I am offered a 62 Dart Rearend for my 72 Demon but not sure that it will work, anyone know if this would work and if the bolt pattern would be the 4 or 4.5". I have a B Body rear I can put in but I'm told it is longer than the A-Body.
will it work
- Thread starter thomasjkt
- Start date
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70Duster440
Well-Known Member
The '62 rear will be puny. Go with the B-Body rear. It will be a little wider and you should move the spring perches in .5" but it's still a better choice of the two.
The Dart in 1962 was a B body and very well could have a 8.750 rear which certainly would not be "puny" by any means, but would have to be modified to fit your car.
70Duster440
Well-Known Member
I stand corrected. I was thinking early A proportions ('63 and up with 7.25 - now that's puny).
Yes, they are. ...and I'm not certain that 62 would necessarily have the 8.750. But I do know they were the B body. I can't think of another rear axle back then though so I think the 8.750 was it.
'64 Cuda
Well-Known Member
If the '62 rear is an 8.75 it's going to have those bolt-on hub/drum setups that require a puller to remove. PITA! Still might have a good pig in it though.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
'64 Cuda
Well-Known Member
Yup. Huge, heavy, expensive puller
And I can remember having to use a hammer on the arms of the puller to tighten it, along with using a torch to heat the hub, and banging on the hub with a hammer before the thing finally broke loose! Helluva lot of work to go through to replace a set of brake shoes!
Yeas, but once modded for his car it will eliminate all that hooha and be a nice rear axle.
All B body rearends, 62 and later, will need the spring perch center to center distance corrected to 43", but if that '62 Dart is a six cylinder and not a station wagon, it could have an 8 1/4" rearend. Look for casting #1828448 on the center section and an axle housing width of 53 1/4" flange to flange. From 57-62 this center section (8 1/4") calls for a housing with a different # (1045744 or 2070269) than the 8 3/4" rearends indicating that unlike the 63-64 8 1/4" center sections, it may have a different mounting flange reducing interchange possibilities with 8 3/4" center sections/housings. The fact that the factory considered this 8 1/4" rearend unsuitable for even a six powered station wagon should be a heads up.
Even if the '62 turns out to be an 8 3/4" rear, the small pinion and unflanged axles might mean upgrading the center section and buying aftermarket axles made to length for the housing if you plan on extreme duty and/or want the convenience of flanged axles.
Free or not, the early rearend might end up being the most expensive.
With the Duster/Demon body having the most generous rear wheelhouses of all the A bodies, while a 71 or later (over 57" housing width) might be too wide, it sounds like a later B body axle (apx. 54 1/4" to 54 7/8" housing width depending on year 65 to 70) is the way to go and even preferable when using large diameter late model wheels having deep backspacing. This would be especially true if said axle comes with one of the stronger 742 (1 3/4" pinion) or 489 (1 7/8" pinion) center sections and/or Sure Grip.
Even if the '62 turns out to be an 8 3/4" rear, the small pinion and unflanged axles might mean upgrading the center section and buying aftermarket axles made to length for the housing if you plan on extreme duty and/or want the convenience of flanged axles.
Free or not, the early rearend might end up being the most expensive.
With the Duster/Demon body having the most generous rear wheelhouses of all the A bodies, while a 71 or later (over 57" housing width) might be too wide, it sounds like a later B body axle (apx. 54 1/4" to 54 7/8" housing width depending on year 65 to 70) is the way to go and even preferable when using large diameter late model wheels having deep backspacing. This would be especially true if said axle comes with one of the stronger 742 (1 3/4" pinion) or 489 (1 7/8" pinion) center sections and/or Sure Grip.
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