Maverick rear end swap

[Tinbasher]

Has anyone actually swapped in a Maverick rear end?
Width is right, spring perches are in the right place.
Only difference is that the pinion is centered rather than offset
like a mopar. Would this create any problem with driveshaft harmonics?
Any knowledgeable opinion would be welcome, thanks

 

[Treblig]

The pinion not being centered shouldn't be a problem. Many cars run well with the pinion offset (off center). The only important thing is that the pinion center line be parallel to the engine center line. Another way to look at it is to say that the rear end must be perpendicular to the engine drive line angle. The same thing holds true for pinion angle....the pinion angle (vertically) should be parallel to the engine angle (when the pinion is under load).

Forgot to mention....The only time the pinion offset (side to side) makes a difference is if the driveshaft hits (makes contact) with the tunnel or the exhaust pipes as it travels up and down.

treblig

 

[Kern Dog]

I recall reading about this swap a few times before. The first thought I had was...GREAT! Here is a huge source of reasonably strong axles that use the same bolt pattern!!!
Then I remembered that these cars have been out of production as long as our A body cars. They are getting as hard to find as our stuff is.

 

[schwinger]

Have one installed in my 72 dart with a mild built 318 and 5spd Been in for 7 years. Bolted right up well except for the driveshaft which you need a conversion u joint to adapt to the rearend but brake cables for the emergency brakes connect right up too. Didnt have any driveshaft vibrations either but everyone else's setup is different so it's possible you might run into that. They usually if not majority of them came with 2.79 gears but earlier falcons and I think granadas have the lower gears. They actually hold up pretty good! been beating the heck out of mine for them 7 years and still running strong!

 

[Abodybomber]

Edited.....

 

[lemondana]

Years ago, I bought a 68 Dart GT, basically for parts. It was a 318 904 car. It had been sitting along time tires were flat with tall grass growing around it. I could just barely see under he rear of the car, not seeing the 7 1/4 I was expecting, but what looked to be a 8 3/4. It had full wheelcovers on it. Got it loaded on the trailer rather quickly, got home and unloaded it only to find out it had a Ford 8 in under it. Jokes on me.. I look back, the car was in really good shape, just missing the front sheet metal, but long gone.

 

[72bluNblu]

So a 71-77 Maverick rear axle is 56.5" drum-drum, or about 5/8" narrower than a SBP A-body 8 3/4, ~1.25" narrower than an A-body 8 3/4 with BBP axles, and about a 1/4" narrower than a BBP 7.25 or 8.25.

Perches are 43.5"c-c, so technically not the same as an A-body which are 43". But I'm guessing no one would blink at squeezing the springs in a 1/4" per side.