Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

which rear end would I be better off with, an 8 3/4 or a Dana 60?

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

Well that depends if weight is no problem, the Dana 60 is more durable but it's pretty heavy and it's unsprung weight which means the type of suspension you run can be affected.
The 8-3/4 is lighter but not as durable and probably cheaper.
I guess it boils down to this, big tires, manual trans, heavy car, big motor
consider the Dana.(I.e super stock, super gas/ comp, top sportsman)
Small tires, auto trans, and or light car , small block use the 8-3/4 (I.e a stocker or bracket car).
That's my two cents worth (Mopar guys opinion's will vary)!

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

How fast and how heavy a car are you
considering?

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

Dana 60 all the way. The dana I had in my car was only 20lbs heavier than the 8 3/4. It is bullet proof and takes less HP to rotate. It is a no brainer. If you run an auto if you break the rearend it takes the tranny with it. Just one more reason for Dana.

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

Dana 60 is faster than 8 3/4 I back to back them at Indy one year. They last longer than 8 3/4, bought mine in 1991 and still using all the same parts.

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

The car is a 1976 Volarie, 360 4 BBL Stocker. I'm thinking 4500 stall and 5.13 gears.

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

You should not have a problem with the 8 3/4 in your car.

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

We have run 8 3/4 in our Volare / Aspen Stockers for many years with only
a couple of Failures in the Very Heavy Wagon at 3620 to 3850 Weight.

I would consider a looser converter 5200 (360) - 5400(318) to go with the 5:13 Gears which should be right a low elevation.

My Chassis guy said with same amount of lightning the Dana would be
40 to 50 heavier than 8 3/4. Does anyone know if he is right?

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

depends on the dana housing. difference we seen , was 32 #. there's four different dana 60 housings. heavy to lighter. car didn't slow down any.

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

My personal experience and that of everyone I have ever talked to is that the Dana 60 will not slow your car down even given the extra weight.

If are running ballast, you might be able to take some out and be ahead.

The biggest drawback is that it is not nearly as easy to swap gears.

Bill Lamb

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

We are changing the Challenger over to a Dana right now. I need to run a 5.13 at our weight and the 8 3/4 would ratio would break in less than 10 passes. But a 4.88 would last 100 passes usually. We are 3470 lbs. And yes it sucks to break a gear with a 904 and then worry about the sprag - even with the big sprag we made for them it was 50/50 weather or not it was junked. - Also of note is that I will have 4, nice 8 3/4 pumpkins to sell! 2 Alum and 2 steel.

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

^ This! Go Dana and forget about it.

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

Any Dana experts have a suggestion, for a 1976 Ford housing, that houses 3.50:1 only? We built a 4-linked street car for a friend and would like to have a 4.10-ish range ratio. With the tall rear tires and 3.5 it sure does good on the Interstate but rarely leaves city streets.

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

I did not know their are 4 different weight Dana 60s. Does know how to tell
them apart. The ones I have used are center sections out of 80s Trucks
with Chrome Moly Tubes.

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

no expert here but from my experience there is a HD cast into the housing look for it top of rib left side of the "heaviest" Dana 60 ,otherwise the diameter of the axle tubes determines the lightness of the housing with 3 inch tubes being the heaviest---the OEM centers are really the same---supposedly there is a "501" Ford Dana 60 that is the lightest but I do not know what vehicles it came in--FED 387

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

I've been considering replacing my 8-3/4 with the Strange 60 housing. Pricing seems good.

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

hi, the four dana 60's are, lightest is in a 67 to 72 ford 1/2on pickup, next is mopar b and e body cars, next 3/4 ton pickups and heaviest is 1 ton pickups. I found an article in a four wheeler magazine years ago. they listed the dana's . the 1/2 ton ford one has passenger car ends on it, easy to spot. it weighs 32 # more than 8 3/4 . has 3 " tubes. also, I found a dana 60 from a J 20 jeep pickup. it has 2 3/4" tubes on it , passenger car ends as well.

Re: Which rear end would I be better off with?
 

If you are building one for a race car. Do it the right way. Strange S60 center molly tubes, 40 spline ultra lite axles from MW Aluminum spool back cut ring gear. It will be bullet proof and only about 20lbs heavier than a back braced ready to run 8 3/4 that will break anyway. If you are worried about changing gear ratios at a race it is really quite simple. With the S60 you have adjusters for back lashand preload. You set your pinion gear up with bearings and shims. You can change gears in under an hour.