How To Swap a Ford 8.8 Rear End into a Mopar A-Body - 1968 Dodge Dart - $3k Hooptie Drag Challenge 

5 month update! I’ve taken the Dart down the drag strip 20+ passes and over 500 miles on the street. The car launches hard with no vibrations at all. Extremely happy I did this 👍🏻

Love to see everyone doing this swap. I've got one in my 64 Falcon and 71 Dart although I shortened the drivers side to make an equal length setup. Keep on with the good work!

Not sure how active you are on here, but I have a question about your spring perch placement. You said 43in center of perch to center of perch, which I fully understand. What I didn't hear you mention is placement on the axle. For an over dramatic example you could weld one perch right next to the brake backing plate and be way off on the other side even though it's still 43 inches. Could you elaborate please

Do I need a 4x4 rear end or 2wd? And what years do I need to look for? I’m needing a new rear for my 72 Demon.

What did you end up with for the length of your drive shaft

I have a 71 dart with a 7.25. So an 8.8 will go right in no cutting or shortening?

Why not put an 8.75 or a 9.25 in it and keep it Dodge

I liked the 8.8 swap. Gears plus disc brakes in one swap. Also I subscribed your channel. Great content. Thank you, EM.

Thanks so much for detailing this swap. I'm also in (Orange County here) California where an 8-3/4 is unobtanium.. Even 8-1/4s are cranking up in price.. 8" Ford as a cheap swap? Heh.. Nope.. Not anymore.. My 73 dart with the 8.25 (2.45 rear end.. oof.. 225-1bbl now 225-2bbl and it barely gets out of its way) will cost $$$$$ to regear.. And, with the 7.25 in my 67 valiant while the front is big bolt pattern now? Been looking a while for anything and there just ain't a lot for sale.. And, finding a shop that'll shorten a rear? Tough.. But, even I can yank a rear out of the junkyard... And I do have a dude that'll do perches at least.. (Heck, I could do them with my own welder if I wanted to risk my car versus my perceived level of welding expertise.. lol).. This makes me want to give it a shot now.. Dude, huge thanks again for the inspiration..

Also they used to sell a spring relocation kit that move the springs and stuff over 1 inch I believe, may not be available anymore but I used it on my 68 GTS convertible. The one I'm talking about was offset hangers and front mount

Watch out for the locator hole on those perches , they may be too large and need a bushing welded in to make them fit correctly.

I honestly was wondering why you were swapping in a 8.8. But I read the comments before asking. Wasn't sure if it was the cheapest conversion to disc or if they held up really good. This is what we did growing up, not only for practicality but necessity. The ford alternator and dodge voltage regulator were the cheapest at the parts stores, so that's what we used. Would talk to the log truck drivers on where abandoned vehicles were on the loggin roads and go take parts,bolts,tires what ever it took. Also would go out to the Indian reservations and get parts. We would go talk to Arnie Black and buy parts from him, was years later we found out they weren't really his. Later on he became my inlaw. We laugh about it still today. 🤣 Glad your finding ways to stay in the game and raise a family at the same time! Thought you were in WA with all of the liscence plates

Just an 8 3/4😊

Cool swap. Back in the 70s the trade school that I went to taught us u- joints don't like correcting horizontal and vertical angles at the same time. We where taught to use a plumb bob at the front crank, trans tail shaft, and pinion to make sure they where in line. Then set pinion and trans up and down angle for best spec/performance. Guess I didn't get the updated service bulletin. LOL

Can you post a link to the spring perches you used?

Replace it now you are better off now save head aches down the road

I put the 8.8 rear end from a 96 Cobra, into my 1970 Maverick. I had to do all the same stuff. it fits Beautifully. Now I have disc brakes all around.

Chrysler 8 1/4 and 8 3/4 are strong enough for the job and an easier swap

Thanks big help

Prety soon you will be swapping Toyota rear ends to classic American cars

Don’t trim that inner lip it’ll separate. Look up how to roll it with a base ball bat and pick up an inch of clearance and never notice it’s been touched. It’s been done for decades. I seen a video of it being done this week on utube .

Subscribed. Thank-you for sharing. You answered a lot of questions about the offset and sourcing the Spring perchs on Amazon. I just bought a correct 8 3/4 rear end and the price was $3000. The Polara will be getting a Ford 8.8. Thank-you for the information.

Why would you ever want to ruin any Mopar with a part off of a ford?

nice job, looking at options for replacing my SBP 7 1/4 in my duster. was a little concerned about the pumpkin offset, this relieves my concern.. also looking at a jeep XJ 8 1/4" and a ford ranger axle, which looks to be about an inch narrower than the explorer.

I have one of these for my B Body, 3.73 posi with disc brakes.

Just found this video. I Have a ford 9 inch with 3.55's gear. Trying to make it work in a 73 dart sport. Using stock spring mounting perches and brackets. All i have left is to weld the new perches onto the dif. Any ideas to get a good acceptable pinon angle and perch angle? I have the diff resting on the perches on the springs, and going to tack them on once the angle is good. Then i will pull the dif back out, and weld it properly. Any suggestions?

S60

It needs to be a minimum 2deg offset for the u-joint bearings to spin properly. Have swapped out multiple rear diffs in multiple applications. Grew up logging. We would take a frame and rear diffs and graphed them into a truck that blew up a set or needed heavy duty diffs. I knew a guy who took painstaking care to get the diffs in perfect line with the trans output shaft. Only to find out he needed a offset. What a unhappy camper he was !

Cool. You guys gonna finish in time?

I was thinking about doing the explorer 8.8 swap in my 67 coronet R/T I know the coronet is a b body that's why I haven't purchased the rear differential yet I wasn't sure if I would have the proper wheel&tire clearance at the leaf spring and the outer quarter panel what is your thoughts on the explorer 8.8 in the b body Thank you for any and helpful knowledge

Great video. It's good for the wallet like you said.

❤ Your channel I have a question I have a 1976 Dodge dart swinger A Body can I install 8.8 rear end

Why?

Shit. If you have any extra rear ends laying around, I'll give you $600 dollars for one!

Why would you want a pile of scrap Ford rear-end in a Mopar. Get an 8.75 instead and stick with a rear that came in a Mopar.

If you were setting up a street car, what angle would you be using? I've been told about 3 degrees for street, what would you set yours? I figure you went 7 because you will be racing and running slicks.

Sweet! What does the diff to shaft adapter look like and where to buy? Also can you use Mopar shock plates or naw?

New sub! Liked 🙏👍❤️

Sad what people do to save a buck these days?????

Whats up man, So I have a 72 Duster with the slant six, picked up 2 8.8 rear ends from the junkyard, I was just going to shorten the longer tube, but now after sseing your video idk which way to do it. So I need to get another driveshaft? Or will my stock one work. Car ia going to be just driven on weekends here and there.

Is that an original GTS convertible?

What did you use for spring i bolts and plate and can you do a 15 inch wheel?

Lotta work to replace a 8 3/4 Mopar center chuck? You rather do this? Not being an asset just wondering.

I did the same swap on my dart. Uncut and have been beating on it with the 440 4 speed for about three years now. Surprising how strong they are! 5200rpm launches on drag radials! Great budget swap!

👍💪

Interesting swap

Why?

Why would you want to...?

Dumb idea 🤬 why not just use an 8.75 molar rear that’s plentiful…….waste of time and money for your swap

Why would you do that an eight. 84 differential is a piece of dog shit 8-3/4 is a great differential and they came in a body cars finding one is not real hard and it bolts right in and it is way better than an 8.8 Ford why would you put that garbage in a nice mopar