What axle shafts to buy

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DartVadar

DartVadar

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So I was just given an A-body 8 3/4 axle housing, its been reinforced, the spring perches have been moved in and its been shortened about an inch. Nothing drastic. I already have a 3rd member and everything, but I need axles shafts. The plan is to use it in my dart.

How do you measure for the length of axle shafts I need?
 
Most axle manufactures have a questionnaire that you need to fill out. It will ask all sorts of questions. Brake Stand Out etc. After you get that filled out you are ready to order.
 
fishy68 said:
Yep. Cass has axles that have longer splines than stock so you can trim them to fit.
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Thanks! I'll give him a call, they won't be much shorter than stock, but will need to be trimmed a bit.

I'm wanting to get this rear put together because it's only a matter of time before my 7 1/4 blows up behind my new motor!
 
I was just looking at it, and it says it's a 30 spline, what does that mean? I assume that's referring to the splines in the 3rd member? Are all 3rd members 30 spline usually?
 
fishy68 said:
30 spline is the stock spline count for a 8-3/4. Aftermarket upgraded axles are generally 35 spline
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Makes sense, but the 3rd member I have is a stock unit, I'm going to use it for now and possibly upgrade gears later. Can you get aftermarket axle shafts in 30 spline which is what I assume my 3rd member has?
 
DartVadar said:
Makes sense, but the 3rd member I have is a stock unit, I'm going to use it for now and possibly upgrade gears later. Can you get aftermarket axle shafts in 30 spline which is what I assume my 3rd member has?
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Yeah. Your stock unit is 30 spline and so are stock replacement aftermarket axles. Sorry, what I wrote was confusing. The 35 spline ones I mentioned are race axles, not stock replacement.
 
fishy68 said:
Yeah. Your stock unit is 30 spline and so are stock replacement aftermarket axles. Sorry, what I wrote was confusing. The 35 spline ones I mentioned are race axles, not stock replacement.
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Okay good, I was worried there! didn't want to have to buy a new 3rd member. Glad that I won't have a problem finding axle shafts.
 
One last thing. I don't know what type axle bearings you plan on using but not all aftermarket axles accept stock type bearings. A lot of aftermarket axles can only use "green bearings". Make sure you tell the seller what bearings you want to use so you get the right axles
 
fishy68 said:
One last thing. I don't know what type axle bearings you plan on using but not all aftermarket axles accept stock type bearings. A lot of aftermarket axles can only use "green bearings". Make sure you tell the seller what bearings you want to use so you get the right axles
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Okay thanks, didn't know that. I was planning on getting the bearings wen I got the axle shafts. Is it safe to just get "green bearings?" It doesn't really matter to me what ones I use, I just want ones that are good quality.
 
you are going to need to know what backing plates you are using for your brakes for the offset from the axles flange....

if you are going with Big bolt pattern you want a B body or 8 1/4 backing plates....

Cass will need to know that...

The standard A body offset is different and there are no big bolt pattern drums available....
 
70aarcuda said:
you are going to need to know what backing plates you are using for your brakes for the offset from the axles flange....

if you are going with Big bolt pattern you want a B body or 8 1/4 backing plates....

Cass will need to know that...

The standard A body offset is different and there are no big bolt pattern drums available....
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My dart is a 73, so it already has the standard big bolt pattern, as far as I understand I can use the backing plates from the 7 1/4, is that correct?
 
DartVadar said:
Okay thanks, didn't know that. I was planning on getting the bearings wen I got the axle shafts. Is it safe to just get "green bearings?" It doesn't really matter to me what ones I use, I just want ones that are good quality.
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There's a lot of debate on the durability of "green bearings" vs. stock tapered bearings. Cass is really sharp on the in's and out's of both. That'd be another good question for him
 
Lelo Dart said:
That what I did and it worked great.
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So you just swapped the backing plates and brakes from the 7 1/4 onto the 8 3/4 without modification? As I understood as long as my 7 1/4 was BBP it would be a direct swap.

And thanks, I'll give him a call.
 
I have just swapped my 7 1/4 for a 8 3/4. my Dart is a 73 with the big bolt pattern. Brakes swap over no problems. I live in New Zealand and got axles, eaton truetrac lsd, and a full rebuild kit from Cass and had no problems.
 
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