Best wrecking yard rear end donor

[82Ess10]

This week I plan on picking up a more substantial rear end for my S10. I wanted to toss my question out to everyone, what vehicle should I be looking for to extract my new rear from?

[speeder]

Ford 9 is what I upgraded to. I am just wrapping it up. Waiting on 1 seal. I have an 84 4X4 ext cab. This diff is available and it does not have a C clip, so if you brake an axle, then you can still drive the truck home, the axle does not fly out. I had a rearend from a 75 F100 narrowed. I put 31 spline factory axles in it. I think 68-72 ford mustang cougar has the correct rearend with small bearings. I have the rear housing out of a 73 cougar and it is a 9\" with small bearings and 28 spline axles. If you want a big bearing housing, then you have to get one narrowed. F100s are great for that. They have big bearings and strong axle-tubes. If you have to get axles, make sure you get aftermarket ones. I ran into problem with the size of the bearings, with stock axles so they cost the same as if I would have bought a set of axles from moser.

[FordWizKid]

I picked up my rear from a yard 30 miles from my house using car-part.com. I paid $150 for a 28 spline 7.625 with 50K on it. Came with good brakes and 3.73 gears and a open diff. I bought a Torsen heavy duty posi (the one with worm gears) from a SS camaro for another $100 to complete the rear. So I have $250 into it and I think it will be pleanty strong for my mildly built 355.

[FordWizKid]

Oh yea it was out of a 97 2wd S10.

[82Ess10]

Ok I was hoping to hear someone tell me to grab one out of a 3rd gen camaro or something the like... I don\'t know much about Ford rear ends, and I am iffy about picking one and getting it to fit...

[mzoomora]

The 3rd and 4th gen Camaro rears are the same design as the S10. Idealy you would want the later one with the larger splines, 1989 and later.

[speeder]

The only thing about the camaros is that their suspension is way different from ours. Also if you look at any magazine with camaros in them, they all say that the car was never towed, except, when the stock rear-end busted. 10 bolt family of chevy rears is a good stock unit, but with sticky tires and ample torque, something inside the rear will give. My pinion broke after some burnouts with slicks. ALL the teeth came off the pinoin at once.

If you go with the 9, then this is the last time you need to worry about the rear. my 2C

[82Ess10]

Ok, which donor vehicle am I looking for at the wreckers this week? Ex cop Ford? or ford truck?

[speeder]

Ford truck is the one with the strongest rear. That is what I have. The 68-72 and also the 73 cougars/mustangs have the CORRECT WIDTH 9\" for a 4X4 S10, exactly. These are small bearing, 28 spline rear-ends, but they are already much stronger than 10 bolt ever can be. 1 note. the lug nuts are 5 on 4.5\" for the mustang/cougar and the S10 is 5 on 4.75\". The axles in the cougar/mustang have too many holes in them to get them re-drilled, so you have to get some new wheels/axles. Your 2nd option is to get some axles from superior axle, or mzoomora here and get those re-drilled.

[zz5s10blazer]

I have a ford explorer 8.8 rear.

[Scotty_S-15]

I\'ve got a Chrysler 8-3/4\"....... I liked the removeable 3rd member feature, and it ain\'t as massive as a 9\" Ford..... Of course the Moser axles are drilled for Chevy....

Scotty