[Diesel_1998]

Have a '70 charger that I am restoring picked up a rearend out of a 98 mustang for free .. not wanting to use leaf spring in the rear but can't find anything on trailing arms or shocks anybody able to help out with some places to look?

 

[ericnova72]

So you're hoping someone makes a kit to swap a '98 Mustang 4-link coil spring rear into a '70 Charger, which is leaf spring??

You're never going to find that unicorn....only way is completely custom built. Mucho alterations to the floor pan of that unibody construction Charger for all the Mustang suspension mounts.

Not a big enough market for any company to tool up for that conversion.

Not to mention the rears likely aren't even close to the same width.

 

[95 Truck]

So free rear end, is selling point of using a Ford.

A few things come to mind,
1) cutting it up to install Ford rear end will hurt the value of the car. 70 Charger has a strong following.
2) your restoring the car what’s wrong with the rear end in it?
3) sell Ford to fix or buy correct rear end.
4) I have seen many times where going cheap or free cost more time and money, then just spending money up front. I have learned this the hard way to many times

 

[Diesel_1998]

There is no rearend in it

 

[lmsport]

find a Dana 60 from a truck and have it cut down to fit your car---Dodge guys love the Dana 60 and the thing is bulletproof

 

[Diesel_1998]

The value of the car is void as it is a family heirloom that I am creating. It is not to sell.

 

[ericnova72]

Okay since thats your goal...
It would be easier to adapt the Mustang rear to the Charger leaf springs than to try to adapt the Mustang suspension to the Charger body....unless you've got some decent fabrication experience you haven't admitted to yet??

What is the wheel mountng surface-to-wheel mounting surface (total width) of the Mustang axle?
The original Charger axle is listed as 60-1/8"
Online look-up shows '98 Mustang at 58-1/2"
if that matches the width you've got, then it is 3/4" per side narrow then the factory Charger was....so you need to take note that may affect clearance to the outer body wheel lip or to something on the inner side of the tire.
It helps to have your wheel choice decided to, so you can see if it is going to fit.

At the bare minimum you can use a 4-1/2" electric andle grinder with a handful of slitting cut-off wheels and a couple general hard grinding disks will get you through the job of cutting off all the Mustang suspension mounts, shock mounts, and spring pad brackets off the axle tubes of the Mustang rear ....and then weld a pair of Chrysler leaf spring pads on (proper location, spacing, test fit, pinion angle, etc first) the cleaned up axle tubes and you're done.
New axle U-bolts, and new set of either standard spring retainer pads or some type of traction bar set up(I'd recommentd Cal-Tracs or Smith Racecraft Asassin Bars).
Get new leaf springs if you need them, new spring hardware, bushing, etc.

Bolt it all together, and measure it up for brake line flex hose and shock absorber length, and figure out how you are going to attach the driveshaft.
You'll need to know what transmission your going to connect to in order to figure the driveshaft out fully.

 

[95 Truck]

Overall it will be much easier to find a rear that fits it and install then go through effort to adapt Ford rear end.

 

[adantessr]

Have a '70 charger that I am restoring picked up a rearend out of a 98 mustang for free .. not wanting to use leaf spring in the rear but can't find anything on trailing arms or shocks anybody able to help out with some places to look?

As others have mentioned, I wouldn’t be set on using the Ford rearend just because it’s free. You’re asking to do a lot of fabrication plus a custom driveshaft and possibly custom wheels. Get a rearend with the correct width preferably with same lug bolt circle as front hubs so you don’t have to carry two spare tires. Also if you get a leaf spring rear you won’t have to get rid of a bunch of brackets. At the most you may have to relocate the spring perches and shock mounts. Take it from us guys that have been around awhile. Free parts are seldom your best option. I’ve been wrenching since 1966.

 

[timothale]

There are Mopar reas just as strong as a ford THAT FIT

 

[ericnova72]

Problem is anything that would just bolt in is no longer "budget". Certainly not Dana 60 or Mopar B-body 8-3/4" originals won't be cheap and aren't just all over in current salvage yards.

What's so hard about cleaning up a housing with the torch and grinder, and welding new leaf spring pads on it?? The Mopar weld on spring pads are under $20 last I knew.
Nobody's a hotrodder any more??
8.8" Ford is a good tough rear.

Bolt pattern should be the same, both cars are 5 on 4.5" bolt circle, swapped rear would be a small bit narrower than factory, which could work in his favor for big tire fit with common existing wheel offsets.

Doesn't have a driveshaft now, so a hybrid driveshaft is no big deal since you have to buy one anyway.

if you put traction bars on it now, they also have the leaf spring lower plate and shock mounting point built in, so you kill three birds with one stone there.

Custom brake flex hose from body to housing and it's done.

Any of you guys pushing an all mopar solution....whats the current salvage yards best idea for a rear that would fit that '70 Charger??