[core]

I'm installing a b-body 8 3/4 housing into my 1975 Valiant. If I stay with the tires and rims that I currently have I will be left with a1/2" from the inside wheel well to the out side face of the tire.

The tires I have are P195/75R14. Will this tire size and location work properly with 500 HP?
Should I look into getting off set rims, so I can fit a wide tire into the wheel well?
Will a wider tire help performance ?

I'm thinking of getting new axles, so should I hold out until I can locate an A-body housing and get axles to fit it?
This will keep the 2" inside wheel well to tire space and give me more tire options, right?
Are all axles the same? I mean from the connecting point of the housing to the end of the studs, is that measurement typical.
If I go with the b-body housing can different axles move or shorten the overall length of the entire rear end?
Sorry if this is confusing, but my head is sping trying to figure all this out. Up until a few weeks ago I never even herd of a 8 3/4 rear end
Thanks for the help.

 

[valiant67]

I would be worried with only 1/2" clearance for the tire, that's really pretty small. You may be able to get more clearance by rolling the lip inside the wheel well if that's the closest point.

500 Hp will overwhelm a 195 tire, they'll spin and you won't get much forward motion due to the lack of traction.

The B body axle is wider than an A body axle, that is what the tire is so close to the wheel well. You might find a custom rim that will work, I don't know. To make the rear end fit, you are probably going to have to move the spring perches inward a bit. The only way to make more room while using the B body axle for the tires is to have the axle housing narrowed then custom axles made to match that width. The other choice is to find a A body 8 3/4 (which is probably gonna cost more) up front but is closer to a bolt in (other than driveshaft length).

 

[KOG]

Not only is that tire way too small, but you can't get enough tire in the stock wheel wells to deal with 500 HP. As the owner of a mildly hot rodded A body with 205/70-15 tires (about the largest you can stuff into stock wheel wells) let me point out that if you want a real 500HP car with performance you can use then you might want to consider a late model Charger/Magnum instead.

 

[tazdevil]

I run 245/55 on my Demon with E body axle. THat axle is 3 inches too wide for the A body, so when I ordered my Coys wheels, I provided all the dimensions required for proper fit. Get those dimensional data from wheelvintiques.com., fill in the dimensions, and get the right wheels.

 

[core]

I ended up finding an A-body 8 3/4 housing for 200.00. I'll put the B-body and axles that I'm not going to use on Craigslist and try to get some money back.

The motor is going to make 500 HP, but at the wheels I'm not sure. May be 400HP.

Does any one know a cheap place to get A-body axles?

I agree that my car choice for this motor was not the best, but I already had the Valiant and it is in perfect condition. Only has 60,000 mile. It is a true old land car. The women I bought it from was 85 and she wanted it gone.
The junk yard was going to give her a 100.00 to take it away. So I gave her the 100.00 and drove it away.
I put a plate on it and drove it home on the highway doing 70mph for over an hour.

Thanks for the help

 

[dana44]

Pretty much agree with the tire size being a little bit on the small side and it needs to be corrected. You are going to have to get the new axles first, then doing some measurements to get the correct offset. There are plenty of examples of how to do the measurements online, can help if you don't get it figured out. Check some of the aftermarket and Mopar companies for axles. Moser is a known aftermarket place, but also places like Mancini and Mopar Performance offer the axles, so do some comparisons and get what you feel comfortable with paying. Unless you plan to take the car to the track, even stock axles are strong enough for your application.