Seems like I heard someone talking about putting a late model mustang rear end in a dodge or plymouth. I don't know which body style mopar. Does any one have any info? And if so, How are the ford rear ends geared stock?(Help)

the only f*rd rear end you should consider would be a 9"
with a design similar to the mopar 8.75, gear changes are a breeze. you can get all kinds of parts for them and they're avail. in nearly every conciveable set up. they're very reasonable in price too.
However, that's all custom. if you're looking for an upgrade that's simple stay mopar.

hmmm... a 9" with cambered snouts, disk brakes, and chock full-o alum. goodies would be fun to mount up with a three link though...

-JYH
69 Fastback 8.75
64 Dart 8.25
SoCal

The older Ford 8" rears are also a good possibility. The pre-75 Mustangs and 5-lug Mavericks and such had the same perch width as A-bodies. These rears also have aftermarket support and are lighter than 9" rears.

Currie Enterprises has info on their website about 8" and 9" parts.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Re: furd 8" rears

Hey Lou, that's a hell of an idea. The 8 and 8.8 both have a ton of aftermarket parts floating about for them, they're light, readily available and somewhat durable. Although they share the same perch width are the housing widths the same? I mean, nothing deep offset rims and/or spacers couldn't take care of... but inquiring minds ya know?
I'm guessing that the bolt pattern is the standard 5X100mm?

Naturally the racer in me gravitated toward the 9"... gotta shake that whole fabrication/modification mindset...
*laughs*

-JYH
64 Dart, all mopar baby

Isn't the 8.8 what is in the later 5.0 type Mustangs? I would think the track width would be narrow enough. You'd have to change the spring perches, etc.
I'm looking for some good alternatives for the Turismo project. I'm hoping to find a rear track width narrow enough that I don't have to pay the cost of narrowing a rear end. Moving spring perches and such will have to be done regardless.

The car will be light enough with a not so radical Slant 6, so something about as strong as the 8 1/4 that has good parts availability is the ticket.

What have others done for this?

Rob

What's up guys? I lucked up and found a junk yard locally that can order me a set of 3.55 ring and pinion for $192.00. Thanks for the info.

<<Isn't the 8.8 what is in the later 5.0 type Mustangs? I would think the track width would be narrow enough. You'd have to change the spring perches, etc.

yup, that's the one.

<<I'm looking for some good alternatives for the Turismo project. I'm hoping to find a rear track width narrow enough that I don't have to pay the cost of narrowing a rear end. Moving spring perches and such will have to be done regardless. The car will be light enough with a not so radical Slant 6, so something about as strong as the 8 1/4 that has good parts availability is the ticket. What have others done for this?

How involved do you want to get? Standard spring mounting or some type of link set-up?

You could nab a rear from a later model jeep and get something that's reasonably strong, light and you'd get disk brakes as well as parts availibility. The mustang 8.8's are crazy light and have tons of parts... and the explorer rears (w/ disks) seem to be popular and plentiful...

So many choices... so little time...

-JYH

I just want to keep it simple and go with leaf springs.

That raises the question about traction devices. Would the 8.8 etc used with A body leaf springs still use a pinion snubber as the proper means of traction control? Hmm...

Rob

Rob, good call on keeping the leafs. I'd pop for a new set, custom built, maybe add 1/2 a leaf to the front or possibly go with a thicker main. Or depending on what your application is, you could buy a set of landrum units.
As for traction devices, there's always traction bars (real ones not the cheese-d*ck slapper bar POS units) and of course a decoupled torque link would be highly effective. and, yeah, keeping the pinion snubber would be a good idea.

-JYH
64 Dart, torque link? first of all, allegedly; second of all, i don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about

JYH,

A couple of people are already using the 8" in A-bodies. The axle flange-flange width is around 57-57.5", and it has 5X4.5" bolt circle. Perfect for mounting stock late-model Mustang rims, which have more backspace than Mopar rims and are way more plentiful. I hope to have one in the next month to play with.

Your '64 Dart sounds cool - any pics or buildup specs you'd like to throw our way?

Cheers,

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Hey Lou, the 8" sounds like a sweet deal; cheap and easy-- just how i likes 'em! <<BFG>>
The kicker is the late model mustang rims. lightweight, big, generous backspacing, and plentiful! it's just shoehorning them under a narrow a-body that presents the challenge. igor fetch me the sawzall!
*laughs*

El Dart-O-Matic... she's painfully original and beautifully simple.
here's a pic-
http://www.homestead.com/alltimeracing/ ... speed.html

and for the record, the 993 turbo passed me on the back straight but i held off everybody else for another two laps.

build up specs? whaddya wanna know? it's all stock!
*manical laughter begins*

-JYH
64 Dart, all stock
69 Cuda, all stock too
SoCal

JYH,

Pity we didn't meet up in SoCal when I was still living there and roadracing my '64 Dart (moved 2 yrs ago).

http://www.slantsix.com/UBB/Forum4/HTML/000051.html

Is your '64 Slant powered? I only went to Willow Springs about 5 times while I was out there, and made one stop to run at Firebird in Phoenix on my way driving the '64 across the country.

My home track is now Virginia Int'l Raceway and it's pretty sweet.

Grind up them corners...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

I have followed this thread, and wonder if anybody else has looked at the T-Bird Independent Rear Suspension setup? I keep looking at them, when I am behind one at a stop light, and I am haunted by the idea of making one work in my Barracuda. This is probably way beyond my fabrication skills, but I'm telling you, it is driving me nuts that there are all of these tasty looking parts right there, and I need to convert my car to LBP, and I would really like to put in a more durable axle, and rear disk brakes. All of this, plus IRS, right there......

Okay, I am going to go take a cold shower now.

Greg

Calm down there, Greg. IRS would be cool indeed. I've been looking at Cobra rears for a while, but they are still a bit pricey, and supposedly very heavy. Had not thought of the T-bird, although it'll be awhile before those get cheaper.

Keep it comin',

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Actually, I wasn't thinking of the new T-Birds, but the 89-97 models. It looks pretty simple, and it seems smaller and lighter than the mustang cobra assemblies. See this link:http://www.sccoa.com/articles/sfgearswap.html

So, for now, I am not going to think about it. When I hit the lottery, buy a bunch of machine tools and welding equiptment, well, then, I will be getting busy.

Greg