Diff....icult decisions

[Dave81]

I'm losing the will on where to start on the car.

My aim (after the car failed its MOT in August), was just to get it back on the road.

So i've bought all the front end suspension and steering components.

Its also failed on cracked tyres......So a good chance to get the wheels i want. BUT.........i have an overall goal with the car and an sensible aim of not buying everything twice.

The SBP wheels are gonna cost circa £500.
The future 360 will eat the open 7.25 with 2.76's.

So i'll need to upgrade to 8.75. It makes sense to go BBP here......and thus the wheels that i have are no longer suitable (not the best use of £500)!

Can someone please explain to me what i will require to do the above upgrade.
Obviously a 8.75 with 3.55 suregrip.
Shortened Diff.....But what else?

Would it be worth upgrading the suspension (superstock)?

If i'm doing the rear.......I should do the front....So what do i exactly require here?

Are the Ball joints, tie rod's etc cross compatable (brand new to be installed)?

The car is currently Power Disc/Drum if that makes any difference!

All i ask is a simpletons breakdown of parts i require........

Oh and Help me.....my head is hurting!!!!!!!!

[Pete]

If you can get an "A" Body 8 3/4 then you have cracked it. I am sure they are 4" PCD. I am sure you will not even have to shorten the prop shaft....

The alternative (bite the bullet) is to narrow a "B", "C", or "E" Body one if you can't find an "A" body one. These all have 4.5" PCD for nice wheels and tyres in useable sizes..... The Brakes are wider and you will have to narrow the banjo and get after market shafts to suit (£350+).

Springs are the same to my knowledge (never had a seven and a slaughter one...) so you can upgrade at your leisure by it pays to only do the work once as well............

Front end makes no odds - it should be serviceable as in any car.

[Dave-R]

If you go too firm on the rear suspension, without also increasing the front suspension rating, your car will oversteer badly.

When fitting the new axle you will probably have to weld on new spring perches if the axle is from another platform. This is actually very handy as you can set the correct pinion angle first before welding them in place.

Not sure if you will have to change teh rear UJ or not?

[autofetish]

Didnt Darft vader just do this

There are some links in axle sticky as to size and spring pad location

[Dave999]

8 1/4 is now quite well supported in the US and nobody wants them over here

the aussies reconned a 7 3/4 inch ringear and 25 spline axles were good for 320 Ft lb of torque in a 1300 KG car.
yours will weigh that
how much torque will your 360 put out and what do you plan to do with it?

i'd be getting my standard springs re temperd and rebuilt

superstock springs are for doing superstock things

and half of them are made in mexico/china from tin foil cheese and twigs even if they say mopar perfromance on them.


Dave

[Mick]

Dave, dont try doing it all at once, as you will end up with a project that you dont get to use and probably lose heart in the end.
Get the car on the road first. The internet is your friend, if you set about a task, do your home work first, research it on the internet,get a workshop manual and ask questions. Nobody knows it all, some just think they do. When you feel confident in what you're doing, order the parts and do each job one at a time.
I'm no authority on these things but you're welcome to give me a call and if i can give you any worthwhile advice i will do.
Mick

[MilesnMiles]

Hey Dave,
One step at time. Source an axle for an A body. Duncan did have one for an A bod a while back.
Why not leave the front end as is for now? Not all 8.75s are 4.5"pcd, my one had the 4" pattern.
TRy to get as complete an axle as you can i.e. with the brakes attached so you have less to source.
Just go in easy stages.
Rear axle
prop job (if required)
engine
front brake upgrade.
Each one needs a specific budget. As Mick sez, get the car on the road as it is now and get to know and enjoy it. Then identify what you want to do with it. No need to have a 'project' as the base car is sound.
There is no rush and that 318 is a sweet rebuilt motor

[MilesnMiles]

Oh, and phone Mick, he knows A bods inside out and if you want a chat i'm happy to go through options with you having done a similar job some years ago

[MilesnMiles]

Hey dave, say no to this headline

[AllKiller]

Im with Mick on this one get it going and on the road....slowly slowly...

Its not a race to do it up.
And although i get hammered on here for taking my time to do a job...I do it once and properly.

Once its up and moving it will get your interest going again, i dont think there is a mad need to change the Bolt pattern either

Just sort the rear out or leave it and see how long it lasts...my mate put a chevy 305 in a capri and that little axle really took some pounding and lasted about 3 years before it died.

[Gareth]

My aim (after the car failed its MOT in August), was just to get it back on the road.

So i've bought all the front end suspension and steering components.

Its also failed on cracked tyres......So a good chance to get the wheels i want. BUT.........i have an overall goal with the car and an sensible aim of not buying everything twice.

Dave, what exactly did it fail on? Just the items quoted? If so then personally I would address those issues, get it MOT'd and start enjoying it. The rest can be done bit by bit as funds and time permit.

Don't get bogged down with more work than you can comfortably deal with or the car will start to feel like an albatross around your neck. Don't ask me how I know!

[Blue]

This is always the problem when starting off with a stock pre '73 A body, at least you have front discs! There is a lot of outlay when going down this road and it doesn't help that the parts you are taking off have little or no resale value.

The choice of wheels in SBP is very limited, not good.

The seven and a slaughter is weak, usually open diff and normally 2.76, none of that is good for perfomance use, it needs to go.

Unless you are very lucky, budget for £1500-2000 to get an 8.75" in there with LBP. You will need the larger U bolts and shock plates. 8.75" parts are getting quite hard to find over here these days.
You might have to change the rear UJ size and you will have to shorten the prop.
This could turn into a complete new prop if you can't find the right used parts, allow £500 for that.

An A body 8.25 would suffice, they are LBP and should be cheap, IF you can find one, that's the problem.

The front discs can be re drilled to LBP, easiest way out of that one.

This is the harsh reality, unless you have a chunk of money and can wait until you find the parts, the car is off the road.

Spend the bare minimum to get the car on the road now and then start collecting parts would be my advice.

[autofetish]

And although i get hammered on here for taking my time to do a job...I do it once and properly.

.

But come on Steve if you got any slower you would start going backwards.

[Dave81]

Cheers Guys.

I too do not want this to turn into a three year off the road resto either, and as in my post was really looking to just do whats required to get the car on the road, and have a driving resto.

Have to be honest.....I did'nt realise that they did the 8.75 in sbp.

If the above is available then i'd have no issue in buying the wheels i want and having the rear put in at a later date. What i didnt want to do is spend the cash on wheels that in 12 months will become surplus to requirements!

The diff is gonna be the first bit of the drivetrain to be updated and will sit behind the 318/904 until the cash becomes available for the 360, so not in any rush to do all the car straight away. Half the fun is doing the car the way i want in my own timescale (long), and as long as its drivable inbetween then that should keep the enthusiasm and interest going.

I take it that if i find a sbp 8.75 then the drums currently on the car are interchangeable??

Dave

[Jon Connolly]

Hi Dave

Don`t worry, set an end goal + budget and work back from there

You could always go with something like this ??

http://www.rodsnsods.co.uk/forum/stuff- ... axle-67111

Engineer it to fit

Ford / Mopar wheel choice

Drill the fronts to suit

I have a prop that I can donate to the cause and have probably got other bits and bobs you could have

Don`t believe everything you read on the internet ( smallblocks are crap, LA blocks blow up at 500 HP, 904`s are crap, Chev 10 bolt rear ends are crap etc )