[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by raycow

I would rank the choices somewhat differently from SCOTI, and for the reasons given.

1. Swap in a complete 71-72 rear. This is a total bolt-in and relatively inexpensive if you can find one. Its downsides are that it is about 1-1/2" wider than your stock rear and you will be looking for a two-year-only part.

2. Aftermarket 5 lug shafts. This will be more money, but less work, than (1). It is your best choice if you absolutely must keep the stock width.

3. Swap a complete 73-87 rear. About the same price as (1) but more work. You will need to weld on brackets for the trailing arms and panhard bar, which are available as an aftermarket kit. You still have the same width issue as (1), but you will have a lot more rears to choose from.

4. Weld up and redrill your stock shafts. This could cost less than any of the other choices, but is recommended only if you have a machine shop you know and can trust.

Ray

Swapping in a 71-72 rear housing can be relatively inexpensive if you can find one (one good one). I've yet to see one sell for less than $100 & that's 1/3 of the cost of the aftermarket axles. What if you swap it in & there are problems (hard to tell sometimes unless the unit came out of a driving vehicle)? What's your time worth if you have to do multiple swaps? Another thing to consider.... When swapping a 71-72 rear housing, the axles are still 38yrs old. 38yrs of use & wear. New axles are just that, new.

Sometimes saving money up front isn't the best way to get the most out of your dollar spent.