narrowing an 8&3/4" rear

-
moparmat2000

moparmat2000

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 13, 2010
Messages
20,877
Reaction score
10,855
Location
Grand Tetons
hi y'all

anybody know how to narrow an 8&3/4 rear in their garage. i have precision cutting tools and a welder. is there some type of gee whiz way of doing this or is it pretty simple and straightforward. i have a C body axle i need to narrow to an A body width. i have an A body 7&1/4 for a blueprint of sorts for total width drum to drum.

how straight does it need to be. obviously it has to be pretty close.

if you know how to do this at home, can you tell me here. im sure others would like to know.

thanks
matt
 
It's easy but you absolutely have to have a narrowing jig. No iff's, and's. or buts! Pretty close isn't even in the ballpark. It has to be absolutely straight. Not .020" off end to end. If you don't have a narrowing jig don't even try it. Also, the jig must be in place when welded and left until the housing cools or it'll warp.
 
I agree with fishy68. I paid the 200 bucks do have it done right and the welds look like NASA quality.
 
It's way more fun to do this yourself in your garage, but one thing you need to be aware of is thaat you re-align the axle-ends to the carrier, and not the cut axle-tubes.

I've narrowed a C-rearend awhile back. Pics are on my website... http://www.bigblockmopar.com
You need to have/make 4 properly sized spindles and a long strong bar to run through the carrier and entire axle-housing, where you can align the axle-ends on.
 
BigBlockMopar said:
It's way more fun to do this yourself in your garage, but one thing you need to be aware of is thaat you re-align the axle-ends to the carrier, and not the cut axle-tubes.

I've narrowed a C-rearend awhile back. Pics are on my website... http://www.bigblockmopar.com
You need to have/make 4 properly sized spindles and a long strong bar to run through the carrier and entire axle-housing, where you can align the axle-ends on.
Click to expand...

Nice write up ther BBM. I have a truck rearend I planned on getting narrowed for my Cuda but a buddy of mine has a lathe and is a fantastic welder so I'm gonna see if I can come up with the round stock and bar to make a jig. Thanks for sharing the info.
 
Thru word of mouth i found a local hi performance shop that can narrow my rear for me. Just the housing. I will prob buy my A body axles b4 i bring it to him. Plus i have a 74 A body 7&1/4 rear he can use for measurements. $250, is what he wants plus i provide him with the new perches, and dissassemble and clean the housing before i bring it to him.

A body joe i know your friend can do it cheaper, i wish i still lived in new jersey for that reason, but shipping the axle housing to new jersey and back to abilene texas plus $100 for the work would cost more than just prepping the axle housing, tossing it in the back of my truck, and driving 15 miles away and having it done local.

I am sure if i wanted to fool with it i could narrow it myself. But rather than do it and hope its right sometimes you have to pay the man who knows.

Thank you everybody for your advice.
Matt
 
You can UPS the housing to Moser Engineering to have it narrowed. One week turn around time and great work. I had several done by them before I built my own jig. Including shipping it should be around half of that $250 price you got.
 
Shop Services

Shop Services:
List Price:​

Resplining


Single Axle
75​


One Pair
125​


2 to 5 Pair
120​


6 or more pair at the same time
110​





Respline Transmission Planetaries


Quantity 1-3
75​


Quantity 4-9
70​


Quantity 10+
60​

Respline Monster Truck Axles (each)
160​

Machining for Monster Truck shafts that are lapped (each)
70​

Redrilling Bolt Patterns


Redrill Axles
65​


Weld & Redrill
90​


Rear Drums or Rotors (Studs are not included)
65​


Redrill Front Discs or hubs (one piece hubs only) (Studs are not included)
90​


Counterbore (for above if necessary)
20​


Plug & Redrill
90​


4 lug-to-5 lug plug & redrill
90​


6 lug-to-5 lug plug & redrill
90​

Rework Jeep Kits to fit Set 9 Bearings (incl. Brgs)
110​

Straighten Axle (each)
50​

Narrow Most Housings (Both Sides)
145​
 
I did one years ago. Cut the carrier with a pipe cutter (rotary kind, made a perfect square cut) bought some new ends and slid them on. put the axles in with bearings, let them square and center the ends and tacked them on 4 sides. Tapped on the axles to reseat the ends square and then ran a bead. Has worked since then, seems to track straight. When you got no money, its hard to buy services.....Its like shortening a driveshaft, its ghetto to do it yourself, but it has worked many times. We had nothing to lose
 
I have a buddy that does them all the time. he has a nice jig with a 1 1/4" stainless bar and machined pucks. It is important to get them straight and square but i have yet to see a factory housing that was dead nuts. i have seen virgin housings that were off by over 3/8" from the factory. I just spent 1400 on a fabricated sheet metal housing from moser that was 1/8" off. I would never know unless i threw a jig on it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top