What are these housing ends? They aren't a small Ford. Sent from my STV100-3 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Should I cut them off and weld new ones on? I am looking to do a 5 lug conversion, but I will be going back to drums. It is going under my T. Sent from my STV100-3 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I cannot rightly remember what the diameter of the inside of the bearing on these is. I will try to look it up. If you still have the shafts that you pulled out, put a set of measuring calipers on the machined portion of the shaft, right next to the bearing. Yukon Axle and Gear, Currie, and Speedway all make cut-to-fit (cutoff wheel, on an angle grinder) axles, in 28 and 31 spline, with the 5-on-4-1/2" pattern. Those might save you some effort.
If you can use those axles and redrill the flanges and drums provided there is enough meat there provided the studs are not too close to the edge of the axle flange I'd save myself all the work and retain them if at all possible. It's a different story if you are using other axles with different diameter wheel bearings and retainers. I wasn't aware that early 8" Mavericks were only 4 stud axles. If the bearings are the same and it really bothers you, could the housing ends be trimmed to match a gasket? I was of the view that 8" and 9" axles were both 28 spline and could be swapped, provided they were the correct length.
I will have to double check these are the correct ones, but they appear to be the same OD as small Ford, just with a different retainer, and backing plate pattern.
There is a great big hole in the flange that disallows re-drilling. 1971-1972 Maverick 6-cylinders were 4-lug. V8's had 5.
It indeed does appear that you can use same length 8"/9" 28-spline already 5-lug shafts in these, with your existing bearing retainers and backing plates. The drums would be a separate issue. 9" Ranger drums might work, with minor backing plate or drum trimming. They are designed for shoes that are 1/4" wider. Already 5-lug, and with the common sized center hole of 2.54". You can always weld up the retaining bolt holes in donor backing plates, and re-drill those, too. The backing plate is centered on the bearing. That makes lining them up easy. Drill a hole, and put a bolt in, repeat until you have all four.
Thanks everyone! I searched and couldn't find anything on these ends! At least now I have a path forward. Sent from my STV100-3 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
check with some axle companies. All you need is the correct axles. Back when I was doing a whole lot of narrowed 9 inchers I used to send boxes of axles to Moser for resplining/redrilling. I'll bet they probably still do that. why be ordinary?
I've seen many Ford axles where they the weld a plug in the big hole before re-drilling the new pattern.
If that is indeed a Maverick 4 lug rear, you can't convert it to 5 lug without changing the axle tubes. The tubes neck down to a smaller diameter at the ends. 5 lug axles won't fit through the necked down section, or maybe it's the 5 lug bearings won't fit the 4 lug ends, can't remember which right now. Maverick used the 4 lug axle until 1974 on all sixes except the 250 which had the same 5 lug as the V8, after 74 all were 5 lug. Pretty much the same axle as early Mustang sixes. Chunks were the same regardless of number of lugs and will interchange.
I don't remember which axle company it was - Moser, Strange, or the other ,, magnum? or something.... When I asked for axle redrilling, I sometimes got back my axles with a hole welded. not a big deal. The price was always reasonable, and less that I worried about. CALL. Moser first, I recommend. why be ordinary?
The axle shafts have the same diameter and spline as every other 8" rear end (and 9" for that matter). Even if the tubes neck down, there is no way that it could be so much, and still take 28-spline axles.
Gimpys correct, even the 9'' housing used in the '65-'66 Mustang had very small necks near the housing ends.
It's the bearings then that won't allow you to use 5 lug axles in a 4 lug housing. Been a while since I filled with them.
The axle tubes on this rear don't neck down that is why I got this one. I know a person cant switch the 5 lug axles in the tapered version of an 8". This one just threw me for a loop because I thought all of the 8" with the non-tapered tubes used the ford small bearing ends.
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