I had an 8 1/4 held up nicely with my 4 speed and Stroker motor. Feeling it was going to break one day I sold it to build an 8 3/4 489 case that only lasted about 20 passes. I still do wonder if I ever needed to change that rear end? In the end I did build a Dana 60 but still that 8 1/4 did never let me down. I bought it from a friend who got it out of the junkyard and sold it to me for $100. It was out of a Dakota and he just cut the perches off and put them on the bottom. I found a guy on eBay and turns out he was local selling a Sure Grip for it and he installed it for a total of $200. I had $300 into that rear end. And the funny part is I used the drums backing plates for the 8 3/4 and currently have them on my Dana 60..
there's a lot of money to be saved on a lot of stuff you're talking about and some consider that the fun part...
Also all three of those rear ends are ebody width. This really fits the bill for the $200 rims and tires I bought off of Craigslist that came off a 2005 Hemi Magnum. I had to get smaller front tires and also I used originally adapters for the front but then after a while went ahead and got the center's machined out a little so they'll fit over the old style front brake hubs. I guess like everybody's trying to say where there's a will there's a way...
Amen....
