I have a '75 Mav 8" in the roadster with the 3.00 ratio. I would definitely like a lower gear in the 3.50 to 3.73 range. Ebay prices on the pumpkins are way too steep for my blood. I've never really dove into 3rd member rebuilds so my question is can I buy just a ring and pinion in my preferred ratio and install it? Does that require dial indicators, preload and end play adjustments and all the complicated stuff? If so, any ballpark figures on what it would cost to have a competent rearend shop install it if I just brought the pumpkim and R&P in or is it an easy DIY install? Thanks in advance!
The issue with the 8" rear ends is that the carrier's like most rears will only fit a certain range of gears. so if you are looking at deeper gears in the 3.50 Range you need a carrier that will work in that range and unfortunately yours will not. the 2.79/3.00/3.27 Carrier is one size and the 3.55/3.73/4.11 Carrier is another.
I used an 8" in one of my cars & changed the ratio from 2:79 to 3:55 w/posi. It required an awful lot of clearancing so much so that I thought I bought the wrong posi unit. I took it to a local hot rod guy, $150.00 & a day later I installed it & haven't had an issue since.
You may be further ahead to swap in an 8.8. The ones from the Ford Explorer's are 3.55/3.73/4.11 and most of the 3.73 are factory Posi and a lot are Disc brakes. You can pick them up locally for $150.00. Much cheaper than a New Auburn and gears, where you will spend $500.00+.
There's a fellow in Hayward that sets up drop outs like the 8 and 9" rears, he is close to you in Hayward. I have used 2 of his 8" Trac-Lok units thus far with zero issues. He uses quality Timken bearings and FoMoCo gears/clutch paks. He is usually at the larger swap meets like Turlock and Good Guys Pleasanton. He is reasonably priced Drop Out Gears.........Ed 510-928-3242
You're thinking GM rears.... Ford 8" and 9" rears use the same carrier for all ratios; one reason they're popular. Although I'll agree that a swap to a 8.8 may be just as cheap if not cheaper than installing new gears in the existing rear.
Do you know any circle track racers? A lot of those cars, both dirt track and asphalt, run 9" Ford rearends. Given the similarity of the 8" and 9", one of those racers (who does a lot of his own work) might do a center section for you relatively inexpensively to support his racing habit. Lynn
3.55 gears from factory are kind of hard to find in the junkyard. Look under Mustang II and Pintos. BTW, all 8-inch are 28 spline, so no issues with axle splines. Find an 8-inch center and it will fit your Maverick rear. I agree to look for some circle track racers or drag racers, can probably find someone to do it on the side for cheap.
We stopped using 8" after we blew ours out in our Torino GT with stock 351W in it. Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Which is why Ford never used the 8" behind anything bigger than the standard 302 until the late 70s when motor output due to the smog controls dropped low enough. In a relatively light car on street tires with a torque limit at about 325 ft-lbs, they'd live just fine. Slicks or more torque will kill them.
I've NEVER seen a 8" behind anything bigger than a 302 until the late 70s when power dropped a bunch. The Torino GT, Mach 1, and Montego I've owned (all with 351-2V motors) all used a 9", as does my buddy's '69 351W-powered Montego 'vert. His 302 powered '69 Montego hardtop does have an 8" though. Ford limited the 8" to 302 or smaller motors and installed them only up to their intermediate bodies; you never saw one in a full-size car. The two exceptions to that were the HP289 and Boss 302; both got the 9", but that had more to do with ratio availability and anticipated racing activity. Yours was either a mistake on Fords part, or somebody swapped some parts; very likely the latter.
Agree with the Exploder 8.8 idea but, isn't the Maverick the narrowest non-narrowed rear? Probly have to do the one side narrowing trick to the 8.8, plus mounts etc. Call Ed.
The Mav rear is the perfect size and the car is about ready to hit the road so I'm stickin' with it and yep, I'm gonna give Ed a call tomorrow! Thanks Sheep Dip!
I had a Maverick 8" in a car I built and it was the perfect width, but 3.00 gears and non-posi. The guy in town that did most of the stock car rears around here narrowed a 9" housing with small bearing ends, used my axles and brakes and built up a posi carrier with good used 3.55 gears for less than a 8" posi and gears would have cost. Gary
The Kelly and Hall # 664 tank set records at Bonneville and El Mirage over 200 and got Jack and his son both in the 200 MPH Club with an 8" ...... Can't be all bad.
- search here, put wanted ad here, check craigslist/ eBay/ swap meets, etc - found one through ad in Hemmings
My first car was a 68 Cougar XR7, 302 2 bbl C4 and 8" rear. I went thru 6 pumpkins. I would never use one in anything but a very mild ride. By the way, my next car was a 68 Dart GTS 340 4 speed and 3.55 8 3/4. I never drove another Ford!
If you can read and have a decent set of tools you can do it yourself. It is only the first time once.
We put one in our 54 Ford wagon with a 450hp LS3 in it before we knew better. It's coming out in favor of a 3.55 8.8. Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
An 8.8 has the strength of a 12 bolt with good parts. Have built several to go in fox bodies for drag racing.
8" rear, 4.10 gears. Held up just fine with a 4 spd and a auto for over 20 years. No reason to change it unless it fails. Yeah its a 289 but it's making plenty of HP, low 12's 118mph. Maverick 8" is the same width as 63 Falcon, which is the same as 57-59 Ford 9" I've swapped them plenty.
Put 3.80s and then 4.10s in my 1964 mercury comet with 289 roller motor 400 hp and newer mustang 5speed behind it didn't have any issues with installing the gears and rear held up fine
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