8 3/4 installation
You will need to have the stock driveshaft shortened,
you need the 8 3/4" Shock mounts, and the larger 8 3/4" Ubolts/nuts etc.
This is not a beginners type swap.
i would have to respectfully disagree. if you can use a ratchet, wrenches, and a floor jack, you can swap the rearend. case in point - I did it and I am truly a beginner....this whole swap took me less than 4 hours by myself in a cramped carport. had i had a helper and/or a better workspace it would have gone much quicker.
-set the car up on jackstands in the rear so that the weight is off the suspension but the rear wheels are in light contact with the ground.
-unbolt the leaf springs from the rear hangers, unbolt the shocks from the spring plates, disconnect the brake hose and ebrake cables.
-unbolt the rear end from the springs. don't throw away the old shock plates you will want them if you ever have to put the old rear end back in.
-let the springs flop down and roll the rear out from under the car, take the wheels off, and put them on the new rearend
-roll the new rear end under the car, reattach to the leaf springs with the new shock plates and new (bigger) u-bolts, bolt the springs back up, attach brake line and e-brake cables.
-measure for driveshaft shortening and once that is done, re-install the now shorter driveshaft, bleed the brakes and go.
rebuilding the 8 3/4 internals is another story, that is something best left to a pro. mine looked good when i got it so i just cleaned it up and left it together but completely rebuilt the brakes. it seems to be fine, no noises or anything. again, if you stay out of the guts of it, it is a good project for a beginner to tackle. remember, its really all just nuts and bolts. take pics of everything before and during dissasembly and you'll have a guide to help put it back together.
-tim
