Dodge Challenger Rear End in an MG?

[Rick_Stevens]

Here's something interesting I picked up at the MG Enthusiasts' forum. There's a guy with a V8 conversion who dropped the rear-end from a 1979 Dodge Challenger into his B. https://www.britishv8.org/MG/BrentLancaster.htm

It bought him a better back-end ratio (3.54:1 vs 3.9:1) and disk brakes. The disk brakes aren't a biggie, but I like the better ratio at the back end. Looking at the pics, though, he has added the Sebring flares - and it's hard to tell if he did this just for the wider tires or if the new rear-end required the mod because it's wider than the B's.

Does anybody here have any experience or info on this?

R.

 

[rick_ingram]

One would need to know the length of the diff housing...to see if it could be installed "intact" or would need to be narrowed for a standard conversion.

I have a Ford 8" diff out of a Ford Granada in my GT...it has been narrowed about 6".

 

[LeeMcKee]

Yes I have a Chrysler rear end in my MGB. The good thing is that one can use the axle stubs and shafts with the transplant pumpkin. All the brakes and such can remain unchanged.

 

[Rick_Stevens]

Ah. That's an interesting alternative. My original thinking was to replace the whole shootin' match, but if I understand you correctly, Lee, you just plopped the Chrysler diff and left the other MG bits intact.

A couple of questions: Was there any machining, cutting, or drilling involved, and if so - how much and what kind. Also, what was the original donor car for the pumpkin?

R.

 

[LeeMcKee]

It is not as easy as it sounds. You have to be a pretty good welder and build a jig to get the axle stubs perfectly straight in relation to each other and the pumpkin. However, the splines are the same in the Chrysler diff and the axle shafts. The trick is to find the right car in the junk yard. The one on my car now is out of a Dodge Valiant. I think that it was a '78 model, but I know a New Yorker (some) will work. You just have to keep looking around. Some New Yorker are front wheel drive you know. But from all outward apperances it looks stock but, you can have gear ratios from 3.9 to 5.3

 

[Jake]

So if I understand, you cut the center of the rear end out of the MG diff and welded the Chrysler diff tubes in place to the outer MG ones?

 

[aeronca65t]

You may want to consider an RX7 rear too.
These things can be gotten with disk brakes and limited slip, if desired. You can have the axles resplined and narrow the rear yourself (if you are a decent fabricator) or have it done. They'll take 160+ HP.

Moser can do all or part of this job (including re-drilling to get a stock bolt pattern for the wheels).
https://moserengineering.com/

It is a fairly common swap in Spridgets and I see no reason why it wouldn't work in and MGB.

More info:
https://the-mite.com/mite22.htm

 

[LeeMcKee]

The beauty of this conversion is that you use all the stock MGB componets other than the Chrysler diff itself. Nothing needs to be resplined or shortened. Same hubs, wheel bearings, brakes, axle shafts, etc. as a stock MGB. This conversion was devloped to make the rear "bullit proof" when doing V-8 transplants.

The idea of having disk brakes it neat though...