Need rear end selection help for my Falcon

I am trying to build a low buck gasser style '60 Falcon. It still has the stock 4 lug rear end in it now. What are my choices for a replacement rear end? I have the resources to redrill the stocker to a 5 lug but is it strong enough? I thought maybe a S-10 rear or a newer 5 lug Mustang. Any others? I only plan on using about 400 horse small block. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Search the forum for falcon. Check out the Falcon's done right thread, and it's sister thread, Doing Falcon's right. They have all your answers.

 

A Ford 8" might do, a good 9" will. A newer Mustang is probably coil sprung, I'd stay with leaf springs. No, the stock 4-lug won't hold up.

 

Well I don't have the funds to narrow something so I want to find something close stock width. I am able to make or change any mounts or brackets.

 

I would thinkl that a 5 lug Ford 8" out of a mid '60's V8 Mustang would do the job nicely. Be sure not to get a 4 lug 6cyl. rear.

 

maverick 5 lug 8 inch rear is a bolt in for early falcons

you will vaporize the stock rear with 400 hp

 

Just do it right and put in a 9 inch in there.

 

8" Mustang/Falcon/Comet(early),Maverick/Comet(late), Grenada/Mercury equivalent, from a V8 car will be quite adequate.
AND easy to find, reasonable cost.

 

I agree with the others re a mid sixties 8" five lug from a V8 Falcon, Mustang or Comet. Easy to find, reasonably priced and good selection of gear ratios available. Plus it will bolt right it.

 

Many Mustang II's ('74-'78) also came through with 8" rears that are on the narrow side.

-Bigchief

 

What I used was a`69 Mustang 9" , it`s a direct bolt in . Didn`t have move or cut anything on the fit up. If you get a big block car 9" ,it should be 31 spline axles. Hope this helps. Gasserman

 

Tough question. The narrowest 8 inch rear ever made is the V8 63 falcon/comet. Even with it in a round body, putting anything wider than a 205 series tire is tough unless you have a deep dished steel wheel. Forget about Cragers, Troque Thrusters, or etc.

The next narrowest is the early maverick, which is about 1/2 inch wider than the 63 falcon V8.

A granada or early mustang is wider yet and finding wheels and tire combo is tough.

I put a custom Currie rear end in my birds. 1 inch narrower than the 63 V8 falcon rear. I can squeeze in a 5 spoke wheel and a 215 series tire.

Good Luck !

Doug

 

That works when you cut out the outer fenders. A 57-59 ford 9 inch is a drop in doing that. It looks like Dirttoo still has a stock body.

 

Thanks for the replys. I plan on cutting the wheelwells out when I am ready.

 

You might also use a 8.8 ranger rear end. They only came in the 4.0 trucks and all the mustang 8.8 gears and diffs fit, I think the explorer 8.8 is to wide, stay with the ranger

Brad

 

Check out '62-65 Fairlane V-8 8" rears. Also '62-'63 Merc Meteor.

 

I've got 235/60's on Galaxie steel wheels mounted to the Maverick axle in my Comet. I didn't even roll the lips of the wheelwells or grind off the bumpstops. I did have to clearance my $20 slapper traction bars because they started rubbing off the raised white letters. The key to success is the narrow wheels that pull in the sidewalls and they have the perfect backspacing for this application.

To my knowledge, the only factory 9" that is roughly the correct width came in 65-66 K-code Hipo mustangs. The cars got bigger in '67 and thus the track width is wider.

If you get a Maverick rear, know that the axle stub that locates the wheel, is larger than the stub on an axle that came from a car with drum front brakes. Ford did this because earlier steel wheels that were made for cars with 4-wheel drums, wouldn't clear the disc front brakes. If you want to run early wheels, because they have optimum backspacing, you will need to enlarge the hole about 1/8" all around.

Just the tricks

 

What he said, any maveric 8" if you can find a Grabber with a 9" even better, also 66 and older mustang. you are looking for 49" backing plate to backing plate.

 

With a 3 - 3.5" backspace wheel you can fit a halfway-decent wide tire in there. I've had Jeep wheels and tires on the rear of the Falcon and the tire's gotta be 8-10" wide.

 

also 4 lug, not the same 4 lug mind you, I have a 8" complete drum to drum, out of a 65 Falcon with mounting plates, 150 bucks...cash and carry in Trenton, Ohio, off I-70 1st exit in Ohio....could meet you in Indy for 50 bucks gas money....

John