im not sure on what rear end i want to run on my 40 chevy pickup, do any of you guys have any ideas on what a good rear end would be for a sbc 350?? what do you think about running independent suspension on the the rear?
I had a 37 Chevy P.U. with a Corvette rear, I didn't care for it. My 40 Chevy Pickup I used an IROC Camaro rear end with disc brakes, loved it, but knowing what I know now I'd go with a 8 or 9 inch ford, way more choices for gears and brakes etc. That's my experience, not opinion, but experence.
just about anything would work as long as your not pumping out serious hp, 8 inch would work, so would a 10 bolt, something smaller would be better because of less parasitic power loss, dana 44 would work too, or chrysler 8.25 would work too, heres a list of cars to look for 2wd s10 camaro / firebird dakota 94 and up? and up stay away from the 7.25 its got an octagon cover and its junk mustangs just about anything after 79 will have a good rear end. on the 4 lug ones u can convert them to 5 by taking ranger axles on the short side? and assorted brake hardware theres tons more those are just the most common...
Late model Ford Explorers have an 8.8 rear end that is about the right width, has decent gear selection, many have limited slip, and most have disk brakes.
I second the ford explorer option. 8.8 inch ring gear, 31 spline, many are clutch type limited slip, and have disc brakes. 3.73 is a pretty common gear for them. They are 5 bolt 4.5 inch pattern. The local pick a parts are full of them. They are also easy to narrow as they are off center and you can use two short side axles and just cut a long side tube. We put one in dads 32 sedan and a friend has one in a 64 fairlane. To get a 31 spline, 3.73 posi disc brake 9 inch would cost a fortune...we have done both rears for under 300 bux each.
Here's my vote for the 8.8" Ford Explorer rear.."hat rotor" disc brakes and all. You can even use the Ford factory e-brake cables,...They run along the driver side of the frame, connect to any handle you'd like to use. Mine came from a 2000 2wd Explorer, for around $400. Happy Roddin'.... 4TTRUK
well i have mustang 2 front susp but its the universal lug patern so i can pretty much choose what ever i want. my buddy have arx7 rear end i can buy for 100 any opinions on that??
Mazda rear in a chev truck just sounds wrong! Go with a stronger easier to get parts for rear. As stated above the 8.8 would be my choice. I'm running a narrowed 8.8 in my prostreet truck.
Ford 8" will work great with a mild build . If you are going to put some decent HP to that rear , then go with a Ford 9" and never have a worry ! Retro Jim
The Jalopy Journal
