Best bet on rear suspension?

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hotrodder

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For my '70 Duster, I'm planning on running a 400 big block with manual tranny..... The rear axle will be replaced with a ........ good question.... Don't have one sitting around, but have my eye on an 8 lug truck rear axle sitting around just down the road from me, I think it may be a Dana 60.... I need to get a better look at it though.... Yes it will need to be narrowed, but heck.... No one has anything close to me, so... That is, as far as I've seen.... Anyway, car will be on the street. Want be a monster, just something fun to drive. Probably want be on the track. Originaly I was thinking of getting the SS springs, spring relocation kit, widening the wheel wells about 2 or 3 inches.... Not sure though.... And run a nice shock. But after reading different posts about things, now I'm just not sure... Off the line it should hook, a little spin is fine, but would like it to be limited.... Tire size is undetermined. Gear ratio is also undetermined. Heck, only thing that's pretty much for sure is the 400 and A-833..... Oh and the '70 Duster.... I'll leave it at this, what would you suggest? Ride height, if it's a little taller in the rear than factory, then that's fine, but as I've read it in other posts, I don't wanna be staring down at the ground...
 
Well, IF it were me, (And it will be me soon, not to soon) I would do a Moser or Strange DANA set up for the rear spring replacement inboard. Disc's if the wallet has it.
I will mini tub the car and fill it up with rubber. A Calc-Trac set up would be employed.
 
for get about that truck dana 60 idea,unless your planning on lots of power,like over 500 horse power.Sure,it would be bullit proof,but they are very large,very heavy.Thats a lot of extra weight to carry around,and the 9.75 ring geartakes a lot of power from the engine just to turn it.Im in nc,i have a c body 8.75 i could sale you.Youd be far better off to narrow it,get some moser axles,buy a suregrip for it,and go.It has 11 inch brakes,i think,but not sure.Right now it is complete from drum to drum,id have to see what center chunk is in it,but im sure it is a high geared,single traction unit,like 276s gears,or so.
 
Did a search on some axle housings and such, and found the new Moser 875's over at Summit, man at around $500+ for just the housing, then you gotta get everything else, well.... I may come out better getting a Dana setup for a little over $1000...... The gears will end up probably being somewhere around 3.91 with sg....

Here's Mosers hyperlink to the new MO875: http://www.moserengineering.com/Images/New Products/mo975.pdf
For those interested.....

And I found this on e-bay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...viewitem=&item=280229986719&_trksid=p3907.m29

I like it, but shipping would push it too far.... Or so I think....
 
Thats a lot of extra weight to carry around,and the 9.75 ring gear takes a lot of power from the engine just to turn it
Click to expand...
Weighty, a bit by a few pounds, nothing to cry over, the power issue on what it needs to turn it has been largely DeBunked by several mags.
 
Though the rear axle selection is quite vast at best, I'm figuring something like this for the rear suspension:
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/mansupstocsp1.html
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/sprinrelkit.html
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/catrbarsy1.html
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/noname45.html -if needed
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/adpinsnib.html -one of the top two
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/comengbodlon.html -think this is correct
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/manciniracing10.html

How would something like this work on a big block Duster with manual tranny?
 
It does absolutley take more power to turn it over,and it is definately heavier,but then again you won't have to carry around a set of those plastic balls for people to know it's got the nads.I converted a 68 roadrunner from 8.75 with 4.10's to dana 60 with 4.10's and it was a noticeable diffrence(robbed horsepower) but then again a few more revs and dump the clutch(no fear of breaking it) and you can get the ends off a truck 8.75 rear to put on the dana and the mosier axels with bearings are a deal,not to mention a posi for a dana is still plentiful if you look around.the 8.75 is virtually indestructable on the other hand.so you got some choices good luck.the dana will make a statement even if you have a slant six!!!!!
 
The 400 I'm talking about want be a killer horse power motor.... I'm hoping for around 1 horse power per cid.... Maybe a hair over.... I could get that out of a small block easily.... But I like the sound of a big block, plus if I wanted a lot more power later on, I got a foundation to work with, that is as far as displacement goes.... Granted a bit heavier, but heck, this is a light weight A body, not a 3500+ pound car.... So a little heavier motor want make that much more of a difference.... Plus the 4 speed.... Need I get on that subject? As for the Dana versus the 8 3/4, I know the Dana is stronger and bigger (there for heavier), but if I had a choice, since I'm talking some where around 400 horse power, maybe a hair more, the 8 3/4 will work, but trying to find one near me well.... That's a bit of a problem.... I'm not even 100% sure that the rear axle I found is a Dana 60 or not, I only glanced at it for a moment.... But it's BIG, and looks to be a floating axle (could be wrong though, memory aint all to great when it comes to picturing things)..... The Dana 60 stuff is readily available whether aftermarket or not, versus the 8 3/4.... So for now, I'm gonna put the rear axle choices to the side for right now, and concentrate on the rear suspension, topic of this thread really.... And based on the above links that I provided, here's what I got in mind:

The superstock leafs rated at 2800

A leaf spring relocation kit

The Cal Track bars

The above shocks have been decided against upon, need input for others...

Will I need a rear axle shim kit? If so, is there anyway to know w/o checking to see which shim degree is needed? And if more than one, total degree?

I still want to use a screw type adjustable pinion snubber

So, any questions, comments, concers?
 
If you are going to run cal-trac bars then get there split mono-leaf springs to match them.It will work better than the cal-tracs and super stock springs.As for the rear ,well you most likely will not brake the 8.75 but nothing looks as good as a dana 60 out back!
 
Hmmm, I checked them out, if the monoleafs are better, then the list has changed in that the ss springs have dropped, and the mono's are in.... I guess they will still work with a leaf spring relocation kit want they?
 
A Dana 60 is about 70 pounds heavier than an 8.75, but since you're going to narrow it, you may lop off enough to get it down close to the stock 8.75 A body weight. But I can tell you if all you're going to have is close to 400hp on tap, you don't need it (assuming you aren't gonna be sidestepping the clutch @ 6 grand)

IF SETUP PROPERLY, I.E. not to much slack, you won't break the 8.75. And for a sure grip, posi, whatever ya wanna call it, use one of those lockers. A buddy runs one in his Maxi with NO issues, and it runs 12 flat at about 115.

One last thing. I used to run 3.91s in my 69 Bee. It was a 741 case out of (of all things) a 70 340 4 speed Duster. The 741 is supposed to be weak, but I couldn't break it either. Course the car was "only" 3610lbs empty and ran 13.42@103.2 on ProTracs.
 
hi, the dana 60 from a 1967-1972 1/2 ton ford pickup is the best one. it will weigh 32 #more over a 8 3/4. It has passenger car ends and has 3" dia tubes.
as for slowing you down? not an issue!! I went with a dana 60 in my 340 duster in 1992. didn't loose any E.T or MPH. the car ran excatly the same!!
the car runs 11.40's with a 4 speed trans. as for using calverts and S/S springs? don't!! they will bind and bend housings. use calverts system, it really works great! also, use a synthetic lube in rear and trans. it will improve the life of them. calverts has springs, bars ,shocks. matched setup.
 
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