Who knows what about early 8-3/4s?

[volaredon]

I have one here I got from an auction, been modified for I don't know what, I remember looking online for info, and the casting number came back as a 1957-1964 pig, looks freshly rebuilt, has "4.10" written on it by the fill plug, as I remember the info said it was basically a "742" before they were called "742". So apparently the ring n pinion, pinion spline, etc would be the same as this one. It has what looks like a brand new yoke, as I remember it takes the U bolt type u joint retainer. (it's stashed away)
It's open, no sure grip. I'll have to dig it out and get that number off the pig.

 

[volaredon]

More pix
I went to a 70 year old small town Ford dealer auction, they were clearing out anything that was old.... Lots of NOS Parts were being sold by the pallet. Flywheels, heads, 10+ year old service manuals, I bought 3 pallets of oil from this sale to get some "real" oil from back when zinc content wasn't an issue... Jaharabi (sp?) Bought a good chunk of that from me ...
Tried to get pic of casting number but stored pix on my phone wasn't real good

 

[volaredon]

I believe this was modified for some sort of pet project of a (former?) employee and/or owner that never got completed.
I bought it, being a die hard Mopar guy at a Ford auction, was the only thing advertised as being "Chrysler oriented"....

 

[Demonracer]

It has definitely been modified, the axles are early 60's axles that the hubs pressed onto. I ran that type of rear in a 64 Max Wedge 4 speed car years ago before swapping in a Dana from a 70's B body.

 

[413]

I don't see those housing ends and axles as a factory mopar passenger car. The factory tapered axles are smooth with a key way like a crank snout, then the threaded end. These axles have splines. Factory axle housing flanges have 5 holes for the brakes, these have 6 holes.

Look at the housing you can see a step down where they welded this stuff on.

I don't have any knowledge of a pickup truck tapered axle 8.75

 

[volaredon]

Yup I knew it had been modified to some degree when I got it, if only the 4 link mounts and the splined axles. (Id thought those early ones were tapered like a big ball joint, haven't seen one in a while) I do know some tractor companies back then used the 8-3/4 but don't know what ratios.
I'm thinking garden tractor size like the Pennsylvania panzer.
But this is too wide for something like that.
I'm wondering if it was made for some kind of Baja buggy or some such thing?
But being an 8-3/4 with 4.10s I was more interested in that aspect of it/ even if the housing and axles might be tossed .. and that possibly someone else might see the same thing in that regard.

 

[Bodyperson]

Hard to believe the differential is open. Cool piece.

 

[junkyardhero]

i'm gonna guess that originally came out of a bigger truck or a tractor. the splined axle shafts are typical of smaller tractors like gravely, small massy and fords. the trucks-- larger ones, used the same style and with what looks to be way bigger than 3" tubes on the housing that would track.

my guess would be late 50's flat bed.

the pig is probably the only thing you'll be able to use. unless you got brakes with it. but mannn, those are gonna be heavy.

 

[volaredon]

(I'm hoping someone else can use it)

 

[cosgig]

The 657 case is actually the precursor to the 741 case, and if it is indeed a 4:10 gear in that case, that would certainly be an anomaly. Which would lead me to believe the above comments that the housing, axles and center section came from a truck, tractor or some other industrial application. No factory 741 case was ever offered with a 4:10 for a vehicle destined for the road, and I’m actually surprised that it was even available at all.

 

[volaredon]

I'm thinking it might have been rebuilt and not used since. When I got it and looked it up online at the time I thought I had read it was pretty much equal to the 742.

 

[cosgig]

I'm thinking it might have been rebuilt and not used since. When I got it and looked it up online at the time I thought I had read it was pretty much equal to the 742.

You can measure the pinion shaft. If it’s a 741 it would be 1 3/8”, 742 had a 1 3/4” shaft.