Prepping an 8 3/4 Rear End...

The 7 1/4 I have has the 10" drums as well. However, one of the drum hats is different than the other. I don't want to go too crazy with it right now. I'd basically just like to prep it so that I can drive it around for a year or so with little to no problems. After that I'd like to rebuild it with new bearings, bbp axles, disc brakes, and possibly a new pig if I decided I wanted/needed one. It kind of sucks that it seems you have to remove an axle or the pig to change the lubricant. I hear some people drill and tap a hole for ease.

Someone put a pipe plug in the bottom of mine before I bought it. The plug leaks. I'm not real happy about it - I'll try putting some more teflon tape on it (am going to change the oil again anyway). If I pull the pig, I'd rather change it to a plug similar to the one on an oil pan - probably build a nice flat section with weld and then seal it with a copper crush washer. That would work a lot nicer.