Dodge Dakota rear ends....

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GDL

GDL

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Ok, so a bodies are darn near scarce where I live junkyard or craigslist wise. Ans teh guys who have rear ends in their backyards didn't store them properly so they are more rust than parts....... So, if I were to go hunting for a dakota rear end what am I looking for a '87-'96 with wide axle tubes? Preferably a v6 model? Any help would be grand. Thinking I may be going junk yarding tomorrow.
 
Only the early Dakota's (pre '97) have a 4.5" bolt pattern, the later ones run a 6 bolt pattern, and then 5 on 5.5". The early ones will be a 8.25" rear, later ones are a 9.25". But, even the early '87-'96 Daks have a 69.4" track width, which is almost 14" wider than the track on an A-body (55.6").

So, even the early ones with the correct bolt pattern are too wide for an A-body. You'd need to have the rear end narrowed, and either buy new axles or sort out shortening and re-splining the Daks.
 
One trick I've read about is removing the "long" side axle tube, cutting it down to the same as the "short" side, and using another short side shaft. I think that's good for 4 inches and centers the diff.

I friend of mine has a son that has the tooling and software to re-spline axles.
I don't know how much it was, but they sure weren't rich last time I checked.
In fact, I'm pretty sure it has paid for it's self from the work he does for others, simply by word of mouth.
I think he does a lot of Ford 8.8 stuff and charges about $50 cash per pair.

I have a 99 Dak 9 1/4 with 3.92 SG I hardly paid anything for, and have been thinking about running it in my 73 Charger. I think those wheel wells will tolerate the extra length.
i also have an extra set of Dak R/T wheels to go with it.
 
Look for an 8.8 if you are on a budget. Lots of aftermarket parts for them and many of them came with disc brakes and limited slip under explorers. There are a couple of threads on here.
 
Look into the Jeep GC's they aren't as wide as the Dakota's and they will either have the D-35 (same as the 8.25) or have the D-44, some have the D-44A, the newer (05 and up) have a full floating design but some have e-lockers.
After 95 they'll all have disc's
 
So for a straight drop in i need to find a donor A body..........

Sorry I am a GM guy and I grew up on 2nd gen birds.
 
What do you have now? 7 1/4? If so why not look for an A body 8 1/4? The can handle a fair amount of power and are way beefier than the 7 1/4?
 
What is the power output intended for the Dart and is it a true street car or will it be used in "Spirited" driving?

The reason is that the 8-1/4 is cheap, very, by compare to the 8-3/4. The smaller rear will handle 400 HP & TQ no problem. However, if your going to push past that and drive it a bit hard, the much more expensive 8-3/4 is what you want.

The 8-3/4 took my buddies all steel 500 cube, 69 Dart into the mid 9's. The street gears within did eventually break after many many pass's pulling up the front wheels.
 
The guys are right about the 8-1/4" being a decent rearend but if you can't find one of them another consideration is looking into a mid 90's Ford Ranger 8.8 rearend. My father in law bought a Rambler that someone installed a 95 Ranger rearend in and when I was putting brakes on it I measured it and was surprised to find it is exactly the same width (wheel to wheel) as a stock A-body rearend with the same driveshaft offset (1-3/8"). The only thing that needs done to install them is to cut off all the original brackets and weld on a set of spring perches and have a driveshaft made the correct length with the proper yoke for the 8.8 Ford. They have the larger a-body 5 on 4-1/2 bolt pattern so depending on what size your wheel bolt pattern is now may work or not but if it doesn't it's easy to cure by swapping wheels.
 
72bluNblu said:
Only the early Dakota's (pre '97) have a 4.5" bolt pattern, the later ones run a 6 bolt pattern, and then 5 on 5.5". The early ones will be a 8.25" rear, later ones are a 9.25". But, even the early '87-'96 Daks have a 69.4" track width, which is almost 14" wider than the track on an A-body (55.6").

So, even the early ones with the correct bolt pattern are too wide for an A-body. You'd need to have the rear end narrowed, and either buy new axles or sort out shortening and re-splining the Daks.
Click to expand...
Actually, the early Dak rears are just a little over 63" wide (drum to drum) and the 6 lug wheels started in '91.
 
cudamark said:
Actually, the early Dak rears are just a little over 63" wide (drum to drum) and the 6 lug wheels started in '91.
Click to expand...

Track width and drum-to-drum are not the same measurement, I didn't have a drum to drum measurement for the Dakota's.

Regardless, if that drum to drum width is accurate, the Dakota rear is still over 6" wider than an A body rear (57" drum to drum). It's definitely not a "drop in".
 
Agreed, I don't like even putting the B-body ones in an A-body and their a lot closer in width. I like using a drum to drum measurement because it's easier to compare apples to apples that way. The track width includes wheels which can vary quite a bit depending on offset. I still can't understand why people go to such great lengths to modify some other brand X rears when they could just get a C-body 8 3/4 and have it narrowed. You get something Mopar, big brakes, and off the shelf performance axle shafts in a variety of lengths and bolt patterns.
 
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