I just got photos of the drum. I never even checked if it was big bolt or small bolt. I am pretty sure it is a b body rear myself now. I screwed up the measurement. I went to the inside of each drum and came up with 53 inches and 5/8.
Take care of the wheels/rear end first. Getting the EFI now does not compute- at this point you still can't drive it. Make it driveable first, then go for the EFI upgrade. The best induction in the world won't make any difference if it just sits in the garage. One thing at a time.Well the shocks were dead. Tires still need to be smaller or I need to get properly back spaced wheels. New shocks need to settle before go back to wrestling with this.Torn between taking care of this wheel situation or getting EFI. Still love the car.
View attachment 1715543948
View attachment 1715543949
View attachment 1715543950
Take care of the wheels/rear end first. Getting the EFI now does not compute- at this point you still can't drive it. Make it driveable first, then go for the EFI upgrade. The best induction in the world won't make any difference if it just sits in the garage. One thing at a time.
I just got photos of the drum. I never even checked if it was big bolt or small bolt. I am pretty sure it is a b body rear myself now. I screwed up the measurement. I went to the inside of each drum and came up with 53 inches and 5/8.
View attachment 1715543592
View attachment 1715543593
View attachment 1715543594
When I first saw your photos I thought that's not an a body 8 3/4, those shakels look like offset shakles with one side on backwards, you have a 318 car probably did not come with a 8 3/4.
Here is a photo of an A Body 8 3/4
View attachment 1715543684
My guess is whoever swapped the rear in had to use the shakles to make up for the perch being in the wrong place and raise the rear as others had said to allow the tires to clear.
I'm really beginning to think that's not a B-body rear, it's too wide.
Those are 11" drums so you have the 5x4.5" pattern. Do you know if they're 11x2.5" shoes or 11x2"?
Your measurement from the inside of the drums is misleading. BBP backing plates are offset by about 1.75" to the inside from the end of the housing. If you use 53-5/8" and add 3.5 you get 57.125" which would be housing end to end, which is no where near a B-body rear axle. That's a tough measurement though because of all the dents and features on the back of the backing plates.
Your other measurement of 3" from the spring to the inner sidewall of the tire is telling. If you take that 3", add the 4.5" backspacing, and the tire overhang on the rim which should be .6" by the manufacturers tire specs you get 8.1", which is wheel mount to spring. If you take a 65-69 C-body rear axle drum to drum it's 61.75". Subtract the perch distance of 43", divide by 2, and subtract half the width of the perch and you get 8.125" for the wheel mount to spring distance.
I'm thinking that may be a C-body rear axle.
72Blunblu is the man on this.
If it were me, knowing what I know now, I would get an A body housing from Dr Diff with narrowed perches for a 1/2" spring relocation kit, includes rear hangers (also from Dr Diff). This solves all the issues now and into the future.
Your 15x8 wheels will fit. Your squiffy long hangers disappear. And if you want to go a touch wider than 275, you have room to grow.
The same rallye wheels as before. 6 inches on a 15x8 wheel is what we measured out.so what did you get for wheels and backspacing?