T Coupe rear axle width

I am wondering what width rear end those of you that have built T coupes have used? I found a guy selling an 8 inch out of a 68 Fairlane. The plus is it's a smoking deal and the fact that it is from a 390 car so it should hold up to a small block no problem. The bad is that it is 55 inches from backing plate to backing plate and 61 inches over all. When I lay out a tape measure under the rear the 61 sticks out pretty far. I am still uncertain what wheel/tire combo I am gonna run on the rear and I know that it will effect the look of the rear. What have you guys used?

 

the rear end on my T coupe is like 55 inches backing plate to backing plate out of a 55 Chevy. with 4 inches of back spacing on the wheels

 

Nice. It doesn't look too wide.

 

I picked up a Ford 9" that's 58 1/2" long, drum to drum. I was told that it was out of a stepside pick-up truck.

 

That's what I'm thinking. Stick with the 9". I don't know too much about the 8's. I was told the 9's are a better axle.

 

46 ford coupe banjo in mine.

 

A ford 9" out of a stepside vs. shortwide/longwide would be the same width.

 

For SBC, 8 is great; 9 is fine. If you're thinking about wheels, (OEM lug patterns and hub caps) the truck 9" has a 5.5" pattern, same as early Ford passenger, '28-'48, Merc '39-'50.
The 9" in passenger cars (and the 8") have 4.5" pattern, but Wheel Vintiques makes a custom steel wheel with whatever backspacing you want, and it'll take the caps you specify.
The 9" is a big strong unit, and I use them...but I also like the 8", it's strong and weighs a lot less...just not as many choices for lower gear ratios (you probably want around a 3.0 anyway, with a lightweight T and a 1:1 high gear ratio in the transmission)
If you use an overdrive trans, you would use a lower gear ratio, lively in town and easy on the mileage on the freeway.
Good things to consider...

 

Mercury had 5x5 bolt pattern also.

 

Yes, Chad, was it '55-'68? I used '56 Merc running gear in a '54 Ford Coupe in the '60s.
Big brakes and I was able to bolt Buick wheels on it, (deep looking, with Buick Poverty caps...Everybody asked, "How'd ya do that?" Buick wheels were the cat's ass then...)

 

I know 58 did... as I pulled a 58 merc rearend for my 59 olds for a swap... both have 5x5 bolt pattern!!

 

One of my buddies has the stock rear end out of his 49 Merc project just laying around. I looked it up and it says they are 61 inches over all width. I think this might be the one I try to pick up. Any idea of the ratio?

 

Depending on how your building the car (fendered? fenderless?) I think your going to find a 61" rear end to be abit wide on a "T", especially if it has fenders. On a fendered car if you want to run most mag type wheels with a 3 1/2" backspace, we always shot for about 55"-57". if your running an early Ford wheel with it's heavier backspace, you can get away with more like 59". Of course with a fenderless car you can make it as wide as you want, but they start to look a bit goofy with the tires way far away from the body.

 

I got a 56 chevy under mine. look for a S10 they're real narrow & readily available

 

It's gonna be fenderless. 61 inches does seem kind of wide. I'm definitely gonna investigate it a little further though.

 

If its an 8" it wasnt originally out of a 390 car, no way no how.