In a daily driver application, is a 7 1/4 rear end really as horrible as it's made out to be? If I never go racing with my 7 1/4 rear end, and I don't drive hard around twisty turny roads like Aggressive Ted, do I really need to worry about it? I know the 7 1/4 ring and pinion found their way behind 318's via some of the early 80s diplomats and stuff. Was there ever a serious problem from those?

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What's that fuzzy blue thing being hurled this way?
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BOOSH!!!

The 7 1/4" if not abused, and just gets you from A to B with proper care should last you another 50 years... any speed contests and driving like Bullitt will shorten the life span considerably. They really aren't a bad rear-end...it's just that most people expect to abuse the crap out of it have have it stand up like a Dana 60, and that's not what it was built for...
It can take more abuse if you have the sure-grip for it installed.

-D.Idiot

I can ell you from experience that an improperly gear 7 1/4 will not stand up behind a 318. I recently purchased a 1984 Chrysler 5th Avenue that had a 318 and a 7 1/4 rear axle. Shortly after I purchased the car, the rear end suddenly died on me (and I wasn't abusing it). The post-mortem revealed that three teeth were sheared of EACH of the spider gears, and more teeth were showing signs of damage. The gear ratio was the dreaded 2.2. I think the torque of the 318 combined with the ridiculously high gear ratio combined to kill the rear axle. I was quoted $700 to rebuild it, so I opted to spend around $900 and install an 8 3/4 rear axle out of a 69 Belvedere.

I figure a 7 1/4 behind a slant with 2.74 or lower gears should hold up okay. If you want to pay shipping I am actually selling such a 7 1/4 with the small bolt pattern axles. Nudge nudge, wink wink.

thanks for the replies. I currently have a 7 1/4 w 2.9 behind a stock as they come 318. Im gonna eventually never put a 8 1/4 back there, but was just wondering if i could do it at my own discretion or at the car's. but currently its all moot. No title+gettin caught=no driving the car. but it'll be fixed soon

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What's that fuzzy blue thing being hurled this way?
::stick::
BOOSH!!!

Are you sure? If we were in court and you were to make that assertion and support it with the evidence you've provided, I would shred you before any judge or jury.
Okeh. Nothing to dispute here.
Mmm...no, I don't think so. Remember, rear axles with taller ratios (like yours) are stronger than the ones with shorter ratios. With a tall ratio like 2.2, not only is the pinion larger in diameter (therefore stronger) but there are more ring and pinion teeth engaged, thereby reducing the load and strain on every tooth on the ring and the pinion. As for the spider gears, they have no way of knowing what ratio the ring/pinion might be. Me, I think we have no idea how that car was used (abused) and maintained (neglected) in the twenty-six years between late 1983 and when you recently purchased it. How many miles does the car have on it? How often was the rear axle oil changed? What kind of oil was used? How many owners did how many neutral drops, or floored the gas with the back wheels on glare ice just to hear the supersonic whine of the tires and watch the speedo peg? And even if no such abuse took place, let's think about that mileage question again. If we assume the car was driven a rather conservative 9,000 miles per year, it has something like 234,000 miles on it. What is a reasonable lifespan for a rear axle assembly?

(…And how is it that boiling water soaks into a grit in only five minutes on your stove, when it takes the rest of the grit-eating world twenty minutes? Were these magical grits? Did you get them from the same man who sold Jack his beanstalk bean? Do the laws of physics cease to exist on top of your stove? )

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I don't think you'll find many reasonable people claiming the 7¼" rear axle is "horrible" in a daily driver. It's fine in a daily driver Start abusing it with a seriously built-up engine or dumb driving stunts, and it'll break.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

OK, I concede. I guess I was making too much out of my blown 7 1/4 experience.

Aintchya gonna join my impromptu "My Cousin Vinny" quote party?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Hey, I ain't from Aus-tralia...What's a "Ute"?


-D.Idiot

Oh, yowah reel smooth tawkah, you awah!

That movie is a more accurate depiction of the practice law than almost anything else out there.

One of my favorite lines, "I got no more use for dis guy."

Oooh, a cownta-oowoffah! (link contains adult language, and is from this site)

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Vinnie's opening argument is the distilled essence of the criminal defense opening argument.

"Thank you."

wow dan- that was one hell of a quote remembered. two lawyer movies stand out as valid depictions of real world law practice. that one and the verdict with paul newman. very impressive was mona lisa vitos testimony on the contrast between the 64 gto and the 64 buick skylark. the real sleeper performance was the judge played by fred gwynne, nyc officer muldoon in car 54 where are you. now theres a tv show only the rare forum poster will remember. sadly i think that was fred gwynnes last performance. most would remember him as herman munster. just got a brainstorm. what about a new weekly tv show; maybe in a suzie orman format about sl6 and related commentary. i volunteer to emcee it. my first guests would be uncle dan and doctor dougmo. i need a sage to be producer. first show would have to be a ratings sweeper so i would offer mona lisa vito(marisa tomei) a guest spot too. this could be big, real big. any comments or takers?

Fred gwyne lived 3 miles from me,seen him in taneytown quite a few times,even talked to him in the grocery line once.A very pleasent fellow in real life.

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V8?? We don't need no stink'n V8!!