E-Body 8 3/4 Leaf Spring Issue

[Chucky3]

Hi, I have a 1971 Challenger that has a 8 3/4 rear end from what I believe is from an early B-body.My problem is this: when I try to fit my 15 inch rim (10 inch deep) with a fat tire, it seems that the drum is too far forward (to front of car) to clear the front of the tire-it hits/rubs the wheel well towards the front of the car.The car is jacked up without the leaf spring flattened from the weight of the car and a standard tire /rim fits ok but something is not right for my previous large tire setup not to fit.I had a Challenger before with the proper e-body 8 3/4 carrier and had no problems.Is it the length of the leaf spring that is different?Should I try to turn the leaf spring around?Can I still make these work?Need help!! Thank you!

[Belgium R/T -68]

Are you sure you have E-body leafsprings? A different axlehousing should only diff in length according to my opinion.

Per

[Chucky3]

I think that is the problem.It must be the leaf springs from whatever car was used to donate the carrier. I do not think that they are proper e-body leaf springs and was not sure if the donors would work.It must be a different length than an e-body.I measured between perches and it was approximately 44 " inches which is '62-'70 B-body and 1&1/2" shorter that the right e-body carrier.I guess the difference is the length of the leaf spring.Thank you for your reply.

[Chucky3]

Is it possible to use a relocating P4120078 E-body for super stock springs front hanger and move the b-body leaf springs back toward the rear of car 2" with the super stock hanger  and since the b-body leaf spring is 22' front and 36" rear :where the e-body is 22' front and 35", I know it will be back an extra 1" difference than standard e-body leaf springs with that part but could that work maybe? However I am not certain if that part# offsets the front spring eye inward to center of car as I need a 1" offset to match the perch difference of the 44'" perch B-body.Is anyone familiar with this part and its offset?Will I throw off the drive shaft length too? If this is possible I might be able to use the b- body leaf springs since there is only 1" difference at the rear of the leaf spring while the front is the same as the e-body or is this out of the question? Thank you gurus!

[HPP]

Did you verify the length of the front spring segment? It should be 22". If it is less than this, you do not have original style E body springs for a stock E body and you will likely require a different front hanger. Even if you have B body leaf spring, the for/aft location of the axle would be correct, but the shackle location would not be correct. Honestly, it sounds like you have either A body or SS spring without the appropriate front hanger. Although I have heard of others adapter chevy stuff and other mismatched parts to mopars just to save money. So yes, once you move them back to the proper location, your driveshaft may be to short as well.

Yes, the 4120078 SS offset hanger will work with the  B body housing you have under an E body. This is a common change. However, this will only work if the front segment of the spring is 20".

Yes, you can use B body leaf springs, but they will not fit properly. The extra inch in back will not fit under the valance panel. So you either have to butcher it to allow movement, let them hammer it, or leave it off. None of which look very good.

[Chucky3]

Hi, I measured the front half of the leaf spring and it appears to be 20" (A-body leaf springs) and not 22" (E-body leaf springs) as it should be, however, the housing measures 44" (center perch to center perch)-the same as an early B-body housing.Is this normal?Will stock A-body leaf springs work with the Super Stock relocation offset kit or do they need to be Super stock springs ONLY?I am not sure if there is a difference in the Stock A-body front eye vs the Super stock leaf spring that sits in the hanger. Thank you!!!

[Chucky3]

Hi, was researching on net and saw different lengths of leaf springs for older B-bodies too.Maybe it is not a A-body spring but an older, early sixties housing and an actual B-body spring- some had a 20" and a 21" front segment?

[HPP]

It is possible they are even earlier B body springs.  Another possibility is that you may have oval track springs, which are 20.5 in the front segment. Regardless of what it is from, it is two inches shorter than the stock E body springs. This necessiates the longer SS style hanger. Yes, the SS hanger will work with any spring set, so long as the front segment is around 20". There are different eyes, but it only the overall diameter, which is unimportant for mounting the spring.

The spring pad width is a normal B body rear. An E body rear is 46". The trick with an E body is to move the leaf springs in 3/4 to1 per side, dump the E body housing and replace it with a B body housing. This give you the room necessary to fit a 10" wheel without any rubbing issues. But there are different overal widths to B body rear and this will impact your wheel choice. If you have a 64-67 housing, you need 5" of back space. If you have a 68-70 housing, you need 5.5 back space. But those are seperate issues from getting the rear all back together.