8 3/4 build questions

I am doing some brake swaping right now myself. This is what I have found out. You can use any brakes you want from one rear to another. This is the limiting factor, you have to move the complete brake assembly. This means the backing plates, cylinders, pads and drums, along with all of the small parts. You can use the brakes from a 5 on 4 axle on a 5 on 4 1/2 axle as long as you get the drums redrilled to the proper pattern. Everything else bolts right on. To prove this to myself, I took the brake system off of a 7 1/4 rear and tried to put it on a 8 3/4. Guess what, the only thing I had to do was drill 3 new mounting holes in the backing plate. Everything else fit perfect. The same goes for using a 9 1/4 brake system. Only difference is you don't have to drill the backing plate.

Jack