What rear end fits a 48 Ford?

[Broman]

I was reading on here a few weeks ago and vaguely remembered someone mentioning that an 8" Ford rear from a 70's car fit between their 46-48 Ford fenders perfectly.

My dad is going to need a rear end for his 48. The car still has the origional rear in it right now and the car has been lowered to the extreme - but as it sits now the rear end is too wide to clear the lowered stance.

Important side note: This car is an extreme ass-dragger style Kustom. One of the major mods is a heavy chop that was done in a unique fashion. The cuts on the top were done in such a fashion that the rear window was not cut out or into. The cuts were done well below the backlight. In order to maintain the correct curve (when viewing the car from the side) the trunk had to be shortened and the whole rear of the car had to be pinched in. Which brings us to the fender clearance issue.

So......we need a good strong rear end that is fairly short. We DON'T want a narrowed/pro-street style look, and we are trying to keep the rear seats (this is a sedan by the way). I might be guessing here but I am thinking that the one from the past post was from a Grenada (?). Any help is appreciated.

[scooter]

Try the 70's mavrick thats what i have under mine . I also think the track is either the same or damm close w/ the older mustang and cougar . I think mine was a 73 mav , I did make sure it was a v/8 car .

[jalopy43]

I have a friend that used a 70's mavrick 8" in his 47 sedan. The width was 54" I believe. With a severe lowering it might be close. Glenn

[choprods]

Granada 8 and 9"ers are perfect....buy a sat of front leafs from a '79 Dodge Ramcharger 4x4 and hang these /then these springs bolted to stock Granada pads will end up under the 47 frame rails in a good position.......sets good without drop blocks.

[Broman]

Thanks guys, I guess I should have deduced something like that. Is there a resource that lists the widths of Ford rears? 54" is pretty good, and after I measure a little I will know better, but I need the shortest one I can find.

[choprods]

you will need a rear that is 56-57 " wide at the hubs.
I guess you arent wanting to TUB it right?

[Deuce Roadster]

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


The 5 lug Maverick is 56 inches wide. It is the most narrow 8 inch I know of (with 5 lug wheel pattern).

http://www.kevinstang.com/5ncp.jpg

Measured like above.


Here is a site.....
http://www.dfwmotorsport.com/Fairlane/9inchrearends.htm

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[Broman]

Hey thanks Duecer, that's a good little web page - saved it for future reference. More info than I even needed. Now I even have a list of 9 and 8 inch rears. Perfect.

I am not sure exactly how much more narrow this car is than a stock 48 body but my guess is that it's around three inches difference. Now we just need to find a clapped-out donor......

[Deuce Roadster]

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


A stock 40 Ford rear end axle measures 60 inches wide.
I believe a 41 - 48 Ford is some wider (stock)



http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Kurt]

Hey Broman i am headed up to Iola tommorrow but get ahold of me next week and you can swing by and check my setup out. I have the same car we can do some measuring on. I used a 72 nova.

[Max Gearhead]

Hey Broman, I used a rear out of a 70 Nova in my neighbors 46 Ford Tudor and it fit really well even with the skirts. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Looks good, works good. Lots of these 68-75 Nova rear ends around.
Max

[FORDY 6]

'57 to '59 Ford 9" rears will fit also.

[haring]

I, for one, would really like to see a picture of the chopped tail-dragger '48. Sounds cool.

[Paul2748]

65/66 Mustang, 65 Falcon, maybe a 63-64 Fairlane. The first two are 57 1/4 wheel flange to wheel flange.

I got a 68 Mercury Montego under my 48 (don't know the width), good fit with standard offset rims (Torque thrust D's)and 235x15 x 70 series tires.

[4t64rd]

I have the 65/66 Mustang 8" under my 46 Tudor, I have a set of stock F-150 (small pattern) steel wheels on it, with 225/70-15s rollers and it clears everywhere, but it hasn't run under it's own power yet. I have it mounted with an SAC kit and the wheelwell openings cover the half the distance to the rim of the rear tires.

My thinking for the narrow rear end was that I can use spacers to center the tire if it's too close. You can't do that with a too wide rear end.

[Grumpy]

69 Camaro w/ S-10 leafs in my 48

[silent rick]

i have a granada 8 inch under my 46 ford. choprods is right about the leaf spring pads being in a good location if you want to go to a parallel leaf.

[Broman]

We rummaged around and found an 8 inch Ford rear end in our spare parts that came out of a Mustang II. It is perfect for what we need. Just a matter of having x-ray vision to see thru the junk......Could have sworn that we cleaned up this mess once......

I bet we have enough junk around here to build a car, maybe we could put together one of them, whatchacallit, rat-rods? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Seriously though, I bet we enough spare stuff to make a car. First we need to build the ones we have started!!



[ QUOTE ]
I, for one, would really like to see a picture of the chopped tail-dragger '48. Sounds cool.

[/ QUOTE ]


You will, someday.......(the body isn't even on the frame right now)

[JimC]

68 Nova here

[38Chevy454]

Broman, only problem with the Must II 8-inch is that it is four-lug bolt pattern. Don't know if you have ability to machine for new 5-lug pattern on the existing axle flanges, my guess is that it can be done. However, this is additional labor and cost. The Maverick rears are already 5-lug and so is Granada.

[studedude]

57' Pontiac rearends were a very good drag rearend in the 70's and my grandfather has them on an old Ford of his and you shouldn't have that much of a clearence problem with it.

[Broman]

Hmmm, you're right 38chevy454, didn't even look at that until today.

A swapping we will go
a swapping we will go
High-ho the merry-o
a swapping we will go...