'70 Dart Swinger rear end swap

-
George Fischer

George Fischer

Active Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2017
Messages
37
Reaction score
14
Location
Chittenango, NY
I am brand new to this resto business and need a bit of advice. I've done a lot of work on vehicles over the years, but I'm painfully inept at anything related to rear end work.
I have a '70 Dart Swinger that's currently in a whole lotta pieces. Started as a quick flip, but you all know how that goes... In any case, after buying a car that sat outside for 16 years (but is unbelievably solid) I decided to pull the motor to re-gasket everything, and from there it's snowballed into a strip her down to the bare bones and completely restore everything. I have the car on the rotisserie and dropped the rear end and springs out this weekend. Even though I'm staying with the slant for now, the 7.25 has got to go. A neighbor has a '74 Dart Sport (318 auto - but he's keeping that bit) that he's offered up as a donor car, not sure what rear end is in it yet. Any ideas from the crowd? Any chance without seeing it that it might be an 8.25? He also has a complete rear that reportedly came out of an '81 or '82 LeBaron. Don't have any pics to post yet, and information online is confusing - the LeBaron rear housing has a 10-bolt cover, but the axle housings are tapered from 3" to 2 1/2" on either side of the pumpkin. Some sites say the 10 bolt cover is indicative of an 8.25, others say that the tapered housings indicate 7.25. On a side note, at some point the front was swapped for newer discs with the 5x4.5 pattern, so currently I have two different size lug patterns front vs. rear. If for no other reason than convenience I'd like to have the same front and back without adding spacers. Please let me know what additional info is needed and I'll try to post some pics if necessary. Help????
 
I use this 8 1/4 that came out of a 73 duster, here is a picture, there is a post I can dig up for you on what rear ends will fit under out A Bodies , let me look around

19958915_1734324913249514_7826315102072158117_n.jpg


19990582_1734324886582850_3754771754862857403_n.jpg
 
Thanks! I can't tell for sure, but in your second pic it looks like the axle housings taper at the pumpkin the same way the LeBaron rear I can get does... One of my buddies that's lending the occasional hand with my project says that he can mod width of anything I get no problem, which also means that if the free LeBaron rear end would be the fastest. If the rear from the Dart Sport is an 8.25, that's the other easy option.
 
The Dart should be a 8.25 and a straight bolt in, drive shaft length will need to be adjusted. You grab the complete axle assy as well as the shock plates. while at it grab the front disk brake assy including the control arms, prop valve and master. There is lots of information here on the swap. that solves your mismatched bolt pattern .
 
I missed in your original post that the front disk swap has already been done.
 
Thanks so much. Based on this it looks like my donor car is going to have exactly what I'm looking for. That and the factory bucket seats makes it worth dragging the thing across the neighborhood.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top