8 bolt vs 6 bolt rear axle assembly

Kdancy

All this work on the 37 rear has led me to a question (as always). Apparently, the 38 and up ring and pinion is different in that the ring is held on by 8 bolts on the later models and 6 by the 37 and back. Just looking at it, the carrier looks the same. Does that mean that the ring and pinion assembly from the later ones will bolt right up to the early rear end housing? In other words will the later carrier with ring and pinion bolt right up?

Park_W

Yes, the only change was to the diffy gear case surface where the ring gear is mounted. So you can put an 8-bolt diffy case and gear set in the earlier housing, no problem. And yes, I managed to shear the bolts in my '37T back in the old days. A buddy had sheared his just a month earlier. The traffic light drags took their toll!

Huddy42

In my early youth I managed to sheer them off quite regularly, my father ended up welding the crown wheel on to the hemisphere, never had a problem after that.