Technical Early Slingshot-How to short the rearend axle?

I was re-watching The Hot Rod Story by Alex Xydias the other night. They had smoke coming off the tires every launch, even when pulling the wheels.

 

right, that makes things a lot more forgiving on rear end and drivetrain parts so it was easier to get away with a weaker rearend. Now with the track even halfway prepped that slippage is gone and so is the cushion for that weaker rearend.

Your nutz, your call, but I'd go with something thats not gonna shorten my already short wedding tackle........

 

HI!

Love your answers! Speacilly :
"'Sides, when people are all doubled over looking that hard at what rear end you used under your car and have the nerve to complain, they are in a perfect posisition to administer a swift kick in the ass! "

I stick with the 9 inch now, I just bought one =)

Thanks!!!

 

And, in the fifty-seventh year the heirs and assigns of Henry created the nine inch differential. And, the multitude rejoiced and made joyful noises by spinning rubber on the road. Book of Ford, Chapters 1957-1980, Verses twenty-eight and thirty-one.

 

I went to a narrowed old ford banjo instead
Im building a nut cover and improve the axles

 

Banjo axles available for dragsters up into early '60's:

Stockers cut down, lots of attention to taper and hub accuracy and finish. I've got an article from Chassis Research on this. I was looking at an early '60's HRM last night, the Dean Lowe issue, and the dragsters in there were running banjos, some with light metal no-change and quickchange rears (which are likely weaker in the case than stock!).
The big guys were getting close to 180 in the quarter...one was running TWO 352 Chevies in tandem with single blower and clearly showed stock Ford axle ends.

Chassis research also supplied a complicated full floater conversion for dragsters with special axles and hubs.

Junkyard conversions...the two suggested donors for axles and ends were '49 type Merc and the stronger '49 type Lincoln. There's a how-to on this in an old Cr Craft, process is identical to current conversions using 9" Ford parts.

 

The missing element in this conversation is the shock at launch we now inflict on the axle assemblies. Today's slicks, tracks sprayed with VHT, launch controls, I wouldn't put an early Ford, Model A or V8 behind hot launching straight 6 let alone some of the fire breathers from back in the day. I'm sure with serious attention lavished upon it you could make one hold up to the tire-spinning racers of the day. Traction was a dream vs reality. The shock doesn't compare to the high gear load just before the stripe, which is much higher in a heavy car on sticky track. We've all seen enough film of fuel cars smokin em almost the full 1320.

Can you make it work? Shit, enough $$$$ thrown at anything can make it all work. Up to the early 60s guys got away with welded spider gears for a home-built spool. Not today, not even a thought. With the average spool costing $300 or less, the rest is just what we love...history.

 

You guys really got me going when I found this post. I spent the morning dragging this old dragster rear end out of the loft to post some pics.
Not the only way, but one way it was done back in the day...
Axle housings were cut, then slipped inside and jig welded, and as Bruce stated, " A lot of attention was spent on axle tapering."
This sling shot rear end doesn't have any drag race history, as it was built to be a back up. So no rear rail flanges were ever welded to the bells. Rear end width is
39 inches outside flange to outside flange, built in the late '50s.
Maybe someone can make these photo's larger for everyone.

Rich

 

Good on you man! I still think I would side with the other guys and go for the later axles and bearing ends though. Bruce mentioned '49 Merc, but I have seen F-1 and F-100 pickup stuff too '56 used as well. Pretty sure it's the same stuff.

See, now you don't have to worry about a not-so-well placed kick in the rear...

 

Got to love those jack stands you have there Nobey. The banjo is wild too.

 

Thanks 28hiboy, but I can't take credit for the jack stands.
Some of my Dads old stuff. Lotta young Hot Rodders back
in the day made these. They were strong and safe. Rich

 

I have a set myself! Had a junk set of bells, now I have some super strong stands.

 

Really cool!!!