Will any 9" rear end fit in a 1966?
- Thread starter kinoSchmid
- Start date
As mentioned,You will definately want to take measurements of the flange to flange and the spring perch to spring perch. Trucks were obviously larger so there is a good chance that it will not be a bolt in.That said trucks,Did typically have Equa Lok's (Posi's, commonly used GM Term) and Low gear ratios. So it may be worth it for the center section alone. You will want to determine if it is a 28 or a 31 spline rear.I've never had a 9 inch shortened but I've heard it is tough/impossible to shorten 28 spline axles.When ever I needed one I would find a rear out of another early Mustang,50's Ford,monarch,granada,etc.As far as what ratio you should run? That's a personal choice and it depends on how you are looking to use the car? Personally if the price was right (cheap)I would grab it and then figure out what it is,You can always sell or trade it to get what you need.
http://www.mustangsandmore.com/ubb/FordRearDimensions.html here are some measurements hope this helps. i put a 9in my my 66 myself but i had my housing custom made to fit into a 1966. but the guy who made it screwed up and gave me one for a 1967 so its a little wider then it should. it still works fine but it just sux i cant take too much weight in the car since the tires rub the outside of the fender lol so now my car has a weight limit
Not a 9inch but have you considered an 8.8 from a Ford Explorer? Most have 3.73 gears, 31spline axles with trac locs, disk brakes and the correct 5x4.5" wheel bolt pattern. Width wise they are almost perfect. The pinion centerline is slightly offset but not enough to cause a problem. You may need to relocate the spring perches slightly but still no a problem. And the best part is they can be bought from a pick n pull yard for about $100 complete.
Here is what I have found, as I have researched this myself. A '57 to '59 Ford rear axle housing is the same width as the early Mustang (57 1/4"). The spring perches have the same spacing too (43", center to center). Those years actually have an 8 3/4" center section (ring and pinion). A 9" center section will bolt right in though. The axles are 28 spline, and will work with either the 8 3/4" or 9" center sections. Be careful, in '63 the 31 spline axles were introduced. Be sure to match splines if you plan to swap center sections. Also pay attention to fill plugs. The early housings did not have fill plugs. The fill plug was located in the center section. If you use an early housing with a later center section, you may not have any way to put in the the gear lube without pulling an axle and squirting 1 3/4 quarts of that foul smelling crap into the housing. If you don't want to mix and match housings and center sections, stick with the original 8 3/4" setup. They are pretty stout. There were 7 different ratios avaialble. 3.10, 3.56, 3.70, 3.89, 2.91 ('58), 2.69 ('58) & 4.11's. They had the axle codes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & the letter "O" respectively. The ratio is also stamped on the tag bolted to the center section. Don't forget to grab the shock absorber mounting plates. The axle tubes are larger than the 8" in the Mustang. You can swap over the backing plates and brake hardware from the Mustang when you put in the new bearings and seals. I almost forgot, '58 & '59 Edsels are the same also. I hope this helps.
I read in Mustang Monthly July issue that a company called Stable Mustang & High Performance is reproducing the 9" rear for the 641/2-66 Mustangs. Their contact info is as follows;
Stable Mustang & High Performance
1600-1606 South Main St
Columbia, Tenn. 38401
(931)698-1261
e-mail, dq29686@aol.com
Hope that helps.
Stable Mustang & High Performance
1600-1606 South Main St
Columbia, Tenn. 38401
(931)698-1261
e-mail, dq29686@aol.com
Hope that helps.