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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Postal Jeep Dana 44

Having read the articles on the subject in the V8 Newsletter, I've found a couple of junkyards near me that have Postal Jeeps with the correct Dana 44 rear ends. They are not posi. The article details quite a bit of machine work to get them to work, mostly with the brakes. Have many of you done this conversion? If you use the existing drum brakes, is it a fairly straightforward job?

Thanks,
Larry
LN Sackett

Postal jeeps tend to have HUNDREDS of thousand of miles on them when retired unless crashed early in their life. Starting with something from a newer car (with low mileage), seems a less risky route. RX7, Miata, 240S, S-2000 all seem a better place to start. With these you already have limited-slip, disc brakes, strength, IRS and light modern design. So you can spend on just modification not so much on repair & rebuild. Replacement/stock wheels are very common for newer axles too.
Tons of info. on axle options in our various, (not just MGB), archives.

Enjoy the ride! M
Marc Judson

Consider one of D&D's Chevy S-10 differentials. Available in several gearsets, narrowed to the proper width...brake setups available as well.

rick
rick ingram

I have done this conversion and it involves grafting on wider drums and brakes from an Econoline or Bronco. The stock drums are a large 5 bolt pattern and can not be drilled to the MGB 4 bolt as the center hole is too large. The Econoline backing plates sit in about 3/4 of an inch further to the inside and means the ends of the axles had to be cut shorter on the spline end.
The conversion was fairly easy but if I had it to do over would get a Mustang posi shortened or one from D&D. My car is not assembled so I can't report on how it works yet. I will be running a 3.4 L V6 with a 4bbl, cam, and roller rockers.
I added traction bars and a panhard rod to my chassis when it was on a rotisserie.
Thomas Rynne

Thanks for the great info! As Marc Judson points out, a high-miles Postal Jeep rear with no posi could wind up in a substantial investment. I'll dig through the archives.

Larry
LN Sackett

A guy brought over his BV8 and was running the Volvo 240 Turbo rear end. He said it pretty much fit right in, of course spring pads need to be welded, but the plus is that it came with disc brakes.
Jarrod Hills

Ive changed brakes on a volvo 240 and the rear end comes stock with a panhard rod, which is an added plus. I can't remember if the bolt pattern for the wheels is the same or not.
Jake

Are you saying that it does not need to be shortened. Denny
DBW

From what the guy says, it doesnt need shortening. It has a 5 bolt wheel pattern.
Jarrod Hills

I took a look under a couple of 240's yesterday. Didn't find a Turbo, but the standard ones all had panhard rods. They're a trailing arm/coil spring set up. Wonder what it would take to convert the 'B' chassis to that set up. Interesting. I'll bring a tape measure next time.
LN Sackett

The old Chev Monza rear end will work too and it has the 4 x 4 1/2 bolt pattern. I have a Chev S-10 rear with Monza axles that I plan to use - the Monza axles are a direct replacement for the stock S-10 ones.
Phil O

The 240 and the S 10 do not need shorting? Is the pinion where it needs to be. I cant tell you if my MG axels pinion is centered or off set. Denny
DBW

I would suggest that if youve got a decent amount of power, stay away from the 10 bolt chevy axle. Its a c clip axle with a low spline count and pretty weak. I believe that the Volvo one is stronger and if its a turbo type, it has a posi. I would rather a cut down 8" or a volvo axle than a corporate 10 bolt.
Jarrod

Chevy Monza/Vega's used a 4 X4" pattern, same as the Midget. The Ford compacts such as the Maverick and Mustang used the 4 X 4 1/2" pattern which fits B wheels. GM 10 bolt axles are not the strongest, but certainly adequate up to well over 200 bhp as this is the same carrier and axle used in the later model Z28. Later gear sets have larger pinion bearings than the early 70's axles but can be machined to fit the smaller early bearing and housing. The housing from a Z28 or TransAm with rear disks would work well after narrowing.
Bill Young

Since this thread also considers strength of the differential, remember the Vovlo 240 is a 4-banger. The Volvo 240 diff. is a Dana 30.
Carl

This thread was discussed between 13/09/2004 and 18/09/2004

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