A factory Slant 6 with a 8 1/4 differential

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1974s6

1974s6

layed off from dodge
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The other day my 74 duster was up on the lift in my shop because I broke my K-Frame. While I was inspecting the car for leaks I came across the differential and I notice that it was not the usual 7 1/4 diff but a 8 1/4.
I bought the car about 10 years ago I cant find any rec. of anybody puting it in before I had the car so Im thinking this was a dealer demo car?

Has anybody come across a slant six car with 8 1/4 diff in it?
 
1974s6 said:
The other day my 74 duster was up on the lift in my shop because I broke my K-Frame. While I was inspecting the car for leaks I came across the differential and I notice that it was not the usual 7 1/4 diff but a 8 1/4.
I bought the car about 10 years ago I cant find any rec. of anybody puting it in before I had the car so Im thinking this was a dealer demo car?

Has anybody come across a slant six car with 8 1/4 diff in it?
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IIRC, '73 and later A-bodies came with either an 8 1/4" (disk brake cars with the big bolt pattern) or 7 1/4" (drum brake cars with the small bolt pattern). So the 8 1/4" were as common as disk brakes.
 
I'd be helpful to find the build sheet to see if it's original. I've owned 2 73's and a 75 slant and all of them were front disk LBP with 7 1/4 rears.
As for being "rare" ? In my book it is, but I haven't been around that long
 
My duster does have factory disc in front. But heres another mystery my dad had a 74 duster with a stock 318 and front disc he told me his came with 7 1/4.
I also have 2 copy of the build sheet one destoryed and one in perfect condition. I'm in the middle of decoding the paper work.
 
i think that because your car has front discs is why you have an 8 1/4 which as far as i can figure out would be possible from the factory. I've seen a few cars around like yours and all the /6 cars that had disc brakes (that i've seen) had an 8 1/4 instead of the 7 1/4. can anyone else confirm???
 
hmmm, my 75 scamp slant six had bbp disc brakes with a bbp 7 1/4. the car that i got my 8 1/4 out of was a 74 dart with a 318 and disc brakes. bbp of course.
 
yeah. maybe an h.d. option package or something. maybe a package that included bigger rear end and front sway bar. i wonder if anyone has a 74 dealer brochure. maybe that would answer this for us. and who knows. maybe it was standard with disc brakes on the dodge darts, but not on the plymouths? ok now im just guessing but that seems like something that could have been.
 
Just picked up a 8 1/4 rear suregrip with a drive shaft from a 73 dart 2dr (highly optioned) with a factory slant six. Fits my 72 scamp with a slant six.
 
I have a dealer brochure it dosen't mention 8 1/4 different with disc brake cars.
 
The only car that came with the 8.25 standard were the 340/360 cars. It was an option on \6 and 318 cars.
 
my 74 slant six gold duster came with an 8 1/4. i took a slant powered val apart that had an 8 1/4 with 11x2" drums. not 2.5" drums. i thought that one was wierd. i just sold my 8 1/4 to a fabo member after swapping in a b body 8 3/4. they definitely made BBP 7 1/4 rears. ive seen a few. i think mopar did 2 stupid *** things back in the day. start the 4" b.p. and the way they fastened the dash to the car.
 
I had a /6 car with a 8.25 also- in a feather duster of all things. It was a 225-1, 3.09 1st 833od, 2.76sg 8.25 car with discs, front sway bar,white bucket int with console,AM/FM, P/S, P/B, A/C and rally wheels, it also had rocker trim, wheel lip mouldings, driprail trim and a trunk light.

The car really didn't make sense to me since it was loaded out but the Feather Duster/Dart Lite was a lightweight MPG package.
 
My 75 Valiant 225 has BBP discs and 7 1/4 diff. The 74 Valiant 318 I just got for parts had BBP discs and 8 1/4 diff. In my opinion it was an option. But what do I know anyway?
 
I think my 70 Darts 8 3/4 must have been a special order. It was a plain jane 318/904 car but with the 8 3/4 and a 742 center chunk. Anything seemed possible with Chrysler back in those days...
 
The 8-3/4" probably was swapped out at some point in it's life.


I have a 1974 Plymouth Gold Duster that is pretty loaded and came with the large bolt pattern power front disc brakes and still had the 7-1/4" rear. It now sports an 8-1/4" rear out of my 1973 Dart Sport 340 that I filled with 3.55:1 gears and a Dana Trac Lok limited slip differential.

99% of the time:
Slant 1973+ A-body = 7.25" axle
V8 1973+ A-body = 8.25" axle
 
My /6 73 Duster came with 8 1/4 and 3.21 gears!

The whole time I had the car I was wondering why it revved so high on the freeway, then one day I looked, and I couldn't believe it!

the 70's were just weird!
 
I had a 1974 Dart Sport 318 that had 3.21:1 gears in it and it was an automatic car. I don't believe they were factory and I don't have a buildsheet to know one way or the other.

Now I have 2 sets of 3.21:1 gears I can sell! Anyone?..lol
 
Our 73 duster came with a /6 ,8 .25 rear end and the bigger torsion bars , so what I have read Ma Mopar basically used up what she had sitting on the assy line toward the end of the run on cars.


Bob
 
daniel_depetro said:
The 8-3/4" probably was swapped out at some point in it's life.


Oh,who knows. I see no signs of it ever being replaced but it may have been done a long time ago. Maybe I can decode the fender tag.It may help. It's possible the car came with a tow package which included the 8 3/4.
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