Just ANOTHER 8" question. Which is weaker: the 8" or the axles?

As everyone probably already knows, I have a 9" housing in the attic from an old bronco, that is only 1" wider than the mav rear.

Since there seems to be a rash of broken 8"ers around lately, would I be better off with cutting the 9" I have down to fit my current axles?

Or will the axles just be the next fail-point?

 

the 8" axles will be the same as the small bearing 28 spline 9" axles.

 

Well, I ran my axles on the mini spool for a couple years, and then recently pulled them to see if they were twisted (I scored a line lenghtwise on them when I installed the spool). They were stll straight.

So the 8" will fail before the axles?

 

yes

usually in this order

pinion,caps,case

 

Cool. Glad to know I can put my wimpy axles into a stronger case and maybe get a little more life out of them.

 

the bronco diff probly has big bearing ends. youll want to use the ends from your 8".

 

Edit ... the Bronco 9" housing does not have axles in it now?

It would probably be easier and cheaper to load up that axle with stock-sized components and get new wheels if you are too tire-stuffed to go 1/2" more outboard on each side. Running the stock offset wheels that I have, I really have been looking for an axle 2" wider than stock... it would center the tires in the wheelwell. Bronco axles probably do have the bigger truck bolt pattern, so upgraded axles with the right bolt pattern are likely a good upgrade anyway.

Street rod guys really like Mav rear axles, you ought to be able to sell yours as a complete running unit, especially if you have that 3:80 gear in it. I would hope you could get at least a couple hundred dollars for it as is.

 

compared to how many...8"ers are out there...how many is a...rash...

how many have you...broken?

...Frank...

 

The Bronco rear is just the housing. I kinda want to keep the stock width, and figured I would just recycle my tubes and axles.

Not doing it yet, just tossing ideas out there.

 

i was told my 9 inch is out of a late 60s or early 70s bronco and it fits in there nice and i have 60s on the back of my mav with plenty of room to spare.

 

Well I do believe the axles are the weak point. A good friend does 5000 rpm launches at the strip and over a period of the summer he has broken 3 axles(twisted the end off) but has done no damage to his 8in centre section that has 462's and a auburn posi. This is with a 4 speed car, no trans brake. JMO Ron

 

This is what I always thought.

Scooper - One thing is for sure, if you swap to a 9'' rear, and use your stock 28 spline axles out of your MAV they will become your weak link.

 

I bent an axle tube on an 8" after about 6 years of racing/leaving on a 150 shot & street slicks. The stock pin got bent(the rear started clicking-like bad u-joints) so we put in a hardened steel pin and a mini spool. Everything else was stock.

 

If I had a 28 spline center section with a good performace gear set I might consider using the smaller axles. If I had to invest in a center section I would go for the 31 spline and not let an old set of Maverick axles dictate which ham I buy.

 

i would go build the 9" for the 28 spline axles just to get it started. you can get 31 spline axles later. there are cut to fit axles from superior axle that are really good and will fit the small ends. the bigest thing is what carrier do you have if you have one. if its a 31 spline carrier then i would wait till you can aford to buy the axles. if you have a 28 spline carrier then go for it.