Will a '40 Ford banjo rear fit under the fenders of a 28/29 Ford pu? Probably convert to open drive for use with B&G 5sp OD trans. Did a search but no difinative answer. Thanks Jack 34pu
Yes. But... The '40 rear is a spring behind setup and the "A" is a spring over design. You either have to change the rear crossmember location or change the axle to a spring over design.
I believe that the v8 rear is wider....could be a problem with fenders. No need to lengthen the frame. Just cut off model a spring perches and weld them to the axle ends. Many of us here have done that. Super easy. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Thanks, Was considering an aftermarket frame with a 7 1/2" extension for spring behind. I see a lot of 9" Ford rears under Model A's but with a pu, you see the rear axle so I want the nostalgic look of a banjo. As for wheels, I was thinking of 35's or aftermarket where I could choose an offset to keep tires under fenders. I'm open to suggestions.
The only clearance issues that I know of are '46-'48 banjos under a full fendered "A", rears are about 1 1/2" wider than the earlier models, causing tire fitment issues and that can be fixed with a different offset rims and tires.
Right you are. When Vern Tardel and I built my roadster years ago we wanted to use a 50s convention -- mounting 6-1/2 inch wide 15-inch Buick hoops on Ford centers. Rather than fuss about trying to find the correct wheels so many years later, we opted to use new 7-inch wide hoops on Ford centers and play with backspace and offset. We increased the offset by 1 inch so they had the look of the Buick mod, and absorbed the rest of the increased hoop width in the backspace. Not only did they end up looking period correct, they ate up the increased width in the 40 rearend under the roadster. This combo will fit very nicely under the rear of any A body with fenders or without; a too-wide wheel treatment under a non-fendered car looks even worse than it does with one with fenders. Mike
So the pre 46 v8 banjo, is the correct width with fenders? Good to know. Always thought otherwise. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Wow! Mike Bishop, thanks for the response! A buddy of mine owns a shop and has worked on a customer's '29 roadster, fenderless, that has a '47 rear in it, man is there a lot of space between the rear tires and body, you could fit a football between the two!!
40 ford rear is exactly one inch wider than model a.not a big deal,tires fit under fenders no problem,46/48 is wider yet by 3 inch I think! Model a 55.5 ,40= 56.5,46/48=60" 7.50/16 fit like this on 5" rim,40 rear.
I'm running a 36 banjo, drive shaft, and torque tube. Model a spring hangers bolted on the top of the axle bells and then welded. Shortened and reworked 39 Ford radius rods. Its all pretty simple and looks factory once its together. It all fits very neatly under my roadster. Definitely consider using old Ford parts to build your old Ford. In my opinion the right combination of parts looks much better than a bunch of new or aftermarket parts.
I can't see there being a problem since I'm pretty sure the overall width of a '32 rear would be the same as a '40..JMHO
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