I remember your posts well Mr PBody!!!

I'll take a look. Thanks!

wElCoMe back cRaZy .... you going to let oleHam post now too ?

I ran the aluminum cases for 12-14 years in my Dart Sport running mid-low 11's @ around 3,500 lbs footbraking between 1.47 and 1.53 60'.. I think it helps gear life a bit, but the ring & pinion has always been the weak point and I broke one or two and caught 1-2 in time. They were run a lot. That 11 lbs does make an obvious difference when lifting it into place! Used a steel billet yoke too.

Less ratio often means less, but bigger teeth, which are stronger.

10 years ago is a long time. I know that Doctor Diff has developed a bunch of 8 3/4 parts over that time. He has nodular housings available now and I know he had plans to produce an aluminum version.

Doesn't work that way, because Canadian kilometers are shorter than US miles, so it's still 650 hp

I'm almost embarrassed to say.... I don't remember Oleham's posts!!! Was he race guy or general forum guy or...?
I remember YOU had an inferior motorhome.....

Looking at my combo do you have any tips Andy? Think I should be "cross your fingers" safe or do you see anything I might address??

..... I remember scoring some of these on closeout at work for $200 dealer cost!

So everything breaks at some point, in the above failure the ring pushed away from the pinion , fracturing the housing, because of large tooth breakage jamming between the R&P?

Your pic does show well the clearance issue with large pinion lower numerical ratios

When the Mopar Alum housing first hit the market from memory it was in the $500 range, a year or so later it went to $600 range, and last price when still offered was in $900 range.
Never heard about the $200 closeout pricing.

OUCH!!!
Now that's not good

Back in the dark ages the parts department would get lists of overstock NS1 liquidation stuff..... that’s where we got the bare MP iron heads that reside on our “bracket Betty” mill.

I had two of the aluminum pigs... actually sold them in the classifieds ions ago for a nice profit..... certainly not stupid 1k profit though! For that kind of money get the 8.75 with the .25 upgrade

Just use the nodular 8.75.... at least it will contain the mayhem.

I like mine but wouldn't spend a grand on it if I was to do it again. I paid $600 for it back when they first came out what seems like almost 20 years ago now. I didn't put it in a car until a few years ago so can't say I've made 1,000s of passes while throwing tons of power at it but it's been tested.12.1-11.90s @ 110-112. 450 hp small block/904, usually around a 1.7 60 ft, around 3,200 lbs. with driver, drag radials. Plenty of street and some highway miles driven to the track, no problems except the pinon seal leaks a bit after it sits. Weight saving was pretty significant though.

Rest of the parts is basic stuff. Strange 4.10 street gears, billet 7290 yoke, all Timken bearings, Auburn sure grip, Moser axles, no backbrace.

From what I can remember the only set up problem with mine was the counterbore in the housing where the caps install into was really tight, definitely fought with that a little bit.

A little Gorilla Glue should fix that right up.

CrAzYMoPaRGuY , is that 650 Morgan horses or 650 Shetland pony's???

That's how daddy likes it.

Old school MW Alum vs new School Mopar 8.75

CRS ? ... that’s a illness that the eLdErY suffer from ! Luckily.., I’m quite a few years from that timetable

That dastardly oleHam ? ... that fiberglass nose cone of a bomb making who proclaimed to be living in a cardboard box sometimes in a cave in east Texazz ... was my wanna been nemesis... but I was actually his ... was jsta general poster!

Me thimks some of his posts are still up !

I have a couple prototype aluminum 742 and 489 8.75" castings, but the production version is not available yet.

If you are looking for strength, I recommend my nodular iron 489 case with HD forged steel caps. Pictures of the HD version can be seen on the right side of the link, below:

https://www.doctordiff.com/8-3-4-nodular-iron-casting.html

Save the money and get one of Dr Diffs nodular units. No way any empty 8-3/4 pig is worth $1000 no matter what it’s made of in my opinion. At that price, plus gears and everything else needed, you’re into Dana budget territory. I run a stock 742 chunk with MW steel maincaps, a 35-spline spool, and a backbrace. I’m footbraking perhaps 550hp at it in a full weight (3800-lb in the beams) B-body. It’s stood up well for a number of years, probably has at least 400 passes and plenty of street miles on it.... no issues thus far. I know 8-3/4’s have their limit, but I think if set up right, they’re a little tougher than most give them credit for.

BTW: Great to see Cass (Dr Diff) weigh in here. My housing is full of his parts and Cass has spent way more time with me on the phone helping me than my business warranted. one of the good guys for sure!! 👍

No way ? .. but how about a MAG center section ??!!