My son grenaded the 7 1/4 in his 72 Swinger. He replaced it with an 8.8" rear from an Explorer. It's a factory 318 car. Why would they put such a lame rear-ended in any V8 car?
Dunno. I grenade one jusylt outside my driveway. Took a year to gather the parts but I wound up with a sure grip. One day I'll find another Ford rear. Until then, I don't horse it.