i was the same way.. i called Summit... told them i had an 8" rear end with 28 spline axles (stock axles) they sold me the richmond gear set, richmond deluxe installation kit (comes with all bearings, and even the axle bearings) and i even bought 2 qts of synthetic richmond gear lube. the quickness comes from the gears.. i chose 4.11 because it will mostly be a track car.. and i want the engine to work, i can build the engine, which i plan on later, to have RPM top end kit. the both wheels biting can be from a track lok or a mini spool .. the track lock is recommended for more street use than strip. but scooper has used the mini spool for a long time with zero problems. 3.80 gears might be better for your setup though. you have to ask what you want out of the car.. quickness or top end.. and go from there
I dont think my axles have been swaped or ever taken out by anyone but me , I once replaced the RR axle bearing. I dont recall how many spline I have. I guess I should get that counted so I can purchase as you did Simon...
gene, if you have a stock 8" the axles are 28 spline. if you find a 8" with a posi there is no guarantee that it is going to spin both wheels in a burnout. i found out after spending big bucks to have it built and rebuilt. i then went with a mini spool but i was not driving it on the street. that worked fine at the track. you've gotta decide wether you want to try it on the street.
I am just bias against 8" rears. Burned too many times... Some shopping around could get a 9" posi chunk for that money IMO. Then another 200 bux to get your 8" axles and tubes married to a donor 9" housing center... Then you got a bolt in, 28 spline, posi 9" rear. I can see it being done for around 800 bux total. That 600 is a BIG chunk of that. That's all I was thinking of.
Why would you do that cutting and welding when a small bearing 9" has the same size tubes and bearings as an 8". Use an 8 or use a 9. Dave has had some bad luck with the 8 but i think he's in the minority as far as that goes.
i will be the brave one.. along with some others.. i am going to be running a 4.11 gear with a mini spool on stock 8" rear end... new bearings in the rear end.. i will be getting a new u joint and a new driveshaft eventually.
To save money and end up with a bolt in rear for a Mav/Comet... Where are you gonna find a 9" housing short enough to use your Maverick axles unless you make it? If you cut your 8" tubes off and use those, then the donor housing can come from anything, with any bearings... It can be a big bearing housing a mile wide. Just weld your tubes on the center and your bearings, axle length, u-bolt size, and spring pads are all there with no fuss. As long as you use a 28 spline diff, your done. This is especially good for getting a cheap/free donor housing. The narrower the 9" rear, the more money it costs to find one. The wider, and more common, the cheaper. I have seen them given away just to get them out of a yard or such. Take the free-bee, spend the 200 bux to get your tubes put on, then haul arse. Done.
Well, here goes. A 9" housing any width, take to a pro rear guy. Have him cut the tubes shorter, put the correct ends on and weld your needed brackets on. When you weld on a rear end, you have to be very careful and good at it ir you will pull, warp it! My rear guy does housings for $90 and when done a bar will slide through the housing ends slicker than owl dung! Very special talent to weld a housing and not have it pull on you.
You got a heck of a 'rear guy' then. You are getting the friend's discount. I wouldn't lead anyone here to expect that price in their town. The cheapest regular price I have seen for swapping 8" tubes to a 9" is 150. The guy here charges 200. It is cheaper than moving the spring pads and doing away with brackets and such. To narrow a 9" and set up your spring pads and pinion angles all from scratch, he gets 250. And why not? It's more work. Then if the 9" you get to narrow doesn't have small bearings, then you got to buy several parts on top of the labor.
So what 9" rear do you guys reccommend that requires the least modifications...and what would need to be done to it?
I wouldn't have paid that much for the center chunk in the first post... You (most) guys didn't think much about it so I don't understand why it sold for so much
I guess this one? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...RK:MEBI:IT&viewitem=&item=170101314775&rd=1,1 It was posted here and I saw it...feedback please.
