Outside the normal differential

[2drx4]

Since nobody answered my width question, I used Google. It said 58" wide.

Off the top of my head that's close and probably not normal:
-Ford Explorer 8.8, you can get a disk brake version with 31 spline axles, 4.10 gears, and a LSD out of a 95+ IIRC for next to nothing. Bolt pattern is 5x4.5, redrill if you care. I think it's actually 58.5" WMS-WMS. They kinda suck, C-clips and less than ideal gear design, but they will hold up to a lot in a car.
-Jeep Liberty Chrysler 8.25. It's 59.5" wide I believe. 29 spline axles and probably pretty undesirable, 5x4.5 bolt pattern, but it has disk brakes.
-Isuzu Trooper II corporate 12 bolt. 59"~ wide, 8.66" ring gear, drop out third, factory 4.56 gears and clutch pack limited slip, semi float axles, I believe they're 31 spline 1.32"ish but my memory is ehhh, disk brakes, 6x5.5 bolt pattern. They can be had for free but suffer from near zero aftermarket support. They're very strong for their size and weight though.

Most axles that narrow suck though.

 

[Ugly1]

Since nobody answered my width question, I used Google. It said 58" wide.

Off the top of my head that's close and probably not normal:
-Ford Explorer 8.8, you can get a disk brake version with 31 spline axles, 4.10 gears, and a LSD out of a 95+ IIRC for next to nothing. Bolt pattern is 5x4.5, redrill if you care. I think it's actually 58.5" WMS-WMS. They kinda suck, C-clips and less than ideal gear design, but they will hold up to a lot in a car.
-Jeep Liberty Chrysler 8.25. It's 59.5" wide I believe. 29 spline axles and probably pretty undesirable, 5x4.5 bolt pattern, but it has disk brakes.
-Isuzu Trooper II corporate 12 bolt. 59"~ wide, 8.66" ring gear, drop out third, factory 4.56 gears and clutch pack limited slip, semi float axles, I believe they're 31 spline 1.32"ish but my memory is ehhh, disk brakes, 6x5.5 bolt pattern. They can be had for free but suffer from near zero aftermarket support. They're very strong for their size and weight though.

Most axles that narrow suck though.

With Jeep and some of the others you are very limited to rim to fit and axle size without major axle changes and if they make a multi fit stud pattern for the stronger axles. The ford , Chrysler,GM, aftermarket rears and diffs seem to be easier it parts replacement ( high HP= Snapped axles, twisted tubes). Though street use having a little extra width (wider tires with correct offset) isn’t a bad thing! You’ll also see in the pictures from Clutch,Abbey Castro,81cutlass,and DSPbuilt are saying that not that you can’t use any type as I was looking to find out about. But with their builds it’s strength, durability, and HOW they fit them. If any of the information helps in your build that would be awesome!! Unfortunately I didn’t get time to crawl under my ElCamino today and I’m glad you found the info you needed. The information you add I hope will make others look at an out of the box solution.
I started this thread with the hope of someone doing that! A lot of the times it’s debating on 7.5 vs 8.5… So thank you!
I also named so very odd rear end manufacturers Franklin and Winters have made them for years and they are call a quick change rearend for how you can pull out a pair of gears and go higher or lower with just those two gears in about 15 minutes. Not cheap but go from highway to drag racing gears in a few minutes!

 

[64nailhead]

Since nobody answered my width question, I used Google. It said 58" wide.

Off the top of my head that's close and probably not normal:
-Ford Explorer 8.8, you can get a disk brake version with 31 spline axles, 4.10 gears, and a LSD out of a 95+ IIRC for next to nothing. Bolt pattern is 5x4.5, redrill if you care. I think it's actually 58.5" WMS-WMS. They kinda suck, C-clips and less than ideal gear design, but they will hold up to a lot in a car.
-Jeep Liberty Chrysler 8.25. It's 59.5" wide I believe. 29 spline axles and probably pretty undesirable, 5x4.5 bolt pattern, but it has disk brakes.
-Isuzu Trooper II corporate 12 bolt. 59"~ wide, 8.66" ring gear, drop out third, factory 4.56 gears and clutch pack limited slip, semi float axles, I believe they're 31 spline 1.32"ish but my memory is ehhh, disk brakes, 6x5.5 bolt pattern. They can be had for free but suffer from near zero aftermarket support. They're very strong for their size and weight though.

Most axles that narrow suck though.

I was going to answer. But I believe they are 58.5", not 58" (correct me if I'm wrong please). The width is only important regarding wheel choices G's were the only GM axle made at their width which requires every swap to have a wheel change. But since most everyone ditches the original wheels anyway, then there is no real concern AFAIC. The 93-02 Explorer is an 1" wider which makes it an easy choice for a swap.

And regarding the factory 8.8, the 31 spline and c-clips aren't the end of the world. I ran that setup for over a year and a couple thousand miles without issue at 675whp. Lots of burnouts and trips down the track. I pulled the diff and gave it to a friend and I'm still using the same gears from the junkyard with a spool.

I can't speak to any of the Chrysler swaps either good or bad other than the parts aren't easily obtained locally. Just the opposite holds true for the Exploder setup though.

 

[DRIVEN]

Bang for the buck wise, the Explorer 8.8 is pretty tough to beat. Several years ago I was flipping them for extra cash. I only bought and sold the limited slip disc brake units. I'd go the the yard on 1/2 price day and buy a few, use a can of Brakleen to clean the inside, then pressure wash the housing before a quick coat of black paint. I was usually in each one about $100 and priced them at $450. They sold like hotcakes.

The only real downside for a Gbody swap is the bolt pattern if you want to reuse your wheels. I think you'd really have to go out of your way to hurt one. C-clips are just fine for a street car. It's pretty much the equivalent to a 12 bolt, and that was the GM guy's gold standard for decades.

 

[abbey castro]

Nice! Thank you! I’m glad to see so many other types of setups. Looks super clean and your running 3” pipes?

2 1/2in from the header's collectors through an "X" pipe.