The specifics of converting an E Body 8 3/4 rear end housing to an A body 8 3/4 rear end houseing

Great, thank you so much for all the info, I will definitely be looking into all of DoctorDiff.

As far as my plans for wheels/tires, I would like to run 15x8s in the rear with a large tire, probably a 275.

For 275/60/15’s on a Duster with a 15x8 and BBP axles you’re basically looking at using the standard A-body 8 3/4 housing width. The BBP axles widen the track compared to the SBP axles, and a 4.5” to 4.75” backspace on a 15x8 is about what you need to center the wheels.