Thunderbird rear + Drums are installed
 

I had bought a thunderbird rear about a month ago and was going to convert to disk, but I decided against it. I cut off the caliper tabs and changed the axles back to the ones I had pulled out of my factory rear. The drums went back on, and the rear installed. I had to bend the brake like a little but it fit well. The gears sure are a nice change though. I had worried about a dump in hwy mileage, but ironicly I think it went up a tad. My trip that normally drops me to about 2 notches under full, yesterday was still touching the full mark. Ill have to get the right speedo gear or use a gps to get real numbers, but I was getting 29-31 mpg before. If I did get better mileage, I will laugh. I did bump the timing to 14* and it is a bit colder out, so that would have a bit to do with it, but it still remains.

All you had to do to be able to use the drums is cut the mounts for the calipers off? What gears do you have now?

Also had to swap the axles from the original rear into the thunderbird's

373s now, had 308s?

Well that point is obvious lol. Do you have pics of the work?

Im sure not so obvious to some ;)

Unfortunately no, I havent any pictures, pritty straight foreward though.

Good, I might pick up a tbird rear from the junk yard when I get back from iraq. Do the 8.8 swap, gear swap, middle brake line fix and the trac lock all in one shot for $100 lol.