I believe my rear end is near toast and was just curious what my best options would be besides picking one up @ a junkyard. Will a 2nd Gen fit? What would a good rebuild and some nice gears run me?

TIA,

 

well since your gsl-se,your choice's are slim,you've got the best,as far
as a direct replacement,,i don't know if you need to change out the
whole housing,or just the 3rd member,,how much you'll pay depends
on what is needed,,but you need to keep it gsl-se, i think the splines
are larger on the axels too,,gsl-se's are kinda stuck as far as interchangablity...what makes you think you rearend is going out ???

 

The SE Rear End is the strongest stock replacement you can get.
It has a 4.11 Rear end, as opposed to the other First Gen's 3.73 rear end as well (Better pickup/acceleration). Also the bolt pattern is favorable. You might want to change the Rear-end fluid with some high-quality stuff sold at MazdaTrix. It really made the difference on my old 81 a few years ago. It stopped the rear end from making all the noises it was making, and lasted until I sold it years later.

Right now, I am in a similar situation. I am Building a Turbo First Gen,
(Still just getting the parts lined up) and I know my rear end will
not hold up the power I plan to put down. A streetported 6 Port Turbo with lots of boost kind of power...

I already plan to swap to a TII Tranny on my GSL-SE, but I remember
reading that the Ford 8.8 or 9" rear end also bolted on with minor mods. I don't know if this is true.

Also, I have heard that a rear end from a Mazda B2000 type pickup is almost as strong as the Ford rear end, and that it really fits alot easier, even though it's slightly wider. This sounds like a better option for me since I plan to put a Mariah mode one kit on as well.

Any ideas from you guys would help, as I am still in the "Parts Buying" mode and don't want to spend money on anything that I won't use.

Thanks.

 

Aren't the 84/85 GSL and GSL-SE rear ends the same except for the gearing and bolt pattern in the end of the axles?

I never saw any information that the axles or housings are thicker or splines are different.

 

where is this 3.73 gear coming from?? far as i know non gsl-se's had 3.909 gear. well to help answer the question you can get a torsen diff out of a miata or get a mazda factory race diff, those are pretty strong.

 

If I were you all I would do is get a low milage center section. You should be able to score one out of an unknowledgable junkard for under a 100 bucks and they are easy to replace. takes a morning and your back on the road. Thats what I would do because they were a good rearend and it seem like most of them went to 150k before they started to go bad so if you get a low mileage one, you should be good for a while. Peace.

CJG

 

QUOTE]where is this 3.73 gear coming from??[/QUOTE]

You're right...It is 3.90's on the Non-SE's. I got to much Ford
in the brain. I chaged my rear on my Truck to 3.73's..

 

Hey you should come over and show me your technique hehehe. I dont think its gone yet but Ive been spending some time under the car and it feels pretty loose. (no sexual innuendo) Not to mention now that Im getting everything else nice and quiet - Eliminated the clutch fan, new tires, tightened rattling bolts, etc - I am really noticing a HOWL that starts aournd 15 or 20 mph and increases up to about 60mph before it disappears. I am replacing the right front wheel bearings in hopes that eliminates some of the howl as there appears to be some play in it as well but bottom line is I think the rear is on its way. OTHER IDEAS? When I do replace it I am thinking about a complete rebuild with some big ole bullet prooof 4.88's or something. Anybody done this and know the cost involved?

Cya,