Thread: Ford 9" rear end questions

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I'm pretty sure that all the early Ford cars used a 56 1/2" track, same as the width of two horse's butts pulling a Roman chariot and the same gauge as a railroad track. "Track" would be center to center of the tires on the same axle. Since you're probably not going to run the skinny litte stock tires or use the same wheel offset as Henry did, anything from 56 1/2" to 59 1/2" (1 1/2" difference per side) should work fine, depending on wheel backset and width.

From a rodder with a Model A fenderless roadster....
"I have an early Bronco 9" rear end ( 66-77). It measures 58" wheel mounting surface to wheel mounting surface.This is in a fenderless '30 model A roadster with 10" tires on 8" rims with 5 1/4" back space. This works well IMHO as I don't like the tires sticking out too far nor in too far. If you're going to run reversed wheels you may want to go with 56". 56-58" is a good range for this type of car."

From a rodder who used an 8.8" in a '40.
"I bought some new ones from a ford supplier from 2002 explorers that had disc brakes and 3.55 gears, 31 spline axles , they measure 59 1/2 face to face . we put one in the 40 sedan and it was perfect. also fit 55 chevy very good." (remember, all early Fords up through '48 were built on a 56 1/2" track, so anything that will fit a '40 will fit an A. Also, 2002 Explorer and probably other year Explorers with an 8.8" would have 5-lug wheels from the factory).

80's V8 Mustangs with drum brakes will have the narrowest 8.8" differentials and could have Traction Lock differentials.

If you get anywhere close, you can finish the width with wheels having a different backset measurement.

Here's a good article on the 8.8" unit, telling how to convert 4-lug to 5-lug.....
The Ford 8.8 Mustang Rear End - Car Craft Magazine

And another good article on the Explorer 8.8"....
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech...lorer8_8.shtml

Oh, and the correct nomenclature for the "chunk" is "third member" or "pig".

Personally, I'd be thinkin' Jaguar or Thunderbird IRS, but hey, whatever blows your skirt up.

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