Guys, Which is the big difference between a close and a wide ratio toploader ? Mine is a wide ratio. I'll be kooking it to my 368 Lincoln. I will also be running a 9" Ford from a 59' Ford courier (dont know what ratio this diff has) What should I expect from this combo ? Thanks Diego
It will all depend on how much weight your rod has, how much torque your engine has and how high the gear is in the rear axle. I personally like the wide ratios VERY much. They let you wind out the gears a touch longer and allow you to have a higher rear axle (like a 3:25) so it can have a little pep AND actually hit the highway.
Thanks James, About my rod: Its a Ford Tudor 34', fenderless, hoodless, 34 frame. Engine will have little more than 300HP, not that much. I want it to be very streetable. What ratio is the rear axle from a 59' courier supposed to be ? D.
Rearend ratio depends mostly on what transmission it had originally. Probably 3.56 or 3.70, could be 3.10.
300HP is never going to need a 9". In other words, why have the extra weight if you don't need it? A nice 8" traction loc would be the trick. Also, those late 50's rear ends usually have pretty tall gears like 2:75's and are hardly ever traction loc (posi).
The 368 lincoln motor was more powerfull than any engine Ford had when they first started using the 9" rear in the late 50s. The car sounds like it would be just right for an early 9" rear. An 8" would look too modern and out of place. Also the rear should have a tag with the ratio stamped on it, under one of the nuts holding the third member to the housing. Unless it was worked on and someone lost the tag.
An 8" would look too modern, but a 9" wouldn't? Is that why so many people can't tell the difference between the two?
Externally they are almost identical. The only way to tell for sure is if you can get a socket on the bottom 2 nuts holding the pumpkin into the housing. On a 9", you cant and have to remove them with a wrench..... Or is it the 8 inch that needs a wrench???? Damn my bad memory Point being, your statement about the 8 inch "looking too modern" is not exactly true.
No, thats not my problem. You can find pretty much anything you want. But.., this are the things "I" have and wonder how they would work together.
The wide ratio is a better choice for most street driven rods. With a close ratio you have to run a pretty low rear end gear to keep from having to slip the clutch a bunch to get going. I have a close ratio in the 32 and when it had a 3.0 rear gear it was a slug off the line. With the 4.11 it's great out of the hole, but revs a ton on the highway.
Do you think I'll be doing ok with that 9" axle ? I really want it to be very streetable, still being able to burn some rubber form time to time
The 9" will be fine. There are plenty of cheap gear sets out there as well. If you want to run a tracloc you are better off with the 9" as well. Finding Traclocs for a 8" is a bitch and costly.
Thanks PH. Any chance the old 59' 9" axle is already tracloc? Also, I read earlier 9 inches were weaker..., what should I expect ?
Does the Ford 4-speed toploader bolt right up to the cast iron 368 Lincoln bellhousing? Or are you needing to use some kind of adapter?
When people talk about some of the early 9" being weaker it mainly has to do with the housings. Don't worry about it for your application.
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