8 3/4 guru need your help

The reason for the back brace is because as your car leaves the starting line, and your tires stay at the starting line because they are sticking, the housing will flex. When it does, the pinion trys to pull away from the ring gear.
This is why the ring gear begins to chip at the outter edge over time.The pinion is trying to break the ring gear teeth off.
A back brace is not going to save your rear end, but it will help.It is a must in HHP drag race applications.
A Ford 9" has a pinion support (2 bearings, 1 on each end),which helps keep the pinion inline with the ring gear.If you set a Ford 9" next to a 8 3/4 pumpkin, it will all make sense to you.Wimpier by design.
Also, look at a 8 3/4 axel housing, it is 2 pieces stamped together, then look at a 9" axel housing.
I sold my 8 3/4 ,430's, spool 31 spline axels, billet yoke complete for $1000.00 and it cost me a $1200.00 to build my killer narrowed 9" with Yukon nodular case, large Daytona aluminum bearing suport,Strange spool,billet 1320 yoke and 35 spline Moser axels all new......And I don't run a back brace with a transbrake, leaving @ 5500 RPM's all season.I even got 11" brakes as an upgrade out of the deal as a bonus!
Paint the 9" black, and no one will ever know the difference from a 8 3/4.

Quit while you are ahead and call Braden @ Quick Performance in Iowa:

http://www.quickperformance.com/

He also sells on Ebay, he is awesome.