OK, I decided to check out the clang (when going from forward to reverse) before I really put my 7.25 rear end back together. It turns out, when I turn the pinion, I have about 1 inch worth of play back and forth. This seems overly excessive to me. So, I went to the local pick a part type place to spy the inventory. I spun the wheels back and forth on these potential donors and saw some smaller play ranges. Now here is my question, How do I tell if the rear end is good with out taking it apart and will a rear end for a 71-73 ( I'm looking at dart donors for my valiant) fit my 64 and bolt right in with out any problems and hook right in to my 4 wheel drum manual brake system (looking at them they look very similar but with out having them side by side, I couldn't tell if there were minor differences that would preclude a swap)?

Thanks

i think there is a slight difference in width between the early and later rears making the rears different as far as parts interchangeability between the axles but the later rear should fit with little problem. you may need to swap over your e-brake cables, and be careful when removing the u-bolts as they like to break off.
the slop you notice in the pinion is usually caused by the crappy little spider gears found in the open differentials. the pin that locates them in the diff housing will actually shift under load while the spider gears squirm around making the clang possible. it's easy enough to pull the cover off and take a look-see inside and you'll see what i mean. this is the best way to check the axle ratio. i needed a rear when i was @800 miles from home and couldn't find a tight one (i looked at several.) luckily the guy had a sure-grip 7 1/4 which are way tougher.

-james

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I'm not sure how it works but one quick glance tells me whether or not I like it

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Cheers!
Al T

Open the rear and look at it. Save the gear oil in a can, and check it out. You want to look for metal parts, and to see if the fluid is black. If it is black, it has likely been running hot. Some metal flakes are normal, but reject one with chunks of metal right off, and the metal flakes should be limited to fine powder just in the bottom of the housing.