Im wanting to run wide 5s on my car and would rather not use adapters. Does anyone know if the wide five hubs would fit 37-48 ford spindles and if there is an axle i can run in my ford 9" to make them work for the rear?
Spindles are basically the same from '37-48 (round back vs. square back and all that, but the spindle "pins" are the same) and '37-'39 (at least) used wide 5s. Some trucks used the wide 5s beyond 1940. '39 hydraulic hubs/drums will fit up just fine on '37-'48 spindles. Tim D.
Any idea where the best place to find some would be? Havent been having much luck finding them which is the reason i decided to post. Thanks for the help.
Hit the junkyards and the HAMB classifieds? That's where I got mine......and then removed a set from the '42 pickup I bought to install discs - go figure. Tim D.
36-39 had wide 5's but I believe the hub offset is different on the 36's. Some later 3/4 and "Tonners" had wide fives as well, as Tim mentioned 36 only wide five with mechanical brakes (rods) and small backing plate attachment. 37-38 wide five with machanical brakes (cable) and round back spindle(fits square). 39 only wide five with hydraulic brakes round back spindle(fits square).
'39 hydraulics use the same drums as the '37-'38 mechanical brakes. '36 front hubs are unique and won't work with the later brakes, but you can use the '37-'39 front hubs/drums and '36-'39 rear drums/hubs in place of the '40-'48 hubs/drums.
There are both one-piece hub and drum assemblies out there, as well as two-piece hub with removable drum units out there. The two piece ones can have other drums, such as Buick finned, adapted to them. Unless you want to build a full-float 9" assembly, tracking down old race stuff, you are stuck running an adapter in the rear.
Thanks for all the help! I was talking to a machining buddy of mine and were talking about making it a floater and we can find a way to machine a rear hub to fit.
The snouts to turn the 9" into a floater are readily available from most race suppliers, as are disc brake hubs. If you are dollar down, you can cut a set off of a 3/4 to 1 ton truck axle. Drum brake hubs from old race cars show up on eBay from time to time. I am currently looking for a set too. There is a single up there now.
the problem with the rear is, the drum (which is also the hub) locates on a taper with a keyway, and is supprted by a bearing in the hub which runs on the outside of the axle tube. totally backwards to how a modern axle works. the money in building the axles and tubes to suit this would be pretty large, just get adapters for the rear, the other problem is finding wide five drums that arent worn past the wear limit..they aint reproducing them. Its an easy thing for the front end..for the rear I wouldnt even bother. adapters are the way to go in back.
Be very careful when buying wide five hub/drum assemblies. Most of the drums are worn out. 12.060 is the maximum safe inside diameter. When shopping take a 12" steel ruler with you. The one from a combination square is ideal. You will be able to slide the ruler into the drum. If you can move it 1/16 of an inch (.0625) the drums are at or over the limit. Don't buy from a seller who says they have plenty of meat left. Or says they came off a running car. If they can not tell you what the drums measure then pass.
Adapter for the rear to any bolt pattern is simple. For my dirt stocker, 1957, I made them from steel plate, cut out with OA torch and drilled the holes on a drill press. If I had been working in a machine shop instead of a welding shop I could have done a cleaner job of it.
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