Young gun here wanting to know how to identify if my 8 3/4 is small or big bolt pattern. Pictures would help.

The wheel? bolt pattern should be 4" bolt circle if the studs are only 7/16" If the studs are 1/2" then it should be a 4 1/2" bolt circle.

like this?

all A-body 8 3/4s are 4" bolt pattern unless it has had the axle redrilled or swaped to the large brake offset and 5 on 4.5 wbp

like in the pic one stud to the other skipping one in the middle of the 2

what 8 3/4 you got? A? B? C? E? truck?

Well, not exactly the correct procedure, but If those ar "L"'s stamped into those studs and are 7/16 studs, I would think that's left hand axle from "A" body.

what is the 'correct" procedure?

the tire shop uses a plastic deal that goes on the end of the stud across the axle flange and skips the one stud in the middle of the 2

like the tape in the pic..

Unless there are an even number of studs(2,4,6 etc), there is a little guessing involved, as the image is shown, you have to guess where the inside edge is of the opposing stud, which it does not have directly across from it, ya know?

For our 5 lug stuff, what OzHemi showed, just hook your tape over a stud & go to the middle of not the next stud but one more over.

I've been measuring it that way for ages...works good.

(in reality, after a while you can tell the different just by looking at them, even 5 on 4.5 to 4.75 if you compare where the lug holes are compared to the center bore)