hey I was told today if i found out what rear-end i needed for my ford 23 t bucket im building before early next week i could get my rear-end for free. i am looking for a narrow rear-end with perferably a 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern. any advise is welcome. thanks mikey
if you really want to step-up. use a 65-72 type ford f-100 dana 60. most were 3.54 posi rears. cheap and common.
You missed the point 'rear end' ..........tail........wiff.........poon tang.....all old terms...........ask your Dad..... BTW the Ford step side rear axle is the same as the styleside...the bed is different, not the axle. How narrow does it need to be? 5 on 5 1/2 is not all that common outside of Fords, except for some Jeeps and IH Scouts, and they may be too narrow. Have you determined yet what wheels and tires you are going to use on the rear? If so, then set them up next to the body with the spacing or clearance you want between the tire and body and measure from the inside mounting surface of one wheel to the other and that is the width rear axle you need. You may find it is very close to a stock dimension axle, but in any case it will be useful indormation. It is also possible to have axle shafts redrilled for the bolt pattern of choice, although going bigger to 5 on 5 1/2 may pose a problem. Thinking outside the box, here, but Toyota and Nissan 4x4 pickups, and some other Japanese SUVs used 6 on 5 1/2 and they would have large enough axle flanges to redrill to 5 x 5 1/2. There is also the possibility of having axle shafts made in whatever width and/or bolt pattern you need if you can't find a stock set up that works.
The early ford bronco up to 76 is what you're looking for, right width and bolt pattern. The 6 cyl. will have a 4.11 gear and the V-8 will be a 3.50 ratio. That's what I'm running but not that easy to find.
How 'narrow' does the rearend need to be? If you need one *substantially* narrower than either the standard Ford pick-up or Bronco rears (both good choices by the way) that others have mentioned, you can build a really narrow rearend for cheap, by using a 9 inch rear from a 1970's-era Ford Econoline Van. These had an offset center section and by shortening the one long-side axle tube to center the center section and using two stock short side axles, you can end up with rearend with a width of about 46.5 -47 inches wide. Mart3406 ================================
6cyl / 4.11 is the way to go... strong and common... good luck with your build... hope your dad can score you a decent rear end! - no pun intended...
Yep, early small broncos are the best fit. That is what I'd look for if I were you. Post pics of the build as you go.
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