Hot Rods Quick Change, Quickchange

Jack Pine,
The 3/4 ton that Cherrycamaro has resembles the one you have. But yours is quite a bit larger in diameter, so the bells will not interchange. The 3/4 ton bells are just over 12" in diameter. The quick changes were based on '38 - '52 Ford 3/4 ton parts.

Cherrycamaro,
Any differential for Winters, Frankland, Lynn, Jones, Coleman will fit in your Quickchange. There are lockers, trutracs, Torsens, etc. I think I have 6 different style limited slip differentials that will fit. If you want to retain your old stuff, 12 spline axles are still available so you can narrow to your desired width.
Do It!

 

Both will work. The Ford is the easiest to locate.

 

Stude, also made by Timken. I have no idea who made the international rear, so I cant say there
You'll need to make a spacer, something I still need to do with mine that I wrote the article about

 

Go with what you can find. I guess the Ford.

Ago

 

Here are some Kiwi quickchange pictures, We produce the V8 version Plus the Model A one .Been doing them for 16 years & was about to stop due to my interest in Bonneville ,plus age , I have not visted this site for years but received a note that there was interest so took the time to come look. , Hope these pics are of interest & i can be contacted , [email protected] ,Think im allowed to put that here , if not apoligise, Regards Derek

 

Derek, that is a good looking unit and I'm sure the demand is still there in the US but Winters has captured the market with mass merchandising by companies such as Speedway Motors and offer the complete package for under $3K which is a deal for a QC. Perhaps this site can increase interest in your nice QC. Good Luck!

 

Nice rear shot and a great stance on that coupe. Got some front shots? What are the front tires?

 

Thanks GearheadsQCE. Aren't the trutracs, Torsens , etc on the pricy side? If I decide to do this, it will have to be on the low budget side since I still have a long ways to go on this project. Is it difficult in finding a stock limited slip carrier that fits? As far as any machining, I have access to a cnc milling center and cnc lathe, so any maching would be free!! Can I cut the rivets on the bells and remove the tubes put tubes with the ford bearings and remove the full floating set up? Sorry for all the ignorance about these QC's but I'm getting really interested in trying to use this diff. I just want a cruiser with the option of swapping some gears for those FUN nights!!

 

Also know someone with this old ford diff. Is this anything worth latching up? Is this carrier too small?

 

That is a 33/4 rear axle and is used by some to replace the 32 due to the change in the R&P setup and other changes. Most folks go with the 37/40 due to the availability of 3:54 gears. What's it worth depend on your needs. I sold one for $250 last year at the LARS.

 

The first thing you need to decide is if you need a limited slip differential or not. Let's assume you do.
If price is your priority then you want an original Ford carrier with a locker conversion, 12 spline. Most guys feel they need to use 31 spline axles because that is used in newer rear ends. (Ford 9") I'm sure that there are advantages to the 31 spline, but if you look at the 12 spline you can see that it is plenty beefy. It is 1 3/8" dia. while the 31 measures 1.330".



If I were you, I would pull one axle out and see what the inner spline count is. Then, depending on the final width desired, I would shorten one or both tubes. Use the brake and hub setup that you have. Probably wide 5, or 5 on 5". add a locker and go.



We could get into a very in depth discussion about the various differentials here, but with cost being the big consideration, this is the least expensive way to go.

 

That's what I thought, the ford carrier would be the least expensive if I'm able to find one. As far as the tubes, could I just cut the ends off to eliminate the large hubs and wide five and weld on the ford bearing end so I could run newer type of wheels or buy 2 tubes with ends on and press and bolt into end bells?

 

Yes, the Ford open differential carrier should be the least expensive IF you can find one. That is a BIG 'IF'.
The pictures in my last post are that Ford carrier with the No Spin Locker installed. This is the next least expensive unit. The piece in my hand is the locker.
Yes, you can either cut the tubes or put tubes with bearing cups in your side bells. The reason I suggested keeping your brakes is that you will have more money tied up in the conversion.
How wide is that rear now? WMS-WMS (wheel mounting surface) Is the center section centered between the wheels?
How wide does it need to be when done? Did you pull an axle yet?

 

Sorry, hit the post key before I was done. I can help you with a differential, no open units though.
I might be interested in those wide 5 hubs if those are aluminum drums. PM me if you like.

 

'

It looks like a mismatch on there to me, one side looks like a frankland, and on the otherside looks like a recut buick, but it could be an offbrand. Anyway it never hurts to have more since i ended up recutting some buicks myself because i couldnt find a good pair

 

Well, this Is what I got myself into.

It is an old dirt track unit I bought and realized I bought some seriously used up parts. I think it was actually a pile of parts someone hung together enough to call it a rear end.

It has flanged 12 spline axles, a welded Ford differential, one stock looking Ford bell and tube and one tube with the end that bolts on. The case has a repair that is cracked, you can see the rust below the tube from the hub bearing one one of the axles. The other hub did not have bearings. The backing plates are bent and one drum has a chunk missing from it and the other has been ripped off at one point.

I could go on but figure you would get board reading that much.

I have rounded up some parts for it, I bought some great original Frankland wide five brake drums and managed to pick up another set of the Buick style already cut for the wide five hubs. I bought some aluminum bells and a new yoke from a guy in NJ so I can get some replacement tubes. The tubes I have have had so many things welded to them I just can't imagine them being straight.

I want to stick with the drum brakes, they just look so damn cool. I got my hands on an original set of skeleton backing plates I am going to use and just got my new set of 1959 Buick shoes and wheel cylinders. I still need all of the springs and adjusters if someone knows a good place to get them.

I want to put a more modern locking or limited slip differential in it but I have a question about the axles.

This unit had the Ford flanged axles, can I buy a set of 8 hole splined drive hubs and use those on my early wide five hubs? I figure that was the evolution of these but like many out there I have never touched one until I bought one.

Actually having one to tear apart and learn as much as I have is the only way I can justify what I paid for this unit. Not to mention driving a seven hour round trip to get it. They are not easy to find here in the Pacific NW, well for me anyways.

For those of us not raised around the track and too young to have lived through the "traditional" years it can be a long learning process. These informative threads are priceless, I hope that somehow pass on a tidbit myself.

I still have a differential, bearings, seals, hub nuts, quick change gears and tubes to buy so I am a ways out from putting this together. This thing is bleeding my hot rod fund out at a rapid rate. I actually think the only parts I will end using is the center section, rear cover and hubs.

 

The only reason i know anything was reverse engineering and rumor, I'm probably younger than you!! My friend who was a dirt track racer in the day told me when he was asked about clearances in v-8 quickchanged "shims? tolerances? we just put things togather and ran them"

 

I've bought a pig in a poke a time or two myself. Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on it, though.
To answer your questions:
There were 12 spline lockers made for this rear end. They came in two varieties, one was a unit that would drop into the carrier you have and the other was an iron carrier with the locker unit. The self contained one is a newer style but both will work fine. There is no reason to change to double splined axles unless you need to change the overall width of the rear end. This will save you money. The splined drive plates will bolt on your hubs.

You didn't say where the crack is, but I would guess it is in the pinion nose bearing support. These can be fixed, but unless it is done right, they will crack again. The trick isn't in the welding, but in re-machining the bearing bore. I have seen these run cracked for years. If you do it this way, use green Locktite to hold the bearing in place. BTW, a recommended upgrade is to replace the ball bearing with a roller.

I don't see a pinion in your picture, but look for pitting in the root of the gear teeth.


I have the pieces you need. Send me a private message and I'll help you.

 

Hey Shaggy,
I am amazed at how much information some people can retain and share. I often get into conversations I wish I could have recorded so I could got back and analyze it to capture the technical. I guess I am better at fab.

I picked up an old motors manual and it had torque specs for the Ford banjo I was putting together and it had no numbers, just things like "tighten bolts" and "significant drag".

GearhedQCE,
I appreciate your info, I spent a couple of hours last night going over a bunch of threads, thanks for your time. Your book will be huge.

My axles are part of my "pig" I bought, in fact I may name it that, ha. They are two different lengths and one has the first 1/2" of the splines stripped off. So I am thinking I may be at the cross road of making a choice to use the old 12 spline or update to a more modern diff with double splined axles.

The "pig" actually came with two center castings, I do not have to use the cracked one thankfully. I see Frankland Racing has rebuild kits with all of the bearings, I will look for the roller nose bearing.

I need to figure out lengths of things so I can look for some parts. I have those wide five hubs pictured and I need to figure out where they run on the tubes. I was hoping to figure out what length of axles to buy and see if I can find a pair close on eBay.

I thought I read that guys are running 56" from wheel mounting surfaces on 29's, that sounds narrow compared to my '35 front axle. I am stuffing this under a '29 Studebaker coupe with no fenders.

Thanks for your input.

 

If you measure your good axle, I will see if I have one to match it.

 

If you want ford axles, i can check too, i have 3 sets and i'm only using one pair out of them

 

I run 55" under my 32 Ford

 

Running Winters spool in my Frankland with Jones magnesium bells. -rick

 

Hey Rick,

Do you have pictures of your Jones bells? There were a couple of styles and I don't have pictures.

Thanx, Bruce

 

Running a Winters track in my heavy duty Frankland, 31 spline axles. 9" Ford ends, Buick finned brakes. Winters 8 rib bells. Old circle track deal.pulled the tubes and put new 3" tubes in. Helical change gears. 14,000 miles under 32 Ford.

 

With the stock axles does anyone know what width a person would end up with?

The reason I say that is it may be too wide for my needs.

 

There are two different length axles. Measure the ones you have and I can give you a WMS-WMS dimension.
This can vary a little based on brake drum thickness and type of differential. Some have space between the side gears in the carrier and some do not.

I think that most of the old timers used two left hand axles. Narrowing and modifying tubes was not done early on.

 

Winters Spool



Other shot of Coleman (still not certain) QC

 

That is definitely a Coleman Center Section. I bought one just after you originally asked for identification. Let us know how you like the spool on the street.

 

A spool on the street is not a good example of what a QC is capable of providing. A differential is the only way to go for a street driven vehicle. IMHO!