Rear axle.....

[Hot_Rodder]

OK, my Duster.... I am going to tub it, and everything from where the rear seat mounts and all the way back... I plan on running aluminum flooring, including the tubs.... The rest of the floor and such, I'm not sure of as of yet. Anyway, depending on how the drivetrain is built, I will probably just do a leaf spring relocate, along with Competition Engineering Slide A Link traction bars..... The Leaf Spring, I suppose, will be super stock springs... Anyone got any ideas?   Anyway, the topic is between the 8 3/4 or the Dana 60, or other (if anyone has any other ideas for a rear axle setup, speak up please). The car will be all out drag, running a 440. Most of the interior of the back end, will be aluminum, with a battery relocate kit, and a drag race fuel cell. Nox is an undecided factor right now. I like the Dana 60 a little more because;
1: It's stronger
2: It's heavier.....
I think the little bit of extra weight might help out with the traction.... However, the 8 3/4 gears can be changed out fairly quickly... This isn't near as much of a factor because the car is gonna be mostly on the 1/8th mile, than a 1/4 mile..... Anyway, since I'm not gonna be running a 4 link, 3 link, or ladder setup, or anything else like these setups, I'm gonna go ahead and run subframe connectors, and a 10 point roll cage..... This should strengthen the body up plenty for this car.... I hope... Anyway, any questions, comments, or concerns please let me know.

[OUTLAW]

DANA IS DEFINATELY STRONGER BUT LOTS MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUY AND PARTS ARE TOO -FINDING ONE TO FIT UNDER THE DUSTER IS PROBABLY GOING TO REQUIRE HAVING IT CUT ...NOT CHEAP EITHER
8/34 IS PLENTIFUL AND CHEAPER AND VERY STRONG TOO ALSO YOU MIGHT FIND ONE TO FIT THE DUSTER LOTS EASIER THAN A DANA
ALTERNATIVE IS A 9" FORD UNIT - VERY STRONG AND CHEAP TO AQUIRE (AROUND HERE ANYWAY)

[360 'CUDA]

I have a Dana and some Centerline wheels with slicks for a tubbed A-body..

411 gears, spool, strange axles all set up but with no brakes

[Chryco Psycho]

I would use a Dana , the Ford 9 has huge parasitic drag

[R/T]

If I had the opprotunity to purchase either it would be the Dana 60.
But Strange and Mosier are both good peices of equipment.

[Hot_Rodder]

I would use a Dana , the Ford 9 has huge parasitic drag

I've also heard something about the ring gear or something getting gear lube is somewhat of a problem? I've heard a few negative things about the Ford 9" then again... It's that way with anything.....

[moper]

Order a custom fit Dana. Then you're done. It's hard enough building a full race car. You'll spend one way or another. You may find a case, or case and axles that may work, but you still need to go thru it. New means good. Built with what you need for gearing and differential. Built with good axles and a strong yoke. That's what you want for a race car. And, you'll only ever buy a rear once. If you need to run race gears, you'll be freshening it a bit more, but it sounds like you dont need to. It's literally the last rear the car will ever need.

[Hot_Rodder]

Order a custom fit Dana. Then you're done. It's hard enough building a full race car. You'll spend one way or another. You may find a case, or case and axles that may work, but you still need to go thru it. New means good. Built with what you need for gearing and differential. Built with good axles and a strong yoke. That's what you want for a race car. And, you'll only ever buy a rear once. If you need to run race gears, you'll be freshening it a bit more, but it sounds like you dont need to. It's literally the last rear the car will ever need.

It's literally the last rear the car will ever need.
As far as prices of the Danas, no matter who you go through, I would hope this is the only one that I would need, lol. To be quite honest, I have not even looked under the car to see what's under it now, but I know it's not a Dana. I say this because apparently there was a V-8 in it before I bought this shell, and it originaly has front buckets and a floor shifter (automatic), they cut the floor tunnel some, and put a 4 speed in it.... Maybe I should look to see what rear axle is in the car to see what those are going for now days to help off set the "out of pocket costs" of the Dana

[moper]

Well, if you were spending say $5500 on a big block, and another $1700 for trans and good convertor (both average figures for heavy street/strip stuff) then the $1000 tag really isnt much. If the rear blows on a torqueflite car, with the common valve bodies (not "low band apply") you have to pull the trans and disassemble it just to make sure the thing is ok. Thats $ just in fluid and filter, nevermind your time's value. I tried to upsell a Dana, on the premise of "it's not much more. By the time we were done, they Dana was $3350. That was with large disc brakes, with new axles, the cover, the True Trac, billet yoke, the works. The 8 3/4 could be done for about $2200 with all the same parts, and it's about 2/3s as strong as a Dana. Big tires, hard launches, and heavy (meaning 3000lbs+) cars break 8 3/4s. You wont break the Dana. As I said, include every nut and bolt to get the things in and functioning. Only then does it really come into a clear picture. Building a car that will race, that is not limited by rules, go with the Dana...

[73EStroker]

I know of a fellow in British Columbia, Canada that has lots of A body drive train stuff for sale. 2 x 8-3/4 rear ends complete, 2 x A833 transmissions and even an original 69 Hurst shifter for an A body. Also front suspension and brake upgrades to later spindles and stuff.

[ShelbyDogg]

I built a plymouth Arrow as a race carin 1986. 440, 8-3/4, 4:88, 14x32 slicks.....  2300 pounds.   Long story short, tore that 8-3/4 up!    Herb McCandless gave me some good advice when I called him about gears.  He said " Quit messing around and do it right the first time and you wont have to worry about it Later"

He was right.   I went with a Dana 60.

Go with the Dana 60 and a Milodon 10qrt Drag pan with a dual swinging pickup oil system. That'll be 2 things you wont have to worry about.

Rob