Which Rearend Would U Choose???

I began tearing into the new 56 chev gasser project and am seeking some of your advice as far as rearend choices. The car currently has the stock rear with removable pumpkin and 3:36 gears . After pulling this I noticed that two of the spider gears are missing teeth. I can buy another 3:36 pumpkin for $50. But question is should I even be wasting my time fixing this rearend or is it even a good rearend for that matter?

I have access to a maverick 8" rear with 2:73 gears but am not crazy about the ratio

Or do I go with a 9" from a 57-59 ford?? But extra center sections are hard to locate in my region

Or would something else be better then any of these and morst cost effective?

The car will not be over 500 horse when its done so that may be something that guides the rearend choice .

I really appreciate any opinions any of you have!!! Thanks in advance

 

Stock rearends are notoriously weak in tri 5 cars from my experience. I know the 57 ford rears are a good fit in these cars and about as tough of rear as you will find.

 

X2 ............and I don't understand why "extra center sections" are an issue. Do you plan to change the ratio for certain events?

Ray

 

The Ford 9" is tough and parts are relatively easy to find and less costly than most.

 

Given those choices, the early 9" would be the way to go. Too bad you can't find an olds/pontiac though....

 

How can you tell the difference between an early and late 9", and what year did they change?

 

Smooth back, no dimples, small axle tubes....nice looking rear in the early years. They even had a drain plug.

 

What year did they change?

 

Thanks for the advice guys!! The 9" sounds like the way to go then. I wanted to have an extra center section on hand in case I wanted to change out the ratio or it were to grenade for some reason. But no sense worryin about that maybe.

Would there be an advantage of an old or pontiac rear compared to the 9"?? Because I can probably find one of those if I look hard enough.

 

The Olds and Pontiac rears are what the Gas class racers used "back in the day."

 

ford 8.8 they run them in single didgit race cars and they rob less power then a 9 inch. axle shafts are reasonable and you can get them drilled for a chev. explorer ones also are 31 spline and have disk brakes.

 

Not the right vibe for that car, unfortunately....

Can't go wrong with the light duty 9". They were (being used) in that type of car by the 60s as well.

 

8.75 Mopar is better choice than a 9 inch IMO.Less power robbing drag with the way the gears are set up and no off set driveshaft.Tons of them left if you know where to look and good aftermaket parts avalible for them as well (axles ,billet caps ,etc) ...

 

Back in the 70s a friend of mine would blow the rear out of his 57 Chevy 210 twice a year with a warmed over 327. We had a yard that would sell them to us for 15 dollars so he never swapped it. I go with a 9 . Good 8s are hard to find here.

 

Although I have an 8.8 in my 56, I think in a car up in the air like that, you have to go period with the olds if possible, early 9" second choice. My car is a lowered custom and if you can see the rear axle, you probably need to call 911 for me.

 

In the mid 90's my father had a 55 bel air with a 327 and a rockcrusher and went through 3 stock rear ends in 3 years. I'd go with a 9"

 

Ya it needs to look period correct so i think the early 9" will be the way to go or Olds potentially. The hunt begins!!
I live in Canada so pontiac rearends are difficult to find here as those rears have to come from american pontiacs not canadain pontiacs.

I already saved an 8 3/4 out of a mopar and after removing it the housing was bent like an "S" shape so it got tossed.

Thanks again guys!!

 

Dana 60.

 

If you really have to go period correct then Olds, Pontiac or Ford 9" is your choices. That said , the Ford 8.8 rears are plentiful (even in Canada) and just as strong as a Chevy 12 bolt or Dana. Should be around $200 ready to run. There are lots of ratios avaliable and welding the spider gears together will get you a spool axle.

 

Exactly. The 8.8 is strictly Mustang 5.0 stuff, no matter how good it is or how many parts are out there.

 

I think you should use what you can find to get it going.

If it has to be an 8.8, then so be it. If you had to throw another third member in the original housing, then so be it.

I think it would be ridiculous to let the car sit and waste a bunch of time looking for a 9" that was made 3 years, or an Olds/Poncho that is probably hard to find in Canada and not be driving the car because it's sitting waiting on "that period correct rear end". Not that this is the case, but I'm just using that as an example. You may have a lot more stuff to do to the car, but I'm just saying I wouldn't let something like a "period correct" part keep me from driving the car, if it were mine and that's all it needed.

I also think too many people are getting caught up on "it has to be period correct". That shit just gets old after a while. How many cars on here are 100% period correct ? Not very damn many.

Those are just my opinions though.

-Aaron

 

Mopar 8 3/4... plentiful under trucks and vans (though they will be wide and may have to be narrowed), you'll probably get a decent gear set from a truck (though I've hit the dork double and both of mine came with 2.90 sets), lots of available aftermarket parts as stated, and best of all, they are all 30 spline axles.
If you get the widest one you can find, Moser will be able to narrow the stock axles pretty cheaply.

-Brad

 

I don't know why 9" carriers are hard to find with all the pick-ups and vans out west
I would go with a 9"

 

Yes guys I found a 9" rear from a 66 mercury 1/2 ton dirt cheap with 3:50 gears. It will be the perfect width for the car with 12" the slicks I have along with my radiused wheel well plans. Thanks again for the info you guys have provided!

 

Sorry I was not totally stuck on period correct. I just meant I didnt want the 8.8 looking rearend or 10 & 12 bolt style gm with the cover thats all

 

When I got my dragster chassis it had a narrowed '57 Chevy rear with a 4.88 posi center and Summers Bro's 5x5 axles. I didn't have much faith in it from the stories I heard about them, and I definitely wouldn't put one in a heavy gasser. I upgraded to a braced 9" and still have my boys hangin' around.

 

the problem would have been the center section , not the axles.

 

I found that parts are cheaper, easier to find and more plentiful for the 9" Ford than the early Olds/Pontiac rear ends. But watch your 500 horse range, you may want to go with a Nodular case and aftermarket axles especially if your running SLICKS!