Mopar4Play
Well-Known Member
I am trying to upgrade my 7.25 rear end and finding a 8.75 is tough and expensive. My car is a cruiser with about 300 HP. What do you think about putting a 9in Ford under it.
What would you do, 340 Dart?
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WildCat
Well-Known Member
if you get a 9" ford you will have to shorten, remount spring perchs and a few other mods.
Look for a B or C body 8 3/4 best to get 742 case 3rd member, do the mods to it then use all Mopar Parts to do brakes
300 HP doesn't need a bullit proof rear end
Whatever you do if it isn't an A body rearend it will cost for the mods, what is better? or cheaper?
I know a guy that has an Abody rear at one point said he would give it to me. I ask him about buying it later and he said "I think I'll keep it". It is laying in his backyard in the dirt. You would have to meet this guy. He is very talented and could build anything he wants. But mainly talks alot and does nothing. His 74 Dart Sport is also sitting in his back yard rotting. he said he wants to make a tube frame to put under it, (yes he could, but the car will never see the road again) His dogs (BIG SHEPARDS) has gotten on it and dented the top down, broke the rear glass, so this car is turning back into the earth one day at a time.
Look for a B or C body 8 3/4 best to get 742 case 3rd member, do the mods to it then use all Mopar Parts to do brakes
300 HP doesn't need a bullit proof rear end
Whatever you do if it isn't an A body rearend it will cost for the mods, what is better? or cheaper?
I know a guy that has an Abody rear at one point said he would give it to me. I ask him about buying it later and he said "I think I'll keep it". It is laying in his backyard in the dirt. You would have to meet this guy. He is very talented and could build anything he wants. But mainly talks alot and does nothing. His 74 Dart Sport is also sitting in his back yard rotting. he said he wants to make a tube frame to put under it, (yes he could, but the car will never see the road again) His dogs (BIG SHEPARDS) has gotten on it and dented the top down, broke the rear glass, so this car is turning back into the earth one day at a time.
Mopar4Play
Well-Known Member
Yea price is important, I would prefer to stay with MOPAR parts however not if it is going to be double the money. My car has a 273 gear and i am changing to a 411 I have 17 in wheels. I am afraid the 7.25 wont hold up. I will drive very conservative just haven't heard alot of good things about the 7.25 and trying to plan for thr future.
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
why not just get a 8 3/4 out of a b,c or e body and have the housing narrowed?? can probably pick one up for $100 or less. shame your not close. i have a buddy that will narrow a housing for $100
1wild&crazyguy
Banned
9'' fords are heavy like dana 60's and if you don't upgrade the pinion support plate when making 'real power', you'll break it.
67DartGT340
Well-Known Member
Just be patient there are 8.75 rear ends out there, one will pop up eventually and I think you will be happy you waited. I got mine from a guy who has multiple centre sections.
Max340
Well-Known Member
for 300hp, find an 8 1/4" rear axle and be done with it. No cost to narrow it, no cost to change bolt pattern etc. Everything will bolt up.
fishy68
Tyr Fryr's Inc.
Here's your options as I see them.
1.Buy a 9" rear. Have it narrowed and perches welded on where they need to be and the axles cut down to fit your A-body.
2. Buy a Chrysler C or B body rear and have it narrowed and perches welded on where they need to be and axles cut to fit your A-body.
Hum... Why don't I see any difference in the amount of work there??? Plus I can't imagine you'd buy a 9" rearend housing cheaper than a Mopar B or C body unless your lucky enough to know where there is one for free. I see B and C rearend housings sell for $50-$100 quite often.
Lastly, as Max said a 8-1/4 Mopar rear will handle 300 hp just fine and they were used in A-bodies a bunch and cost next to nothing most of the time. That'd be my 1st choice for a 300 hp car.
BTW: If you noticed I didn't mention just bolting in a Ford 9" rear it's because it'd be nearly impossible to find one that'll bolt right in. I have messed with a lot of rearends over the past 25+ yrs. and never ran into a Ford 9" that was a bolt in to an A-body. Their not a bad rearend and I'm not knocking them. Just not going to bolt right in to an A-body without a bunch of work.
1.Buy a 9" rear. Have it narrowed and perches welded on where they need to be and the axles cut down to fit your A-body.
2. Buy a Chrysler C or B body rear and have it narrowed and perches welded on where they need to be and axles cut to fit your A-body.
Hum... Why don't I see any difference in the amount of work there??? Plus I can't imagine you'd buy a 9" rearend housing cheaper than a Mopar B or C body unless your lucky enough to know where there is one for free. I see B and C rearend housings sell for $50-$100 quite often.
Lastly, as Max said a 8-1/4 Mopar rear will handle 300 hp just fine and they were used in A-bodies a bunch and cost next to nothing most of the time. That'd be my 1st choice for a 300 hp car.
BTW: If you noticed I didn't mention just bolting in a Ford 9" rear it's because it'd be nearly impossible to find one that'll bolt right in. I have messed with a lot of rearends over the past 25+ yrs. and never ran into a Ford 9" that was a bolt in to an A-body. Their not a bad rearend and I'm not knocking them. Just not going to bolt right in to an A-body without a bunch of work.
thanson_mopar
Well-Known Member
mid sixties b body 8.75 rear ends can still be had cheap and you don't have to narrow them. Only thing you have to do is move the spring perches. I bought mine for 100 bucks, complete.
Hersbird
Well-Known Member
What about an 8.8 from a Ranger? Seems like depending on the year and application the width is close especially the 92 and older. Bolt pattern is right. Most have great ratios already and limited slip is common too. $200-$350 for a good shape one complete with brakes, $240 for a new posi unit if it needs it. The 8.8 stands up to some hard launching manual tranny Mustangs with drag tires.
Anybody done this? Is the offset in the housing a problem? I assume you need a custom driveshaft too. Still seems like $500-$700 would have you ready to go. I can't see getting a 8 3/4 large bolt pattern A body setup with limited slip and good gears with driveshaft for less then $1300.
Personally I think I'll go with an 8 1/4 and hope for the best. Still needing the driveshaft and wanting 3.7ish gears and a posi I bet it costs me over $400 and they are getting tough to find.
Anybody done this? Is the offset in the housing a problem? I assume you need a custom driveshaft too. Still seems like $500-$700 would have you ready to go. I can't see getting a 8 3/4 large bolt pattern A body setup with limited slip and good gears with driveshaft for less then $1300.
Personally I think I'll go with an 8 1/4 and hope for the best. Still needing the driveshaft and wanting 3.7ish gears and a posi I bet it costs me over $400 and they are getting tough to find.
thanson_mopar
Well-Known Member
I did, 100 bucks for a complete b-body rear end, with 741 highway gear 3rd member, that you don't have to shorten
300 bucks for 391 sure grip 3rd member
100 to shorten the driveshaft.
cudaman51
Well-Known Member
i have a b body housing already cleaned por 15ed purches moved 75$ i can get it shortened for 100$ so 175$ total. i have no brake parts. I have lots of small bolt Axels. i believe Dakota brakes from an 8 1/4 will work if you want to start collecting parts.
Oklacarcollecto
Life is an experiment
I bought an A body 8 1/4 off eBay for $50.00 less than 6 months ago.
I bought a posi 8 3/4 A body rear end off Craigslist 5 months ago for $450.00.
They are out there you just have to watch and move when they show up.
Are you running wheel adapters on your abody or some type of later 7 1/4?
I bought a posi 8 3/4 A body rear end off Craigslist 5 months ago for $450.00.
They are out there you just have to watch and move when they show up.
Are you running wheel adapters on your abody or some type of later 7 1/4?
1968FormulaS340
Well-Known Member
A Ford 9" is a fine rear end but I don't see it as cost effective.
Get a b-body 8 3/4 or, if you are going to cut something down anyway just go for a Dana 60.
8 1/4 would be least expensive.
Get a b-body 8 3/4 or, if you are going to cut something down anyway just go for a Dana 60.
8 1/4 would be least expensive.
Mopar4Play
Well-Known Member
I want to THANK everyone for all the great advice! This site is wonderful. I am talking with a few mrmbers and still looking at all the options. I wish I would have posted brfore putting the money into my 7.25, O well, I know where to get great advice You guy's or gal's have been the BEST, THANKS
Hersbird
Well-Known Member
A B-body 8 3/4 is not going to fit w/o narrowing it. I mean it might fit but the tires will stick out another inch or two on each side, unacceptible for me. An A-body 8 3/4 is not going to work with the big bolt pattern wheels w/o new axles. E bay is fine but shipping on an axle is going to be $200, I'm in Montana they are never within an hour or two of me. I'm running a 73 7 1/4 off the Duster I got my spool k frame and disc brake setup off of. I can't beleive that 318 gold Duster didn't have a 8 1/4 but oh well the whole car was only $250.
Right now I have 15x10 Keystone Classics with 275/50/15 BFG TAs stuffed just right up under there. The stance on the back is just perfect and they don't rub with the lip just slightly rolled. When I finish the front end swap I will go with 15x7 Keystones and 225/60/15 BFGs , now I have 14x7s and 215/65/14s.
$300 for a 391 sure grip 8 3/4 pumpkin is an absolute steal. Around here you best bet is to look for old farm trucks and buy the whole truck just for the pumpkin. Actually those trucks are good candidates for a narrowing of the housing and then buying new axles. I just can't find a good sure grip. Everything is just picked over now. We don't even have a junk yard w/in 50 miles anymore!
Right now I have 15x10 Keystone Classics with 275/50/15 BFG TAs stuffed just right up under there. The stance on the back is just perfect and they don't rub with the lip just slightly rolled. When I finish the front end swap I will go with 15x7 Keystones and 225/60/15 BFGs , now I have 14x7s and 215/65/14s.
$300 for a 391 sure grip 8 3/4 pumpkin is an absolute steal. Around here you best bet is to look for old farm trucks and buy the whole truck just for the pumpkin. Actually those trucks are good candidates for a narrowing of the housing and then buying new axles. I just can't find a good sure grip. Everything is just picked over now. We don't even have a junk yard w/in 50 miles anymore!
dartman340ta
Well-Known Member
i would wait too, found mine at a swap meet 200$ less center section did not care have 3 of those already ..just relax wait your turn it will show up
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