I am prepping this Ford 8" rear for the Dart, and if at all possible would like to get all parts assembled before doing the swap. I do not want to take the car off the road in the Summer while looking for parts. I would like to source a drive shaft that is correct for this set up by using actual inch numbers to do my search. I will be going to Carlisle in July, and will look for one there. I wish to keep this drive shaft intact for the moment with the idea of shortening it for use with the GV OD when I finally get it.

The set up is stock 904 on a 111" wheel base car with a Ford 8" rear. In my opinion, the current drive shaft is just slightly short for the 8.25 Mopar rear in there now. I am told by a reliable source that the 8" Ford rear is a little shorter than the Mopar, which might make this shaft even more too short. I gave the shop the measurement from tans to rear when installing the 904 and this is what they gave me, but it seems to have more of the yoke out of the trans than I would like to see.

Does anybody know for sure how much shorter the Ford rear is than the Mopar? Thanks.

Sam

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I can tell you that the 8" Ford is 1/2 to 3/4" longer than a Mopar 7.25". I have never owned or measured a Mopar 8.25"...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Sam, I believe you would be much better to have everything else ready to go, and when you do the swap, measure and get the drive shaft cut correctly then. If you plan ahead you should only have the car down for a day or two at the most.

Rick

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

Does it make sense to have another shaft on hand so I do not have to cut the current shaft until I get the GV OD unit? Its been a slower process than I thought it would be mostly because of the money I dropped into this 8.25 rear.

Sam.

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Are you doing the gear vendor and the 8" swap at the same time?

Rick

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

No. That would make sense I suppose. But I am eager to get the Ford rear in and any issues with that dealt with first. There is the money of course. The GV unit is expensive. I researched this with the search feature here, and it seems if I get a drive shaft at least 54 1/2 inches long it will be long enough to cut down for the Ford rear when it goes in. I plan on having a new Ford end cap put on that drive shaft, and then when the GV unit is done have my drive shaft guys put the Ford cap on the old shaft cut to the proper length for it.

Sam

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The Mopar 8.25 is 1.6" longer than the 7.25, so the Ford axle would be just about an inch shorter than the 8.25.

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

Thanks Frank. Maybe I can make the existing shaft work, at the least I can measure the one I have and add about 1/2" to know the length to look for.

Sam

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I would bolt in the one you have and go from there. Likely it will be just long enough to work, at least for measuring and road testing purposes.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

You are likely right. AFter looking at the numbers I can see that if it is short it will not be by much. Thanks. Sam

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