Turo

iTrader: (23)

Is it cheaper to buy parts separately (housing, center section, axles, bearings, etc..) and put them together as opposed to spending 2200 - 2500 for a complete rear? If anyone has done it, how much did it cost doing it this way?

Also, anyone have a list of the exact parts one would need? Thanks for any info!
-Turo

ps. My other option is to win the lottery and then buy a complete rear

studlybilly

If it were me I'd buy the bolt-in Moser housing and a complete Ford 9" rear. I've found complete Ford 9's for 100 bucks easy. If you get an opportunity with doing so, pull the axleshaft out to reassure its a 31 spline. Depending on your application I dont think you'd need to jump to 35 spline axleshafts and possibly you could get away with just reusing the original carier/axleshafts (rebearing'd and regeared of course) and slide a Lock-Rite/EZ Locker in there. Although I'm not to certain about high torque/HP applications with those lockers. Or if you feel jisty and have a fat wallet you could throw a detroit (399)/Spool (129) in there with 31 spline forged axleshafts (249 with bearings) but in that instance you only bought a Ford 9 for the diff. You could do it in this order:

moser housing - 519
Nodular Iron case - 299
Gears - 149
Install kit - 74.99
Detroit - 399 (or spool for 129, EZ locker - 229, Trac Loc -279)
Daytona Pinion Support (billet) - 109
31 Splined axle shafts (with bearings/retainer plate) - 249

You still run up a 1700 (rough math cause I'm hungover) tab and you have yet to assemble the axle or focus on brakes(which in my opinion I'd just use 100 dollar brackets and get some rotors/calipers from advanced, or you can fork up 500 bucks to buy a complete disc kit). Its up to you to do the math and see what is more better for your application and if you can in fact save yourself money in doing so.

The only thing that stumps me with these swaps is the reluctor rings, I have a Ford 9" in the back of my SA durango and one of the necessity's I didnt have was the speed sensor(I went to hell and back to bypass it). Unless by chance 93+ F bodies dont have speed sensor setups which I find that hard to believe. This of course is why I was looking into the 8.8 swap.

Fireball

iTrader: (21)

speed sensors are in the tranny. The reluctors in the rear are for ABS.

studlybilly

Precisely, but a tranny speed sensor and a rear end speed sensor (that reads the reluctor ring) work together to calculate how fast the car is moving (through reading impulses each sensor receives). So without that rear speed sensor a car can get very pissed off at you. With some vehicles the computer gets confused and puts the tranny in limp or fail safe mode (only second gear and reverse), if I remmember correctly being its electronic it can shift like its confused as well. If your nifty like some of the dynatrac guys you can set a speed sensor up to read the ring gear and use a speed-cal to recalibrate the impulses (a ring gear has nearly 1/4 of the teeth a reluctor ring has). Maybe yall have found a way to bypass this? But I even looked into getting my computer reflashed. I have since lost my speedo but no fail safe mode and the truck rides out fine.

44mag

iTrader: (1)

im building mine this way its easier for me to buy a little at a time too than to drop $2500 at one time. i ordered the moser 9in bolt in housing with 35 spline axles,wheel studs,axle bearings and seals and torque arm bracket it all comes together as a package. check with ttperformance they are a sponser to the right. talk to matt he gave me the best price i could find anywhere. under $900. my next purchases will be:

moser center section case
moser pinion support
detroit locker
ring and pinon gear
install kit
1350 yoke

this should be a bullet proof rearend!!!

Turo

iTrader: (23)

That was my idea also, to buy the parts a few at a time so I dont have to make one huge 2500 payment (I can't afford it even if I wanted to). Now I have to sit down and see how much it is all going to cost me separately. I daily drive my car, but I'm planning on running 28' slicks spraying out of the hole, so I think I should go with a locker.

Thanks for all the info so far, keep the ideas/thoughts coming!

EDIT: 44mag, after you purchase everything on that list, you'll have everything you need, right?

44mag

iTrader: (1)

44mag, after you purchase everything on that list, you'll have everything you need, right?


Yes. i also bought new backing plates from a gm dealership so i would be able to bolt everything up without having to take apart my stock rearend. this is what your brake calipers bolt to. they are expensive like $200. you slide them on your new axles then have the bearings pressed on by a machine shop. it just makes it easier although you can use your original ones if you want to.

Fireball

iTrader: (21)

plenty of people have disconnected the rear sensor w/o incident on the f-body (myself included)

studlybilly

Thats good to know thanks

Fireball

iTrader: (21)

you lose abs though

Redlinez

iTrader: (5)

How about a Moser VS Strange 12 bolt empty housing?