new here and i've got a trick for ya'll

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mopar_nocar

mopar_nocar

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i found a great way to get a seriously strong rear end into your a body with a relatively small investment in time and $$$$.

find a 92-95 Explorer (yes i KNOW its a Ford). they have stout limited slip units and decent gears from the factory and disc brakes. the one i got is a 4:10.

when you find one, pull it out and cut EVERY mount off thing. shock mounts, spring mounts etc...get the mopar perches. once you have that stuff you can easily align everything, but here's the trick! the ford explorer drive shaft is the perfect length for an abody equipped with a sb and a 904. just go to the local driveshaft shop and get a bastard U-joint and you're golden.

now, to hook up the e-brake, use TWO left side cables from a ford explorer. it will hook right into your a-body e-brake with NO modification. now, you have a strong rear end that has plenty of aftermarket support, disc brakes and didn't spend a mint.

sb
 
Where the hell did THIS guy come from?? ;)


Welcome aboard! Great to see new members jump right in with a kick-*** suggestion! I was just talking about possibly grenading my rear with the new motor that's going together, and this gem comes along! Just a fast question or four:

Brake proportioning
Axle bolt pattern & hub center size
Flange to flange width
What size is the ring gear

Thanks for your input. That's what makes a this hobby fun; good old fashioned backyard hot rodding.... :thumleft:
 
i'm using factory wheels with a 5/16" spacer behing them to allow them to clear the calipers....same trick we used to use back in the days for converting your drum front to disc. so the center flange was fine, the only interference was the calipers.

the brake porportioning has not been an issue for me. i haven't had any killer stops yet though! i may get that summit proportioning valve in the future, but for now it seems good. i guess i need to out an empty parking lot and try it out.

the ring gear is the FORD 8.8". look at summit or ebay and check out the stuff out there for 'em!

i don't have the exact measurements, but the 8.8 i have is 3" wider than my 8.25 i took out. (from BACK of brake plate to BACK of brake plate.) being drum to disc, i think the Wheel Mounting Surface (WMS) will be closer to the same between. i will take the measurements you need @ the shop tomorrow.

its a great looking rear end, too. i'll try to take some pics too.

sb
 
I know a few LS1 Camaros and Trans Ams that are running this rear end. Supposedly it is pretty strong.
 
The down side to this rear axle, is the stock limited slip carrier, I have a '94 Ford Lightning pick-up, the area were the pin goes though the carrier it will break---mine did with a stock truck---you can prevent this by replaceing stock L/S unit with a Eaton L/S unit.
 
i haven't seen an 8.75 around here (San Antonio, TX) in forever! can't even find one out at the JY. also, how many 8.75s had disc brakes?

sb
 
[QUOTE='74 Sport]Do you mean the Ford factory wheels? If MOPAR, what bolt pattern?

Sounds interesting,
Jerry[/QUOTE]

Mopar and ford share the same bolt pattern :thumbup:
 
i use factory 15" rims off a New Yorker. work great. the 14" won't fit the calipers. kinda' gripes my ***, but i needed 15s anyway. the ford wheels would probably work, but the JY wanted as much for the wheels as the axle, so that was a no go. my dart has the big bolt pattern all the way around. i've only had a couple of these cars with the small. (a 67 and a 72) sorry i didn't get a chance to take pics, headers and manual steering gear box came in, so it'll have to wait til this weekend.

sb
 
Guitar Jones said:
I can understand the cheap aspect of this, but why wouldn't you just use an 8 3/4 Mopar rear?
Click to expand...
I suspect a huge difference in price. Seeing how valued the 8-3/4 rear is, the 8.8 is a cheap junk yard grab and run.
If my biggest problem is drive shaft hook up, I would be LOL at a 8-3/4.
 
i wouldn't use any rear with c-clips. might as well use a shivvy 10 bolt, there everwhere also. Im sure you can find 8.75s i bought mine for $100 at a swap meet. Can't you just take the brakes and make new mounting points and add them to the 8.75.

steve

(its a a-body 8.75 of course w/brakes and axles (small blot pat.) and $50 for my posi 489 center chunk 3.91 gears, just keep your ear to the ground!)
 
think its an intresting ide to use the ford rear, dont like to mix in a ford part but if the price is right then i can acept it:) great idea!
 
axle measured 55" from flange to flange. with the factory wheels on the rear end and 225/70-15s i have just enough clearance with out cutting fenders and i don't rub on the springs.

the reasons i didn't use a chevy 10 bolt and/or wait for the 8.75 to come my way. fact is, after looking under hundreds of A-bodies in my time i have yet to find even one 8.75" rear end. with the exception of the b-body one i put under my 72 dart.

1) WRONG bolt pattern for the wheels on the chevy
2) DISC brakes! on my ford part
3) the drive shaft worked w/o any further modification than a bastard u-joint
4) i snagged an extra e-brake cable off a neighboring car and the e-brakes hooked up just like the factory a-body parts (wouldn't happen with the chevy)
5) watched a guy in an S10 pull the front wheels off the ground twice in one nite with his 8.8. figured it couldn't be that bad.

i'm sorry some people don't appreciate making what you have available work, and at the same time improving my car's brakes and acceleration. i don't see a problem using a ford rear end, heck people put 9"s in everything under the sun.
 
sorry sarcasim doesn't work on the pc, i don't think anyone would ever put a shivvy rear under a mopar! Great idea, really. But just me persoanlly i would go with the 8.75 for a stronger rear. C-clips aren't good. Do they make a conversion for the axles?

steve
 
mopar_nocar said:
i haven't seen an 8.75 around here (San Antonio, TX) in forever! can't even find one out at the JY. also, how many 8.75s had disc brakes?

sb
Click to expand...

I think if you can make something that didn't come with that vehicle that is cool, aslong as you don't take parts from certain brand x vehicles. But if you are looking for a 8.75 rear end I'd look up www.texasacres.com is it right up the road from you in Killeen, TX. It is a all mopar "junk" (since when is anything from a Mopar junk)yard. I don't know of any 8.75s that had disc brakes but they make kits and adding those would be like putting a Ford rear end in a Mopar, you are putting something on that was not there originally.
 
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