A Body Tire Clearance

[Gold Rush]

Hey all, first time poster here.
I recently acquired a 1974 Plymouth Valiant with a 400 swapped into it. I was wondering what people are doing for rear end widths for maximum tire clearance with the offset shackles from Dr. Diff. I'm going to have to build a custom width rear for this thing to begin with since the car has an 8.25" under it currently.

 

[HPP]

Since you are going to customize width, only limits are your ability or wallet capacity. So, it depends on what size tire you want to run, what offset rims you want to go with them, and if those will all fit within the OEM wells or require tubbing.

 

[Professor Fate]

A street- friendly 400 should live quite well with an 8.25 rear end- why subject yourself to all the issues involved with changing it out?
With the Dr. Diff kit installed, just figure out the backspacing you'll need on your wheels and slap 'em on.
If you need gears or a Sure-Grip for your rear, Jeep Cherokees, early Dakotas, and even some half ton trucks and vans commonly had decent gears and Sure-Grips in them, and can be sourced pretty cheaply from the boneyard.
Just be aware that the axle spline count changed in the mid/late nineties at some point, so you need to stay with the early versions.

 

[72bluNblu]

Absolute biggest you can go with a Valiant body and a 1/2” offset will be 275’s, and even that will probably require some quarter lip trimming/rolling. Backspacing will depend on on the width of the rear axle, if you do plan on customizing the width then just pick the wheels you want and set the width on the backspacing you can get.

Although I agree with Professor Fate, an 8.25” isn’t a bad choice with a 400 unless you’re talking about a big power build or lots of racing.

 

[Dartswinger70]

Not a valiant but my 70 Dart had wheel well lips rolled etc. it only fits a certain rim and back space and other than that with my 8.75 I can relocate the leafs in board I think but I havent i have stock 14 inch ralleys on it right now and aluminum slots as spare wheels.

 

[junkyardhero]

If you need gears or a Sure-Grip for your rear, Jeep Cherokees, early Dakotas, and even some half ton trucks and vans commonly had decent gears and Sure-Grips in them, and can be sourced pretty cheaply from the boneyard.
Just be aware that the axle spline count changed in the mid/late nineties at some point, so you need to stay with the early versions.

1996 was the change over, so you need to be on the look out for early 1995 build dates.

just an FYI, jeeps got upgraded frequently so keep a hairy eyeball peeled and make sure the parts are copacetic and not some aftermarket bobo stuff that don't work with what you've got.

bonus, you can also upgrade to jeep grand cherokee/dakota rear discs with that 8.25 too!

 

[Gold Rush]

I've got a sure-grip equipped 8.25 in my 71 Satellite Sebring with a 318. I plan to race this Valiant, though. I don't exactly want to break down in my local Mexico because the car broke an axle.