nj56gmc, I went back and looked at all my notes and that is the same 62.5 measurement that I took for my '50 3/4 ton axle.
Finding an affordable Chevelle axle would be nearly impossible around here, so I didn't even consider it (now that they are considered to be $20-30k cars!!).
I ended up finding a 10 bolt 8.5 ring gear GM axle that was 63.0 wide, but it is GM metric, so although the bolt pattern is the same, the lug nut threads are different on the rear of my truck! It's a1998 Chevy S-10 Blazer ZR-2 axle. It comes with 3.73 gears and a G80 locker (I tossed the locker). The swap required me to R&R the shock mounts and spring perches, and use different U-bolts with a flat spring plate on top of the spring. Way more work than I wanted to do. I guess the Chevelle axle might have been easier..
