Manta rear suspension upgrade to go with a new 8.8 ford

[Gearjamer]

Hey Folks,

I posted here a while ago about doing an engine, tranny and axle swap on a '73 Manta. Well I've got most of the parts. The axle core I got is actually quite new. It's a 8.8 out of a '04 Ford F150 Heritage. Yup out of a truck with the disk brakes, calipers, and 3.31 gears. It only has 1400 miles on it. I paid 160 for it and I'm going to get it narrowed. My question is how should I mount it. I've heard I can do better than putting the stock spring buckets back on. I would be willing to make full length LCA's for the rear and coil overs. Then make a torque arm. Anyone have specs for such a thing. Or know what litterateur would point me in the right direction?

Thanks,
Bill

[opelnut10]

I did a 10 bolt Camero for a GT and I used the spring buckets, and torque arm method. If you tig them instead of mig you don't get as much heat on the housing and get warpage. I made a cross member and tied it in with the old torque tube mounting in the floor, as that was the eaziest and strongest place I could put it. I made the lower trail arms and pannard bar ajustable with hyme joints and used hymes on the two rear ends of the torque arm. It is very ajustable as far as side to side and pinion angle. I used an S-10 driveshaft (I have a T5 transmission) and had it shortened and re-balanced. It has been in the car for just over two years and I have not had a problem.

[Gearjamer]

Thanks, After much searching I found what I was looking for.