Very narrow S10 or Ranger? How to?

I'm working on another OT sports car project (V8 MGB) and need to find a different rear. I've used both the S10 and Ranger rears in other hot rods, but can't seem to find a HAMB-like way to make a narrow version. What I need is 51" from WMS to WMS.

If I use the "use another short axle" method on the ranger 7.5 or 8.8 rear I think it still comes up a couple of inches too long. I'm not sure if the 2wd S10 has a short/long axle. If so, maybe that could work.

I found out that postal jeeps have a 51" wide dana 44, but redoing the brakes and hubs to a 4- or 5- lug pattern could be costly.

Please don't recommend Currie or Speedway. I don't have $1000 to lay out for this and if one of you guys has an idea, I'd really like to do it myself anyway.

Thanks for your help.

 

Volvo 240 from the 80s, 4 bar, disks, and Dana 44 I believe. I used one in my Henry J in HS.

 

Thanks, I measured a Volvo 240 and it was 54.5". Might be perfect for an early Falcon, though. Even has a Ford bolt pattern.

 

If you are willing to cut both ends of the housing, look into whether the axle shafts have enough extra spline to "use another short axle minus 1" each side"....

 

i believe they actually made some MGBs with a V8 in them from the factory......i wonder what they used for rears in them?

 

The 2WD S-10 is about 54" ... can you bring the tires in with proper wheel backspace?

 

MGB v8's used the same rear as the MGB but with a different ratio.

That's really what's driving the rear end swap - the MGB rear is a 3.909 and there just aren't any other gears available. The 3.07 V8 gears are available ($700) but you still have to machine the carrier. Too much $$$ and I end up with a rear that's no stronger or better.

 

Thought about that first, but after looking at several other cars that did that, they just look goofy. 1 1/2" of extra offset per side is very noticeable in a small car. Maybe I should just use fender flares and build it like a vintage MGB Sebring racer.

I'm using a 2wd S10 rear in the 32 roadster. It has 3.73 gears and a posi. If there were an easy way to shorten one of those by 3" or a bit more, it would be perfect. I have to see if an S10 has one short, one long axle.

 

Volvo axle is dana 30 and 31

 

I had a really narrow jeep axle, I think it was a mail jeep. It was a dana axle.

 

No the 240 have 4 1/4 bp.Are you sure it was a 240
140 looks the same but is wider. Dont remember
how wide they are. They have the same track widt
but 240 have different offset and wider rims so the
axle is narrower
and they got some extra lenght of splines so you
can shorten the tubes and cut the axles in the end
i have done that but
i dont remember how much

 

It was a 240 (it was upside down, but I'm pretty sure!). I didn't measure bolt pattern but it looked like 5 x 4.5. It may have been different.

 

Thanks, only been close to 30 years since I pulled that one out of the junkyard! I think mine was even some limited slip?

 

They are availibel with limited slip
and from i think 3.27-4.10

 

suzuki samurai is 52" wms

 

The body is almost the same on 140 and 240
240 have mc pearson struts up front 140
have double a arm suspension

 

if it was my project i'd be doing a 9 inch ford , you can find a nothing special one very cheap

then , Moser will narrow both sides for $145 , and respline both axles for $125

or check with John's 9inch factory...he sells resplined axles


the last 9 inch i narrowed i had done at a 4 X 4 shop for $50 a side , then bought axles from johns for about $225

 

Moser will make 9" axles any length for under $200 each. Why mess with resplines that could break the day you install them?

 

I think we have a winner.

 

Ive been looking for a length but cany find it. How about bronco II?

 

The only cheap way I know is to use the closest, slightly wide axle and use front wheel drive wheels with the inward offset, to bring the tires in under the wheel wells.

If you don't like that idea you can run the stock rear end, or spend the money having one narrowed.

 

Might be wrong here BUT, I think I remember the S10 Blazers axles are a little shorter than a pickup. Worth a look. They're fairly stout too for a light car with not too much tire. My Kid built an S10 with a pretty healthy small block in High School and it blazed both tires and never broke. Ran low 14's at Detroit Dragway smoking the tires past the 60 foot

 

Shop around, I bought a narrowed 8" Ford for my Bantam on CL for $150 with discs. Some of the tubbed Pro-streets may be going back the other way.

 

Go find an Explorer 8.8 diff, and do some measuring. the pinion is offset, so if you shorten the long side and run two short axles, it may end up near the width you need....a tape measure and some math will confirm if it's viable.....

 

Since a Quick Change seems to be out of the question, I say get an S10 and narrow it yourself. You probably will have to get the axles resplined by someone else. I have never had a problem with a resplined axle.

A 9" Ford is way overekill and WAY, WAY TOO HEAVY!

This is far from rocket science.

 

Correct on all three points!

I think I'm going to try and narrow an S10. All I need to do is figure out how to take 3 inches out of it.

 

Have you looked at the rear axles in some Japanese 4 wheel drives like Suzuki Samurai? They are narrow, use a conventional rear axle, and are cheap and easy to find in wrecking yards.

 

Samurai is a poor choice in my opinion. Pinion is way offset and alxes have bolt on flanges.

 

Found this on a MGB site;

Ford Ranger 7.5. 83-92 offset rear end,use 2 short axles and narrow long tube. Can use Mustang rear discs. Comes out 53". If you eliminate C clips,cut 1/2" off axle ends and use small 9" ends end up 52".

 

Jack, I did this for my TR3 some years ago. Went to a salvage yard and bought a GM 10 bolt 2.90. Drilled the axle tube welds out of the center section, drove them out of the housing and had them remachined to the width of rear end that I required. I don't remember who I bought the axles from but they were new shafts and had new wheel bearing surfaces on them for about $150. While I had them out I made a new flange to mount the TR3 backing plates to and had the new axles drilled to the TR3 4 bolt pattern. Fabed a set of spring pads and new U-bolts and has been in use for about 15 years behind a 231 Buick and a Saganaw 4sp. Runs down the road at 60 MPH at about 2400 RPM.
Lots of luck.
Greg Hornbostel