63 dodge 440 rear end ?/advice

[63dodge440]

why cant i use later axles, backing plates and drums to make my early rear into a later 8-3/4 i know an a body 8-3/4 would fit well, but looks like i could make the one i have into a later rear i have all the later stuff.....

 

[63dodge440]

somebody had to have done this.....

 

[67 coronet]

i have swapped many parts(including backing plates and brakes)from one 8 3/4 to another with no problems,just not from some that early.as long as the bearings are the same(axle diam.)as well as length and splines to match 3rd member,i dont see why it shouldnt work.

 

[lewtot184]

i think the housing for tapered axles is a different width. i'm sure it's not a straight forward swap.

 

[5.7 hemi]

You can use a swedge cutter and make the stud holes just big enough to go over the studs and that should work. Someone posted how to do this in this section sometime ago and I cant find it for ya....yet!

 

[5.7 hemi]

Correction, it's in the 62-65 section.

 

[mattsmopars]

I would just try to find a complete 8 3/4 from a 65 B-body that way you want have to mess with it and you have the correct length axle. Just my 2 cents worth.
Matt

 

[Montclaire]

68-70 b-body may be pretty close as well

 

[5.7 hemi]

I'm using a 68 b body axle housing and I had it narrowed 1 inch per side cause it was cheaper than getting different rims (15x8 with 4 inch backspace). It did bolt right in and maybe if you get the right backspace on your rims, you just might not have to do anything. Btw, my car is a 64 dodge polara 500.

 

[Al K]

I would just try to find a complete 8 3/4 from a 65 B-body that way you want have to mess with it and you have the correct length axle. Just my 2 cents worth.
Matt

X2. What I did(and it relates somewhat to 5.7 Hemi's comment) but had to go with 5" backspacing on my second set of 15X8" wheels. The 4-1/4" b.s. on the first set had my 255-70 tires rubbing on the inner wheelwell.

 

[63dodge440]

update...

after taking the tapered axles out of the housing, i stuck in the later non taper othe than getting the thinner seal the later rear end takes, and using the later backing plates, resplining the axles it all works in the early housing, is it cheaper just to get another housing maybe, but had the later stuff, will cost 145.00 to respline, so how knows.....