Ford Ranger rear end fit '71 Dart?

dartfreak75 said

There is only one way to find out try it. If you dont plan on having a ton of horsepower I think the 28 spline would hold up fine. The benefits of the 31 spline out of an explorer are
1) you can get a limited slip differential
2) extra strength in the axles
3) disc brakes
I'm not sure if rangers offer rear disc or limited slip.
If your ok with drum brakes and an open diff for for it.

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I agree, but the 28 splines are about the same of an upgrade as an 8 1/4" because the 28 splines are just the 7.5" axles put into an 8.8 ring gear (similar to the Ford Dana 50 that they came out with). It is personal preference, and I figure that for the price and work involved, I would want the 8.8 for my piece of mind.

I do not believe that the Ranger came with rear disc brakes either, but they did have a limited slip in some models