I have acquired a 9" Ford rear-end, but it doesn't have the tags that clearly ID what I have. Information from web sites “Ford Rear Axle Identifications” have not helped. The Tag that is shows how to look up this information does not contain what may be typical. All the information on the tag on this rear-end I have is stamped “2.91” /><O></O> The case housing has the following info;<O></O> 9, 75V, Dif F<O</O On the inside of the cluster, it has;<O></O> WAB<O></O> 4025 B<O></O> <O> </O> Any ides? It is also has a 5x5 bold pattern. <O></O>
You can narrow your choice by measuring the width and the size of the axle bearings. Being 5X5 it is either pick up or early Bronco. Again, check the width against the chart.
2.91 gear ratio, the 5x5 bolt pattern is 1970's big Ford, and Lincoln/Mercury cars (trucks, and bronco's are 5x5.5 bolt pattern).
Big Ford/Lincoln/Mercury were 5x5 from '73 until the demise of the fat overbumpered whales in '78. Those were all three-link coil-spring rear suspensions so it should be pretty obvious looking at all the bracketry cruft on the housing.
Thanks for the input, I will need to measure the width again, memory says it was 61" outside to outside (but will need to check again). One thing for sure, it had leaf springs, not coils.
Ford cars with 5x5 bolt pattern. FORD FULL SIZE (CUSTOM, GALAXIE, T-BIRD) 73-78 FORD Custom 73-78 FORD Galaxie 73-78 FORD LTD 73-78 FORD Thunderbird 72-76 Lincoln/Mercury with 5x5 bolt pattern. LINCOLN CONTINENTAL, MARK III 73-79 LINCOLN Versailles 73-77 MERCURY COUGAR 73-78 MERCURY Grand Marquis 73-78 MERCURY Marauder 73-78 MERCURY Meteor 73-78 MERCURY Montclair 73-78 MERCURY Park Lane 73-78 Some of the early 70's cars had leaf springs.
The Versailles (which didn't enter production until '77 anyway) and '73 Cougar (last year on the Mustang platform) were leaf spring, but neither the Versailles nor the Cougar were ever 5x5. All the rest were 3-link coil spring, the big Fords had been coil spring rear suspensions since 1965. The Thunderbird was not a 'Full size' after 1976, in '77 it shrank to a Torino platform and was 5x4.5. Was there even a Mercury product called a Meteor in the '70s? Maybe Canadian? The Lincoln Mark III ended production in '70 IIRC, the Mark IV took over in '71. I'm not sure about this, but given that the Mark and Thunderbird shared all their front suspension and brake pieces in the early '70s I'd be surprised if they didn't go to 5x5 at the same time.
Last full-size leaf spring Ford of any flavor was 1964 that includes wagons. Fairlane/Torino were leaf until 1972, coil after, but they were all 5x4.5.
The Mark and Thunderbird for '72-'79 used a long wheelbase midsize(Torino) chassis. The 5x5 started in '73. They used a triangulated 4 link rear suspension. The fullsize chassis used a parallel 3 link with panhard.
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