What Rear End Is In My Chevy Truck? [Follow These 3 Steps To Tell]

Car manufacturers offer customers a variety of rear ends depending on the car model. As a Chevy truck owner, you may be wondering about the type of rear end that comes with your vehicle. Luckily, we have the answers and will share them below.

The most popular Chevy rear ends are the ten and 12-bolt, Dana 60, and the 7.5 and 8.2-inch. Although Chevrolet has utilized various rear-end models over the years, all can still be recognized by appearance.

Follow these steps to determine the rear end in your Chevy truck:

  • Locate and count the inspection cover bolts.
  • Check the inspection cover and gasket.
  • Find the rear-end casting date.

Determining the type of rear end in your Chevy truck is an easy task. Keep reading to get detailed information on finding the rear end that comes with your vehicle.

A huge black colored Chevrolet Silverado moving at the highway, What Rear End Is In My Chevy Truck? [Follow These 3 Steps To Tell]

What Is A Rear End On A Truck?

The rear end of an automobile consists of the rear axle and differential gears, both of which are situated at the back of the vehicle and are housed in a casing made of cast iron or aluminum.

Furthermore, the rear end is an essential component since it contributes to applying torque (which may be conceived as a rotating force) to the wheels responsible for propelling the vehicle.

When you turn, the differential, which is simply a complicated box of gears, allows the wheels to turn at different speeds so the vehicle can maintain control.

If there is no difference, anytime you turn, you may drag the outside wheel of your vehicle along the ground.

What Rear End Is In My Chevy Truck?

Silver colored Chevrolet Silverado 1500 at a dealership

While an automobile is out on the road, each vehicle component plays an essential role in its continued operation. The rear end is a crucial component that helps to apply torque.

No matter the propulsion, the vehicle will need a back end regardless of whether it is an all-wheel-drive or rear-drive.

Per automobile experts, the most common Chevy rear ends include 10- and 12-bolt, Dana 60, and the 7.5- and 8.2-inch.

Here is a list of steps to figuring this out:

Step 1: Locate And Count The Inspection Cover Bolts

The first step to take is to find the inspection cover bolts. If you look under the plate number at the back of your car, there is a cover that you can easily recognize.

One can access the differential gears by removing this cover, usually circular and secured with bolts. Next, count the bolt.

Knowing the number of bolts will help you identify the rear-end type installed in your vehicle. There are ten bolts on the rear ends like the GM 10-bolt, 8.25, and Dana 60, there are 12 bolts on the GM 12-bolt rear end, and on the GM 7.25, there are nine bolts.

Step 2: Check The Inspection Cover And Gasket

you can use the gasket size and shape to identify all Chevy truck rear-ends compared with an identification table. You can quickly determine the rear-end type in your Chevy truck by doing this.

Step 3: Find The Rear-End Casting Date

This is positioned on a flat surface pointing upwards at the bottom of the housing. It usually has one letter and three numbers. For instance, C141: The first letter C is the month of manufacture, which is March in this example.

The second and third number is the day of the month, and the last number is the year's decade. A represents January which is the first month of the year. It usually ends in L, which means December.

How Do I Know What Size Rear End I Have In My Truck?

A blue colored Chevy Silverado

If you own a Chevy, determining the dimensions of the trunk rear end should take you no more than a few minutes. You don't need to disassemble the rear end or take your Chevy truck to a mechanic workshop to know the rear end size.

Chevy has made it relatively simple to determine the size of the rear end of your vehicle without getting your hands dirty in the process.

Here is how to find the size of your truck's rear end:

Step 1: Check Your Vehicle's Manual

Check the guidelines in the manual that came with your vehicle. You can also consult the 'Chevy Repair Manual' for more information.

Step 2: Check Underneath The Car For The Tag

It should be attached to one of the nuts that keep the third member in place. The tag includes information about the rear end's dimensions and serial number and gears.

Step 3: Determine The Size Of  The Rear End's Lower Bolts

Check to find out if you can insert the socket into the lower bolts of the rear end. To do this, place a socket wrench on the bolts.

You have an 8-inch rear end if the socket fits perfectly and does not make contact with the case. If the socket does not fit in this area, then the measurement of your rear end is 9 inches.

Measure how wide the ring gear is. You can determine the size of your rear end by using this measurement.

Check the inspection cover's bolt to know its number. If they are ten bolts, then the rear end of your vehicle is either 7.5 inches or 8.8 inches in diameter. If there are 12 bolts, the back end has a measurement of 9 inches.

Can You Determine Rear End Ratio By VIN?

Chevy Emblem Silverado

You can check your vehicle identification number (VIN) located at the top right-hand corner of the dashboard to determine the rear-end ratio.

The length and complexity of vehicle-identifying numbers vary. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) have 15 digits and provide a considerable amount of information that covers the history, manufacturing, and distribution of a vehicle and its safety and legal compliance.

You can decode the vehicle identification number (VIN) to reveal information such as the year, model, make, and the rear-end ratio of the Chevy.

How Do You Tell If You Have A 7.5 Or 8.5 Rear End?

The differential cover is what differentiates the two rear ends. When compared to the 8.5 inches, which has a raised part that almost looks like a football, the 7.5 inches model has the overall shape of a square with rounded corners.

In addition, the 8.5 rear ends have a circular cover with a portion of it extending forward to accommodate the ring gear. You may also notice enormous, flat, cast-in protrusions at the five and seven o'clock positions. The bumps on this rear end are greater than those on the 7.5.

What Is The Diameter Of A GM Rear End Differential?

White colored Chevrolet Silverado High Country at a park

The diameter of the ring gear determines the size of the differential on the rear end of General Motors (GM), which can range from 7.5 inches to 8.5 inches and then to 10.5 inches.

The pinion diameter of an 8.5-inch differential measures 1.625 inches, while the pinion diameter of an 8.2-inch differential measures 1.435 inches.

Due to its wide range of applications, the 8.5-inch differential is frequently referred to as the "GM corporate 10-bolt."

Additionally, the 8.5-inch differential is a semi-float axle, indicating that it has only one axle bearing per side located inside the axle tube.

Are All GM 12-Bolt Rear Ends Similar?

They are not similar. That they are different doesn't mean the vehicle's rear end cannot get a performance upgrade. Also, there are 30-spline differentials and axles that one can purchase. You can easily differentiate between GM car 12-bolt rear ends and GM truck 12-bolt rear ends with their cover shape.

It is also possible to recognize a truck differential by its smaller pinion shaft, which has a diameter of 1.438 inches, and by the size of the rear cover, which measures 10.875 inches by 10.875 inches.

To Finish Up

A huge black colored Chevrolet Silverado moving at the highway

It is crucial to know the type of rear-end your Chevy comes with and the size. Chevrolet's standard rear ends are the 10- and 12-bolt, 7.5- and 8.2-inch, and Dana 60.

To determine the type of rear end your Chevy has, you need to check the number of cover bolts, the cover, and the gasket. Then locate the rear-end casting date.

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