7.5" rear "quirks" an expert should be made aware of?

Topic: 7.5" rear "quirks" an expert should be made aware of? (Read 1214 times) previous topic - next topic

7.5" rear "quirks" an expert should be made aware of?

March 17, 2008, 11:29:13 PM

Alright well my buddy who's DAD's friend is the rear-end guy (did my friend's dad's 72 le mans rear, car has a built 455 and they do NOT show the thing any mercy, so the guy set it up RIGHT) should be able to put in my 3.73s, but my buddy said while he confirms this I ought to find out anything specific to this rear end the guy should know about. He says apparently the guy has tackled one or two of em in random other vehicles that had some nuances which caused the "wtf" look to come across his face at first upon pulling the cover.

Anything he oughta know, or if he's worth his salt in rear-end work should be be able to do it like any other run-of-the-mill rear end? All I can think of is the Traction-Lok but that's all contained within the carrier, no?

Thanks!
Paul

7.5" rear "quirks" an expert should be made aware of?

Reply #1 – March 18, 2008, 08:02:59 AM

I would just get a 8.8 rear and have 373's put in that one or buy an auto turbocoupe 8.8 rear with discs. That way you have no down time when your waiting for plus you have some resale value if you ever want to go back for some reason.

If you even had them side by side you would see why the 8.8 is better

7.5" rear "quirks" an expert should be made aware of?

Reply #2 – March 18, 2008, 09:03:27 AM

7.5 Ewwwwwwwwwwwww
go with 8.8 or if you buddy's dad will do you a 9 inch.
Bigger is better :)

7.5" rear "quirks" an expert should be made aware of?

Reply #3 – March 18, 2008, 09:10:56 AM

Ugh yeah yeah I know EVERYONE says ditch the 7.5. Well I've already got the gears...bought em last fall on ebay, and I'd have no idea where to look for a 8.8 anyway. I have seen ONE turbocoupe around here, like a year ago, and the jy's sure as hell don't have em.

I'm never going to be putting down more than H.O. power with this car, so it's really not an issue. My goal was for the car to be more fun, and it IS.....above 2500 rpm.

So I need that down low too, and if I get anywhere NEAR that with the gears I'll be quite satisfied.

Now....whado I gotta tell him about it!?:hick:

7.5" rear "quirks" an expert should be made aware of?

Reply #4 – March 18, 2008, 04:07:02 PM

If he don't know how to take it apart he wouldn't touch mine.
If he's been around them and knows how to read a dial indicator he "shouldn't" have a problem doin one.

7.5" rear "quirks" an expert should be made aware of?

Reply #5 – March 18, 2008, 04:53:42 PM

Ok gotcha. I mean I don't wanna make it sound like the guy is incompetent...I trust my buddy a lot he wouldn't recommend this guy if he was full of it. I guess....take the normal correct by-the-book process for a gear swap in oh say a '72 pontiac le mans rear end

and compare it to what's needed to do the same thing in a 7.5", other than each mfr.'s specific bolt patterns torque specs etc for each component to be taken off and re-installed, of course.

7.5" rear "quirks" an expert should be made aware of?

Reply #6 – March 18, 2008, 07:31:14 PM

You can tell'em that I have an 8.8 with fresh 3.73's and repacked clutches, with newer brakes...see the "for sale" section. LOL...a shameless plug, but oh well.

-Don

7.5" rear "quirks" an expert should be made aware of?

Reply #7 – March 18, 2008, 07:52:57 PM

Yeah that's alright man, I noticed it very soon after you originally posted it :D. Even if I found an axle I wouldn't want to go that route. There's brake lines n stuff and they look pretty rusty, like to try and AVOID dealing with that brown stuff I despise oh-so-much, and the control arms and all that who knows how that will come apart, I'm just as happy to change my gears. If he couldn't do this I would bring it to a shop as I was going to originally.

Downtime is a good point, but not in this case. If I were to swap the axle I'd be looking at WAY more downtime than even if I was to drop it off at a shop with the gears. Money is obviously a big fator in my shoes and I'll be saving a lot in this case. Paid like $45 I think for the gears, will be about $100 for the kit from summit, and it sounds like the guy isn't out to do this just for the cash. I'd certainly want to compensate him handsomely but the shop that everyone has told me to go for gears, this one that evidently really knows what theyre doing with that, (where I was gonna go) charged someone I know $325 for gears in a 92 mustang with the 8.8. So it definitely shouldn't come to that.