Pipes, You may have already talked about this, I can't recall and I am too lazy to go back through the whole thread, but have you considered looking at a later 8.8" Ford out of an Explorer? They are 59-1/2 to 60" wide from wheel mounting surface to wheel mounting surface, they come in a wide variety of ratios including 4:10 and many have Ford's traction-lock limited slip and they also have 31 spline axles, if you're interested, later units ('97 to 2002) come with disc brakes, they are easy to find and reasonably priced. It may be an option for you. Thor
Glad I've been a little help Pipes. So here's another choice but may not be any easier to find. These trucks are still very popular and around here there are at least 2 places that cater to them and part them out when they can. 1966- 1977 Bronco rear is 58" total width. You would still need to change the spring pads and set the pinion angle. That housing has a strait axle tube not stepped and is 3" dia. The wheel bolt pattern is 5 on 5-1/2" but re drilling bolt pattern is no big deal and the brakes interchange with passenger cars, so there's several ways to dress out a bare housing should you find one of those. The Wizzard
Pipes, let me ask you this. When junk yard hunting do you know how to tell an 8" from a 9" by just looking at them while fully dressed?
I actually started to look into that! I think it’s like Jeff’s Bronco graveyard or something had the housing for like 150 bucks and I can’t remember how much for the axles, but someone told me being it was a 4 WD thT they figured the center section might be off set, I kept forgetting to call the place and find out. I can get the axles drilled out no problem and it would save me a bunch of it works. Guess I better do that tonight before I forget again! And yes, easy way to tell a 9 inch from an 8 inch is the two bottom bolts on the pumpkin have to be removed with a wrench where as in an 8 you can use a socket in all of them. Biggest problem finding one around here is that all the old junk yards were shut down by townships and the ones that left are more late 90s and up. The guys left with the old stuff would barely let anyone in and rarely sell. Finally got into one hood one but not a single Granada in there. Couple of wrecked Mavericks but no 9 inch in them. Did find quite a few shoeboxes in them and the owners cool with me so I can go back .
I been told that yes. Thing is I have a brand new complete center section with 3:71 gears and a Detroit soft locker for 28 splines thT was in the 9 inch in my 68 mustang.my wife wants me to put the old motor in the mustang and take out all the hipo stuff and put the original stuff back in it so she can drive it. So that’s all going into the 51. No sense wasting all the cash it cost to buy complete unit when I had the rear and trans and stroker motor all set up for street and strip. I’ll swap them out. The 51 is only a couple hundred pounds heavier then the mustang. So I’ll have my car and she’ll have hers.
Hey just wanted to say thanks for bringing up the bronco rear. That’s what I am planning to go with. When you mentioned the 3 inch tubes on those, is it something I need to mess around with? Or just get the right spring perches?
3" Tubes are just fine as they are you just need to change up the lower plate to allow for the new size U-Bolts. I still use the stock narrow spring pads being all the new replacement ones I've found are for wider springs than stock 50 springs. You'll just need to trim them to fit the 3" axle tube correctly. Not much to it really. The Wizzard
Easy to tell an 8" from a 9" The bottom bolts on the 8" will let you use a socket on them. Only way to get the 2 bottom bolts off a 9" is an end wrench. SPark
Thanks! Looked everything up last night, housing from bronco is 150, the axle kit(both axles, brackets bearings) 265, and 3rd member gasket 5 bucks. Shipping is 75. Saved about 400 bucks doing it with the bronco rear and my buddy will drill out the new bolt pattern for me. All that’s left for the rear end will be brakes and a sway bar and everything is brand new in the back. Then move on to the front end.
When it comes to rear brakes watch what you buy. There are of course the known small bearing and large one. Yours should be the Large. Then there are 3 or 4 different bolt patterns for the backing plates. Next is the off set of backing plate at the bearing hole. Then the big deciding deal is how far your axle flange sticks out past the housing end. There you only have 2 different options. I think. In other words measure very carefully before spending your $$$$. What you need isn't hard to find, you just need to be sure what your getting will work. The Wizzard
The bronco 9 inch housing is a small bearing, though I saw somewhere that the later 1st gen ones might have large, so I’m going to ask. While poking around I saw they have a disc brake set up but it uses gm caliper and pads. I believe shoebox central sells the same type for the front as well. I figured with some poking around I might be able to find something close. Then figure out the wheels and tires. Not sure yet how much wider I can go then stock wheels. I’d like to keep the 15s. Plus I got some nice hubcaps I was planning to run. I’ll have to look back and see what you said you were running . I do remember you had 14s . Were they 57 t bird hubcaps? Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Good memory, close enough. 14" wheels and they were just so I could run these Hubcaps. They are actually Chrysler caps. 15's would have been a smarter choice being I had to build wheels to take the Hubcaps and clear my Disc brakes. May sound silly but the Color, Upholstery, Grill and Hubcaps were decided on before I even had the project to build. Kind of Ass Backwards engineering. Maybe that was because I already had the Grill and Caps. I also have the 55 Pontiac side trim for it but got in a hurry building and didn't drill holes before it had upholstery in it. The Wizzard
The Pontiac trim the one that comes down from top of door and back right? I was thinking of looking into those but haven’t decided yet Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
BTW - back to the picture of your dropped steering tie rod - that was the common way to put a Chev in 49-53 Fords in the day - used one in my 53 Ford. I think it was ordered from Honest Charley - yours looks a little crude - probably home made. Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
Yes, the previous owner made it. It was supposed to be temporary until he could get one of the dropped ones. He just wanted something to be able to move the car around in garage until he could get it. Of course 50 years went by before the car actually moved out of the garage into the trailer to bring it to my house.. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
So for small update.. ordered the 9 inch rear, axles and kit, gasket,and the bolt kit for center section.. slowly gathering all the pieces for suspension. Going to take a long weekend this spring and go nuts. Still need brakes, front and back, front shocks, sway bars, the front steering upgrade kit, wiring kit and tires and wheels.. then it’ on to motor and trans and upholstery. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I like the way you make the list of 10 different things to do and buy sound like small potatoes and just nothing to it. That's a good outlook to have. The Wizzard
Well normally I’d be fretting about it all, but I sat down and figured it out. Usually once a month I am on call at work, and usually end up with over 40 I’ve overtime. So each check like that I take half the OT and set it aside for car. I try to get what I can for 6-700 that was give me little extra space if I need. Before it used to be try to put it aside and something would come up. Now I make my list and when that check hits I know what I need to order and send it out that day. Keeps me motivated and stock piles the parts I am gonna need. I figured start at back , make my way forward and up. The only deviation I have done was I bought buckets seats because I had none and got a good deal on them. But gave my wife a more complete idea, and we k ow how important it is to make them happy!
always good motivation to get some new boxes of parts in - I have always wondered why if I order the parts that by the next morning they are not already installed by car parts Leprechauns - have left out milk, beer even money - no luck - oh well why miss out on all the fun of doing it yourself
I have a beautiful business coupe platform if you want to ditch the back seat to make it a business mans coupe
If you're looking for an idea for a center console, there is a 53 Merc on a custom car site called RK Motors out of Charlotte, NC. They're pretty famous for high end cars. The Merc uses a BBC finned aluminum oil pan upside down for a console. The idea is pretty unique and would look very nice in your coupe if there is room between the seats.
That’s pretty neat looking. Thanks for the heads up! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I've been drooling over this car for a long time. If it were a 54 I might have considered making an offer. I'm not interested and a fathead and kingpins, etc. Been there, done that. The bucket seat find is something that is long gone in my neck of the woods. Cherish those. I bought a set of 64's for a Country Squire build, I didn't even get them in the car and was in to them over $1K.
I know how that goes.. I used to have a 54 mercury Monterey hardtop project. Ended up selling it to my boss and before he could d anything with it he passed away.. i could get it pretty cheap, but ive enough with the coupe and my other projects..
Just got a delivery from The UPS gal, got some rear stopping power from Quick Performance Inc... now to get order the front disk conversion from Shoebox Central.. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The Jalopy Journal
