9 or 8" rear end.

Is there a ford 9 0r 8" rear end, with about 3:50 gears, to bolt-in to my 51 ford? If not, what is recommended. Also, what rear shocks are best?

 

Look for a rear from an Early Mustang or Maverick that had a V8,a 9" rear from a 57-59 Ford is almost a bolt in but will be hard to find.

 

I think dodge 8 3/4 rear ends are great. Often over looked.

 

Merc monarch or ford granada used a fairly narrow 8", most had 2.98
[I think] gear but normally weren't beat on too hard .....up through '78 IIRC...

dave

 

mid to late 70s Granada had a good width 8inch.

 

Yes. The 8" has a 3.55 and the 9" has a 3.5, I believe. Decide which to use by your hp. The 8" are getting harder to find, yet are cheaper, and 100 pounds lighter than 9s. I think the crossover point is supposed to be around 300 hp. I use an 3.8 8" in a 2500 pound car with a Tremec 3550 and 380-400 hp with no trouble. I don;t run it at the strip, just hard street driving.


With the 8" you can get 4 or 5 lug wheels, big or small axle bearings, and 28 or 31 spline axles. I have 5 lug, big bearing, and 28 spline axles.

 

Maverick will bolt right in do have to spread the springs out maybe a 1/4 inch,Dont know about your drive shaft mine I had made I ran a SBC with a 4 speed in mine

 

A 1983 to 1992 Ford Ranger V6 used an 8.8" rear end that is very robust even with the 28 spline axle.

Unless you are using a lot of hp they should work very well.

I have 2 that I am using in Model A Fords that have limited slip differentials.

I believe that one is 3.08 and the other is 3.55.

Dick

 

I run an 8-inch with 3:55 gears in my 48 Ford. Its out of a Granada and measures 57-3/4 inches wide outside to outside of the brake drums. I think the closest Ford gear ratio is a 3:40 ...hard to find. John

 

Pretty hard to beat the strength and affordability of a 9". I got one out of a 70's ford van for next to nothing. There are also tons of parts to modify/narrow them if you need to.

 

I run an 8"/ 3.80's and an Eaton Posi with 300 RWHP to it... and when I play I play hard... with no issues in my 49 Chev P/U. Hit the wrecking yard with a tape measure and you will find one even if it's missing you can get a spring center line dimension so you know what to look for.

 

The only downside to the 8.8 is it's not a "center section" rear [has to be set up in the car] whereas the8&9 ,you can have extra punkin's ready to swap, & you can set 'em up on the bench... just my preference.

 

IMHO


the 5 lug Maverick is the best choice. @ 56 inches wide ... it is a little more narrow than the original. It has 5 lug wheels. It is lighter than the 9 inch. It takes less HP to turn. A 3.40, a 3.50 and a 3.55 gear set are all available. POSI rears are out there but very difficult to come by.

IF ... you just have to have a 9 inch, the 57/58/59 passenger car is the one for you. Some say they are difficult to find. My favorite junk yard always has at least 8 or 10.