I am building a 1930 Model A coupe and now comes the purcahse of a rear end that has presented QUITE a problem.I have read several builds and after being told.."Buy an 8 inch,if you can find one,out of a 60's Mustang".So I did.Well when I opened it it was a pile of junk.Now before I start dropping money on this I checked with EBay on parts and can say 8 inch stuff is EXPENSIVE..!!Ring and pinions were REALLY high priced,which I thought would be cheap.Now I called a local rear end shop to find out prices and was told that 8 inch parts are kinda hard to find,you should try and find a 9 inch.He also asked me if I knew it that was a LOCAL JUNK around that had a newer Ranger in it because they almost measure the same from backing plate to backing plate.He also said.."They have 7.5 ring and pinion which is a LOT cheaper to build and most parts are available same day".This got me wondering how true this really is.I called a few ads in the local paper and one guy said he measured his and its 52 inches plate to plate.Now before I buy it I was also wondering..WHAT year do you use and out of what kind of car do you use for a coupe build.??There are a few cougar ones listed in the paper too but was told they need to be re-built.Yard where I found the Ranger rear end will give me a 60 day warranty.
what width rear end are you needing? measure wheel mounting surface to wheel mounting surface. in a full fendered A a Maverick 8" at 56" works nice , that's what my `28 tudor has. if you are channeling you may want wider i'm not familiar with the ranger 7.5 , but since they only came with 4 and 6 cylinders i would find out how strong the are first you say you opened up the mustang rear and it was junk. is it the right width? if the axles/ housing/brakes are ok you can just get another center section(or pumpkin) . all 8" are interchangeable . they are cheap , i think i have a couple laying around here
Just measured the Mustang rear end...52 from backing plate to backing plate.Brakes arent even worth looking at,had to cut the drums off with a torch.Needs a total rebuild.Axles are worth saving though,but will need new bearings and new seals.I found chunks of metal and a few pieces of ring gear at the bottom of the rear end.Pinion is shot.
I would go with the 9" rear end instead of the 8". The 9" is a lot stronger AND the parts are plentiful and reasonably priced. I have never blown up a 9" but I have blown up 8" rear ends in the past. There are a ton of aftermarket folks doing 9" rear ends and they are very competitive. Good luck, Joe
I have bought and sold many 8" rears over the years. They are plentiful and unless you are going to make big power and then somehow hook it up in that model A,you aren't going to hurt an 8". I sold a non posi 3.00 geared 8" with good brakes and a set of ladder bars this year at LARS for $150.00. I see them under $200.00 all the time out here. I run one in an off topic Autocross car with a built 302 and a t5 and 275 rubber. Factory Ford LSD and 4.11 gears - haven't hurt it yet! (knock on wood) As for a Ranger rear end the 8.8 from the later trucks is a much stronger version and you can use all the late model Mustang performance stuff in them
Don't waste your time with a ranger 7.5...if you are going to get a later style rear, an 8.8 would be far better. Strength of a 12 bolt Chevy, but far cheaper. Explorers often have them with 3.55 or 2.73 gears, a posi, and disc brakes. I'd look for a center for your existing 8" though...I never thought a rearend with a cover looked right in an early car, esp one where you can see the rearend from the back.
I agree with you. the 8" & 9" just look better! You can find 8.8 Ranger rears with 3.73 gears, drum brakes and an LSD - I know cuz my 2008 has one stock!
I just built one for the wife's truck over the winter (From Scratch)and the only expensive thing was the seals and bearings...& they are not much more than a 9". That one is 62" wide I've had mine in my model a coupe for 11 years and had no problems yet. I race it occasionally and drive it all over the place. The model a is 51" wide on a Highboy
id look more into the 8.8s. the axle i have for my 41 is out of a 2001 explorer. disc, 3.73, locker and 31 spline. most trucks ran 31 spline. most v8/3.73 explorers ran 31 spline. 02 (ish) ranger fx4s came with a torson locker and 4.10. 8.8s are cheaper than 9 inchers, plenty strong, just as much aftermarket internals, and much more plentiful. hell, my explorer axle ran me $215 after tax and has 60k on it. it came complete with all brake lines, hoses, sway bar and all brake parts. you can google therangerstation for more info on ranger/explorer axle options. bob ps, a friend of mine has a twin turbo 598 bbf on methanol with a modified 8.8...been in the car for 8 years. previous motor was a single 98mm turboed 416 sbf. housing is welded to the shafts, it has a girdle and some bracing.
Through '79 granada,merc variation? pinto bobcat mustang II all use narrow 8" diffs. you should be able to find easily,and cheap ! dave
The Merc version of the Granada was called a Monarch, Lincoln version was a Versailles. The Lincolns came with rear disc brakes.
I have put both under A's. I like 8" more because it is so much lighter and smaller than 9". 9" I put under cabriolet was '58 passenger and 8" under my coupe is Maverick, both 56" wide. My opinion 8" is strong enough for most A's. I rebuilt mine with used hard parts and new bearings. The differential cup shims were broken but I had another differential with good pair. The gears were good. I have open diff and 3,00:1 gears for relaxed highway speed. (My roadster, neither one, I have Model A type Kiwi QC from NZ).
Don't overlook or discount the 8.8. I routinely put them in serious off-road vehicles with big horsepower and torque numbers, and that see some serious abuse. Nobody is complaining.
Problem is solved.I picked up a 1993 Ford Ranger 8.8 rear end today for free.Has to be one of the cleanest I have ever seen..LOL...It has a 3.08 gear which will be fine for now.8.8 stuff is pretty cheap but funds are going thin...
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