Thread: Rear end width & set up help needed

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Originally Posted by falconvan

What I was hoping to do was find a rearend that was the same width and would drop right onto the factory 47 Plymouth springs. This is just going to be a nice cruiser, nothing for the dragstrip. I had a book on 34-50 Mopars and it said that a 78 Granada rear would do that, but I read the book wrong; they were talking about 34-37 applications. Of course I didnt measure, I just went out and bought one, cleaned it up and tried to bolt it in. If I move the spring perches on the rearend it will physically fit, but the backing plates are really close to the springs and the frame. I don't know if I should just look for a rearend the right width (55" between the backing plates), or move the springs in, or try some creative backspacing on the wheels. Don't you hate when you make a really boneheaded move and it costs you a couple days work?

Even if you move the springs inboard, you still have the issue of the backing plates/frame clearance to deal with. In my opinion, I'd chalk this one up to "lessons of life" and find the proper width rear.

If you have to move the spring pads on another rear, be advised that welding the pads in another location can introduce enough heat into the housing to warp it, resulting in wheel bearing problems and other issues. If you use an acetylene torch to heat the remainder of the housing circumference or just continue running the weld bead all the way around, most of the time you can get pretty close to straight.