8.25 Dakota Gear Swap Wont Fit.

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erobbins

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Over a year ago I bought a 27 spline 8.25 suregrip with 3.55 gears off a guy on ebay. I have looked up the number on the gear 2852943-3.55 which seems to be correct for a dakota and should fit my 8.25 housing as he described. I have a 74 dart sport that had open 2.71 gears. No question I have an 8.25 rear. The races and bearings are bigger in the newer one and the carrier is just too damn big. Not by much, but it hits. What is going on? Anybody have an idea?
 
Probably for a 9 1/4? Actually the 75 and earlier housings use a smaller OD bearing, the inside diameter is the same so you can swap the bearings or buy new ones for your 74.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
Probably for a 9 1/4?
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I have a rebuilt 8 1/4 it came in my wife's car....all new brakes .... it has a limited slip with 4 10 's. It works great but I just put in a 416 engine. Let me know if it helps ...big bolt pattern
 

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Its 8.25. The bearings will no doubt need changed but I cant figure out why the carrier in rubbing. It has small teeth around the perimeter of the carrier that rub the housing. The actual gear seems fine and all numbers point me to an 8.25. Need a different carrier I guess. Must be something a little different about this one. Pinion and pinion bearing fits fine.
 
erobbins said:
Its 8.25. The bearings will no doubt need changed but I cant figure out why the carrier in rubbing. It has small teeth around the perimeter of the carrier that rub the housing. The actual gear seems fine and all numbers point me to an 8.25. Need a different carrier I guess. Must be something a little different about this one. Pinion and pinion bearing fits fine.
Click to expand...

I have seen some Dakota NOS Sure Grip carriers listed on eBay really cheap but they said they wouldn't fit the earlier 8 1/4. If this was just the bearing difference I have no idea and I am just posting what I have read in the past.
 
You need a different carrier, one that will fit 2.94 and higher numerical gear sets. The carrier you have fits 2.73 and lower gear sets. The Dakota ring and pinion will not fit an early 8 1/4, the pinion bearings are a different size, as you found out.
 
The early 8.25 uses a different carrier than the Dakota 8.25. The ring gears interchange but the carrier bearing diameter is larger on the Dakota, so you cannot interchange the carriers, limited slip or otherwise. I don't know what year the change was made, but it has nothing to do with the axle spline change in 97.
 
The small teeth are a tone wheel for the differential speed sensor. They do come off if you remove the ring gear. Also the newer 8.25 is actually an 8.375.
 
erobbins said:
Its 8.25. The bearings will no doubt need changed but I cant figure out why the carrier in rubbing. It has small teeth around the perimeter of the carrier that rub the housing. The actual gear seems fine and all numbers point me to an 8.25. Need a different carrier I guess. Must be something a little different about this one. Pinion and pinion bearing fits fine.
Click to expand...

bobscuda67 said:
You need a different carrier, one that will fit 2.94 and higher numerical gear sets. The carrier you have fits 2.73 and lower gear sets. The Dakota ring and pinion will not fit an early 8 1/4, the pinion bearings are a different size, as you found out.
Click to expand...

See what he posted above in blue.
 
It is rubbing because it is out of a truck with antilock brakes, the tone wheel is rubbing the 74 housing. Easy fix, the tone wheel comes off easily. It slips right off after you remove the ring gear.
 
erobbins said:
Over a year ago I bought a 27 spline 8.25 suregrip with 3.55 gears off a guy on ebay. I have looked up the number on the gear 2852943-3.55 which seems to be correct for a dakota and should fit my 8.25 housing as he described. I have a 74 dart sport that had open 2.71 gears. No question I have an 8.25 rear. The races and bearings are bigger in the newer one and the carrier is just too damn big. Not by much, but it hits. What is going on? Anybody have an idea?
Click to expand...


How about some pictures of where it is hitting.
 
Yes and from what I understand the earlier bearings fit the newer housing. The inner diameter is the same on both.
 
I'll get a pic of the carrier. It does look like it will come off. Will taking this off be ok and not effect anything? So different bearings, take this tone wheel off and it should work? Pic coming...
 
That ring is for late models with anti lock brakes, means nothing in your case. Pull your old bearings off and put them on the new carrier, then see if it works.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
That ring is for late models with anti lock brakes, means nothing in your case. Pull your old bearings off and put them on the new carrier, then see if it works.
Click to expand...

And if it does and if the tone wheel isn't able to be removed by unbolting it then I would take the carrier to a machine shop to have it cleanly removed.
 
Not sure how easily, but the tone will looks as if it will come off. I will give it a shot with the new bearings and see how it goes. Thanks everyone for all the insight. I will keep checking this for any new replies and reply back myself in a few days to let you all know if I have success. Thanks.
 
Yes it will!
This lab rat was a success. Just got the new 3.55 gears and suregrip carrier in tonight. Took the tone ring off, changed the carrier bearings to the correct size, and it worked out perfectly. Had to change the pinion shim to get a good wear pattern and destroyed the pinion bearing in the process. So needless to say, I put a new pinion bearing on too. This carrier and gear was out of a 92 Dakota I believe. Thanks for all the information guys.
 
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