Hot Rods Help me ID this rear axle - update trying to clean rusty axles without sandblasting

OK, I'm pretty sure it's a Ford rear axle and a 8"

I remember buying this from a friend a long time ago when he was working on a Model A sedan for a customer, the Model A was sitting on coil springs and it had ladder bars but beyond that I'm clueless. HRP

 

that's an 8 inch

 

Looks like the tag is missing,it could of let you know the ring n pin count. But now if you'd like to know,you'll need to pull the pig an count them,as the axles are not in it. I replaced my 49 Olds rear in my 28A with one of those. The ford 8 has been good,only draw back is it's high @ 3.0,great for MPG but not as good at sh#t an get, as the 4.11 that 49 Olds was.

 

Yeah Dana, I'm thinking it's a early Mustang/Maverick rear but not 100% sure and your right the tag is missing. I got the axle minus the backing plates.

I plan on posting it in the classifieds and don't want to mislead anyone. HRP

 

Measure the width flange to flange and somebody can give you a close guess as to what it came from, that is unless it's been narrowed, then it's just a guess....

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that all 8" Ford rears were identical; i.e., the same width and take the same axles.

 

Looks like a 66/67 Fairlane........and the good kind of 8"..........a little stronger web I believe.....

 

Pop the axle shafts in, and get an overall measurement, or measure all the stuff, and add it up.

People will want to know.

 

No, not all the same......several widths depending on application. Also axle tube diameter variations. Built in both 5 lug and 4 lug. Brake diameter and shoe widths vary. However, the differential carrier (the pumpkin or drop out) fits all housings.

Ray

 

With all the webbing on the case it's a late 60's or later 3rd member while the housing it self looks to be a little earlier maybe mid 60's,they were never in coil spring rear cars so all that is custom.In a light car it should be plenty strong,they were all 28 spline and small bearing but so were the majority of the late 60's and earlier 9".

 

That one does have the re-enforced webbing carrier which is the more desirable. After you open it up just divide the ring gear tooth count by the pinion tooth count to calculate the ratio. Cool that it already has the 4-bar brackets on it as well. Great for a daily light weight car being much lighter than a 9". Everything is readily available for them with a good range of ring & pinion ratios. That chart that Mike Miller put up will give you a good indication of where it originated.
My good but short memory is telling me it is a '67 housing, going by the unused oil filler depression stamping but I could be wrong.

 

2 x dimples and a fill plug in the rear of housing could indicate a 65-66 Mustang, housing isn't tapered (Stepped down) at end either like some cars. Could be a Granada housing?


Double ribbed, 67+ casting is stronger than early single rib cases


9" (L) -v- 8"(R)

 

Is there a way to know which of these are 8" and which are 9"?

 

hi
if you need backing plates ,i have 2 i took off my 8in,thats in my T

 

I can't vouch for this list...

https://www.randysworldwide.com/differential-identification/ford-8/

 

Lack of a filler hole in case does indicate 67 and later housing, the filler hole was moved to the chunk. That's something you have to watch for when buying and or switching chunks between different housings, it's possible to put together a unit with two fillers by using a later chunk in a early housing, and one without a filler by using a early chunk in a late housing.

As far as I know, tapered or necked down axle tubes were only used on 4 and 6 cylinder rears, all 4 lug axles. The chunks are the same and are all 28 spline, but the axle bearings are smaller OD and won't fit a 5 lug V8 housing nor will 5 lug V8 bearings fit a 4 lug housing. Before the boneyards dried up, a quick and easy pick was a Mustang II or V6 Pinto 8" chunk, most were 3.55 ratio and many were equipped with a TracLoc. I have one but it's an open diff and not a TracLoc.

 

There is no indication of the axle tubes being narrowed. HRP

 

Another rear axle under the bench ?
what else you got hiding in there ?

 

The 9" was in front of the work bench, the 8" was something that got stuck under there in the floor,out of sight and out of mind just after I built the garage in 2004.

All my jack stands were in front of it, this is were I was going to stash the 9" but I think smarter people than me convinced me it's time to sell it also.

Every thing was fine until I decided to clean up and reorganize, now I am questioning why I have keep so my things I really don't use or need. HRP

 

Flange to flange width will allow you to pinpoint the donor. It most likely won't be bought for the original application anyhow since the spring pads have been cut off. A buyer will only want to know the specs of what is there.
Hook a tape measure on a flange.

 

With the knowledge it was removed from a Model A and the builder had used coil springs was a normal of installing the rear axle back in the 60's & 70's I figure it will find it's way back under another Model A. HRP

 

heres a link to axle identifaction

http://www.fordification.com/tech/rearends_ford04.htm

 

Unfortunately the axle is devoid of a identification tag. HRP

 

If you put the axles is you not only can get the overall width, you can also count the turns, and figure out the ratio.

With those two numbers, I'd bet it sells in a jiffy.

 

I will give that a try. HRP

 

if the longer half shaft is 29 3/4'' flange to spline end
its from a 71 72 73 maverick
74 75 76 same length, bigger drum register
total 56 .5
if 3/8 longer than 29 3/4 - to equal 57 1/4 total, its mustang
those drums are for 10 by 1 3/4'' shoes
so you need Bendix back plates with the number
319480/1
you need the shoe separator bars with the little h plates and the springs
also the park brake arms

 

Think I was wrong - the 66/67 Fairlane 390 axle I got with some other stuff has the double web but so do the two Maverick rear ends I picked up today - I thought t hey made a single web 8" ?

 

On 8 inch rear,a socket can be used on ALL nuts; on 9 in,the BOTTOM two(2) nuts are removed using open end/boxend wrench. Socket WON’T fit on bottom 2 nuts on 9 in.

 

65-66 v-8 Mustangs and Falcons had 5 lug and the housings were 2-3/4" and necked down at the ends. 63-65 Fairlane housings were the same width as the Mustang, but the tubes were 2-3/4" straight. Hi-Pro Fairlane housings were 9" with 3" housings, necked down to 2-3/4", from the u-bolts out.