8 and 3/4 diff

[flatheadgary]

does anybody know if you can take a 71 dodge third member and put it in a '63 belvedere 8 and 3/4 rear. i am not talking about the whole housing. it has the woodruff keyed axles and i thought i heard that this has some kind of shims or something different than the later rears. i can put the whole housing in but i don't have the money to shorten the housing and do the axles right now.

 

[493 Mike]

All the 8 3/4 "pigs" are interchangeable. There are slight axle shaft length differences in the early years. The shims on 1964 and earlier year models are used to adjust axle bearing preload, similar to the threaded adjusters that started in 1965.
Mike

 

[Dipstick]

If the '63 was originally a Sure-Grip, the '64-later third member will fit OK but, if it wasn't originally Sure-Grip, the axles will be 1/8" too long.

 

[flatheadgary]

sorry for not getting back on this but the holidays and all. anyway, no it's not a sure grip. so it looks like the axles will be to long. can the end be cut say like on a chop saw? will the axle go in far enough and not bottom out. in other words, are the splines on the axle long enough to cut and still go far enough in?

 

[493 Mike]

Yes you can chop them off. I hand cut a pair with my 4 1/2" side grinder with a thin cut off wheel ( nerves of steel!).
Mike

 

[dvw]

Big 10" cut off wheel (Lowes, Home Depot) in a miter saw works great to shorten axles. Cuts clean and square. Just go slow.
Doug

 

[flatheadgary]

thanks guys.