I am working on a scamp for a friend and its going to be a race car. I am back halfing it probably with ladder bars. The motor is a 440 and used to run 11.60 in a stock weight 70 cuda. With an automatic. He asked what i thought about the8 3/4 he has. It needs narrowed yet but he allready has it. I thought it would be fine. But now he is talking about stroking the motor and getting better heads.
So at what point would you say the 8 3/4 needs changed out for a dana 60? If there is a point.
Thanks, kenny

There are several thnigs that come into play on how long the 8 3/4 will last,if it is a foot brake that is a one in the plus column, if a trans brake or stick shift car go straight to a Dana 60 If the car is over 3300 lbs with driver and is going to be able to run in the low 1.40 or 1.3 in the 60 ft. look hard at a Dana 60 If it is raced on bad tracks that the cars spins and then hooks look at using a Dana 60. If you decide to use the 8 3/4 back brace the housing, buy and install a steel cap for the drivers side of the third member, use the highest pinion tooth count you can live with, IE use a 4.30 instead of a 4.89 ratio. Buy a good set of race 35 spline axles and a 35 spline spool, if it is a street car and you absolutely must use a posi you should buy a good set of axles If you use a "489" case throw the crush sleeve away and buy a pinion spacer to use to set the pinion depth and the pinion bearing preload I used a 8 3/4 in my Duster with ladder bars without a back brace, bad decision on my part I ended up bending the housing so bad it broke the welds off of the ladder bar mounts During a run The decision is your freinds to make, I bought a junkyard Dana 60 out of Ford 3/4 ton truck and had it narrowed Look around, sometimes you can find a Dana 60 in a junkyard that they took in as a core that has a bad axle housing end that has the ring and pinion and sometimes a posi I use to buy them for less than a hundred dollars and sell them for $150.00 to the other brand racers that had broken thier indestrutrable 12 bolts and 9 inch rar ends

probably when you break it! that's what made me change mine, I'm sure my cars alot heavier tho.
Russ

It is cheaper to change now than to throw away money on an 8 3/4". Do not put your customer, his oppenets and the track officials in danger by putting an explosive combination together. At 11.90 ETs an 8 3/4" ring and pinion needs to be replaced every 100 passes. In the long run it will be cheaper to runa a Dana 60.

If no money has been spent on the 8 3/4 already, it's a no-brainer. Dana 60.
Doing all the stuff to the 8 3/4 will put the cost within a spit of the Dana, and the Dana won't break.
If he mods the 8 3/4 now, and has to build a Dana next year, will he be happy? I think not. Better to spend a little more money once than a little less money twice!
R.

Same here... For now
Bottom Tens, 3200 lb car and no special mods, Just axles.
I can't badmouth an 8 3/4 but I do plan to replace it this winter with a Dana

It's only worth money to someone else while it's still in good shape.
After it breaks it costs you money either way.

Don't have him spend money narrowing a 8-3/4. That money will be better spent on a Dana.

Got a doc diff dana in my dart, put it in last month. One less thing I have to worry about. I just wish it came with 3.23 gears like my 8 3/4 had. But the 3.54's will do.

I know Im crazy and its a NHRA Stocker that goes 9.80s over 400 passes and only broke it twice!!!!

Do it now. Sell the 8 3/4 while it is in one piece and has value.

If you look in the parts section of this site, you will see someone has just posted a dana 60 with a spool and 35 spline shafts for $500 in NJ
Mick

I gave the 8.75-vs-Dana60 choice a lot of thought on my wagon project, and the difference was only about $200 between narrowing & bracing an 8.75, axles, diff housing, caps, SureGrip, bearings, & gears vs a Dana with new good axles, SG, bearings, & gears. The car's just a footbrake BB deal, but with 3700-3800 lbs & slicks, I figure that's money well spent.
I have enough things to worry about already.
As a kind of bonus, that A-body rearend is pretty valuable, judging by the last time I needed one.

Been thinking of this for a week! Stock weight 69 Super Bee automatic STREET car with 550 horse stroker being built now. My plan was to have the current 8 3/4 freshened with whatever it needed and buy axles. My resto buddy just picked up 2 69 B body Danas. He has been bugging me for the 3:55 8 3/4 for a year anyway. What will I spend on the 8 3/4 with parts and labor? I realize it's a vague question but is a Dana strong enough to change the fluid and take a chance? I've been thinking of a cost analysis trade of what I should be willing to pay him. No, we haven't talked money. Anyone?

i would. pull the cover & check the ring & pinion.

I've been 9.0's 150 at 3,200 with a 8 3/4 with 1.20 couple 60 ft.