Rear end is shot. Anyone have suggestions??

[Stevenow]

So it turns out the rear end is shot on my 71 Dodge D 100 with a 318. It has stock 3.23 gears. I'd like to keep it the same. Anyone know anyone with a rear end and or alternative swaps get me where I need to go?

[Jim100]

What type rear again and what is shot on it?

[Hobcobble]

My thoughts too.
What is shot? If your axle is the original 8.75 Corporate model, you can likely
remove the "shot" items and replace them.
John

[Jims68]

You can even use a "Pumpkin" out of a car that has the 8.75 rear in it. They are the easiest to change out too. Jack up rear end of truck, remove both rear tires, remove the driveshaft, Remove brake drum and you will see a HOLE in the hub of the rear axle. Remove the 4 or 5 bolts that line up with that hole. Those hold the axles in. After you removed those bolts, slide the axle out a few inches. Remove all the bolts around the rear pumpkin and then it will pull out. OH.... drain that nasty smelling gear oil before removing the pumpkin. There are no drain plugs. You need to loosen the bolts and let it run out into a pan. After it finishes draining, remove all the nuts from the pumpkin and pull it off the FRONT of the rear. They are easy to do... just reverse the procedure to install it. OH... buy a new gasket too. Most likely NAPA would have them.

Hope that helps!

Jim

[Stevenow]

Thanks for the replies. Specifically it's a 1971 Dodge D 100 With the 318. I had to give it tons of gas in order for it to get moving when in gear. I put the rear wheels up in the air on a jack and hit the gas and the wheels would hardly move unless I really gunned it. My friend could actually hold the tire and I could give it gas and it wouldn't move on the drive side at all. That said, is the whole thing gone or can I do parts? 3:23 gears

[Jims68]

To be honest, I just replaced my pumpkin... I don't know what is involved with rear end repairs. Swapping them out is really easy though.

Are you "sure" that the rear is bad and not your clutch? You didn't mention anything about auto or stick transmission. When you had it jacked up, can you see the driveshaft spinning but NOT the rear tires? Either way... you have to remove the pumpkin either to fix OR replace it.

Jim

[Stevenow]

It is an automatic and not a standard. I certainly would rather just replaced the Gutzon the pumpkin then getting a whole new rear end. I'll do what I have to though. Will a Chevy or ford rear end fit in it? I don't care, I just want it on the road

[CSS-Registry]

are you sure the drums are not sticking? have you tried to pull the rear brakes apart?

clutch could easily be bad (or simply out of adjustment) with what you describe.

i would start with check the rear brakes. check the clutch. do you have an open ratio rear axle - spin the rear wheels. if they turn in the opposite directions with the drive shaft still attached and not moving then you have an open (non-suregrip or posi in GM parlance) rear end.

sounds like you need to diagnose the problem a bit more.

[Hobcobble]

I'm with Ben on diagnosing this a bit further.....
Your automatic tranny might need a going-over too....
John

[Stevenow]

The transmission is good and the driveshaft spins freely. All the gears work and it shifts fine. Just the darndest thing to see driveshaft spinning wheels not moving

[CSS-Registry]

i may have a spare 8.75 rear chunk. let me look in my parts pile and get back to you.

i'm in Gainesville, FL.

Ben

[Stevenow]

Ben, I love ya!!!! Pm me

[712edf]

Will a Chevy or ford rear end fit in it? I don't care, I just want it on the road

Much much easier to just replace the center section (pumkin) as described above & be done with it.
Bucky

[CSS-Registry]

Ben, I love ya!!!! Pm me

Just checked. The only spare I have is a 2.71 489 case with a sure grip. Sorry - can't let that one go. I'll poll my friends to see what they have.

Ben

[Stevenow]

Thanks for checking Ben!!!
let me know if you find anything

[DavidWymore]

If the rearend is bad or going bad or "slipping", which I can hardly imagine, they pretty much either go, or don't, it will be making an awful racket. There's nothing to slip in there, just gears. Have TWO buddies try to hold both rear tires... I bet one is going for a ride! The other day, I put mine up to diagnose a bearing noise. In gear, only the driver side tire spun, no noise, passenger brake drum was a bit tight. Put my heel against the ground and the ball of my foot against the tire, and viola, passenger tire starts spinning and the noise started up. (Speaking of which how much fun is it to change wheel brgs on these things?)

A normal open rearend will only turn one tire at a time with them off the ground....whichever one has less resistance = why you get a pegleg single tire burnout from and open diff, or get stuck in the sand with one tire turning and buried and the other doing nothing. If you apply pressure to the parking brake, or foot brake, resistance to each wheel should be roughly equal, and both should turn.

If it goes, but only with lots of gas, my money is on the trans.

[BBAIL]

David - Very well put!

My money is on something trans related as well. With rear-ends you will know when they have gone out.

[CSS-Registry]

David - Very well put!

My money is on something trans related as well. With rear-ends you will know when they have gone out.

i have to agree - i am not convinced the rear end is shot either.

[Stevenow]

Hmmmm, ok.....

so the auto trans could be it......

But again- the drive shaft spins FINE, with acceleration, and is turning like crazy, while the wheels do nothing until I REALLY give it some gas. Even so, I can stop the tire with my foot. Could the axles be shot? With the driveshaft spinning and no tire rotation until I really get on it, then being able to stop the wheels from spinning (with the driveshaft still tooling away)....I'm struggling to see the transmission angle here....

Thanks!

Stevo

[CSS-Registry]

Even so, I can stop the tire with my foot.

but can you stop BOTH tires?