every now and then, road conditions have allowed me to do it and it was fantastic. Usually, I stomp, go sideways, get off the gas for a second, regain traction, then scoot straight. I think going to a posi would eliminate the "sideways/get off the gas" and go straight to the "scoot straight" factor. Problem is, would the low weight of a T make a posi behave badly?
I did it, and , it was a handful for sure! Glass 23T weighed in at 1700lbs, bias was 600lbs on the nose, 1100 on the rear, so it dominated the traction with L60-15s as opposed to the motorcycle front tires! I learned to roll up to a intersection for a turn and lift on the throttle to plant the front wheels in order to turn, if you tried to turn under throttle it would scoot you forward! Just had to adapt and over come. Later I did put a open diff in and it made the car really driveable, day and night. I built this car around 1984 or so.
The problem with a posi in a car with very little weight on the front end with skinny little tires is if you happen to hit a slick spot (wet leaves, a little oil spread by water) you will have an experience you won't soon forget when making a turn under power.
"I think you'll find it wont spin very much....but it will take off like a bullet!! " from my 45 yrs driving my t bucket a posi wont hurt a thing except it will increase rear tire ware because there isnt enough weight to make the posi clutches slip, and those early style slicks are sticky when hot and they will do there intended job. old man bob p/s I didnt think anybody remembered L-60 tires but me...... LOL
I put an Auburn limited slip unit out of a Trans Am in the S10 rear under my T. I've never had a problem with control on hard launches EXCEPT the one time I got the tires wet. The back of the car stepped out QUICK and I had to get out of the gas before it swapped ends. It probably would have done the same thing with a peg leg rear on wet tires. What I have noticed with the posi unit is that the car will push the front end out (understeer) on sharp curves like mountain roads. The car turns in good, but as you get on the gas, you can feel it push. The more throttle you give it the harder it pushes. On my car it's fairly predictable once you get used to it and it doesn't bother me much any more. My car hooks up very good even with fairly narrow tires (255 70's). Of course it does carry close to 60% of it's weight on the rear tires.
Funny story - OT k5 blazer with a fresh posi traction rear end switched from an open rear end. After the drive way test came the road test. So turn out of the driveway and goosed it. Less than 100 feet away from the drive way on dewy road, an unplanned 75* right turn into the ditch. Got out and locked in the 4x4 and backed right out of there. That's not a tea bucket that's a heavy ass 4x4. But it was my stupid mistake for doing it on a dewy road.
Fitzee's T had a 454,T350, on into a GM Posi with 3.42's(?). I didn't notice any nastiness from having a posi out back whenever I drove it. Then again I was driving it normally. Fitzee had lots of hard driving on it but I never heard him mention it was scary...although it WAS capable of 11 second passes in the quarter so of course demanded respect! Im iffy about the s10 style posi though. Unless I'm mistaken it's a GovLoc that senses wheel spin and THEN activates to put power to both wheels. I'm thinking that might be a bit touchy in something like a light T bucket...cutting in and cutting out like that. Don't know for sure...just a bit weary of the potential for odd handling.
So, if the roads damp or wet or you're trying to turn, you have to be careful. Got it. Guess I'll stick with my open. Around here, there's always a yard sprinkler going with the water spraying the street or even a wet spot in a weird place. But I sure do like those dual patches of rubber.
This, this, this, THIS! You need to drive a car with a limited-slip differential if you haven't. Every car I've owned save for my first one was either limited-slip equipped or swapped to an LSD shortly after taking ownership. It is far more fun and predictable in my mind as long as proper tires, weight distribution and drivetrain are in place. The low weight and wild weight ratio will make a T unwieldy without decent tires, open or Posi and even then you'll be working at it if you carry a heavy foot. One wheel peel is worth a laugh and won't take you anywhere 'scary', but we aren't Mrs.Daisey here and owning these types of cars includes a certain responsibility to advanced driving ability.
Actually it's not that bad. I've driven my bucket in rain so hard you could barely see. The one time it did get wild, I was deliberately trying to spin the tires. I didn't realize the tires were wet. The push on curves thing was discovered on the Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee. We're talking very sharp curves and switchbacks. Of course me driving it hard like a sports car probably didn't help any. It was fun to turn into a switchback, goose the throttle and snap the rear around.
I always thought you were supposed to steer with the throttle! Thinking outside the box, how about an air locker? Lock it when you wanted to go straight, unlock it in the twisties. I don't know how you would activate it, maybe a small electric pump hidden in the turtle deck/pick-up box.
I have an open diff in my truck. 11 inch wide tires and both spin in the wet, sideways, and it's spun out on me before. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I belive back in the day don garlits said don't run posi in rails for the same reason, hit a patch of oil and....
I always heard that a posi in a short wb, light weight hot rod would give it not so good handling characteristics, especially on turns, like coming off an on ramp. But I have changed my mind since installing a Trac Loc in my 27, it handles just the same as when I had a one wheeler and if I really get on it the ass end will move just slightly to the right but then it straightens out right after that. One thing that I can't explain is that the car is really a lot worse when the roads are wet. I drove it for years in pouring rain and it would pull out of a red light fine and go right down the road. But now it is like being on ice, even when I shift into high gear it still wants to skate slightly sideways on me. It could be that I am running about twice the hp I ran before and also am running 4.30 gears vs the 3.70's I ran for years, but something has changed. Don
Nothin' wrong with a little "dirt trackin" around town with a loose rear end. I love having the added traction.
I can't imagine not having a limited slip. Mines been driven in the rain more than once with the Hurst slicks and no problems just exercise good throttle control. Common sense goes a long way when you drive a 1600 lb car with too much power and not enough traction.
The Jalopy Journal
