Stovebolt.com Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop FORD 9 INCH REAR END FOR MY 1954 3100 1/2 TON

I am considering putting a ford 9 inch rear end on my 1954 3100 series 1/2 ton. Are there anyone here that have done it and can it be done on a reasonable budget. Also need to know what vehicles have the same axle width as the 1954 chevy truck.

I have put a 9 inch Ford from a 1974 Torino in my 1952 AD. The width is approx 62 inches, the same as a 64-77 Chevelle. I cut off all the brackets which were for a coil spring set up and purchased new leaf spring pads and welded them on. I'm still working on my truck but I am thinking about upgrading to a to the 1997 8.8" Ford Explorer with disc brakes which has a 31 spline axle and the factory gear ratio is 3.73 and a lot came with a limited slip. They can be purchased complete for a lot less than converting a 9 inch to similar specs. I got the Torino for free and spent approx $300 for new drums and brakes from Currie Enterprises. I still need a better gear ratio and a limited slip but that cost is going to be north of $600,00 for parts. The 8.8 is also approx 59.75 inch width which will help with tire clearance. I believe that a stock AD rear is approx 60 inches but not 100% sure. There are some sites that have that info and I'll see if I can find it. Also there are many different 9" Ford widths from different Ford vehicles that would approx the Chevy rear but are going to be hard to find. Good luck

Thanks Gabbyp, I will consider all you said. From what I hear, the ford 9 inch is similar to the chevy 350 engine (both are the best of the economical world). You say you are thinking of upgrading to the 8.8" Ford with disc brakes. Is the 8.8" better than the 9". The rear of my truck have a Nova 2.73. The rear is too short and having problems with the back space.Thanks again

I just finished up an install of an 8.8 diff in my project vehicle and would like to toss out a couple things that I learned that will save you some time and money.

First of all the 8.8 from under an Explorer is a tough over-built unit. Not quite as tough as the 9" but said to be stouter than the 8". 31 spline axles and higher number R&P ratios make them attractive to those adding OD transmissions to their machines. The axle tubes on the 8.8 are 3.25" in diameter so you want to salvage the u-bolts and lower mount plates as well as the rear universal flange mount plate from the donor vehicle. Most over-the-counter U-bolts are 3" max and custom u-bolts can get pricey. Also, the emergency brake setup combines both cables into a single cable which would make adapting it to the stock AD E-brake mechanism much simpler. Also keep the rear u-joint attachment bolts....they're metric and $2.00 each from the dealers!! The bolt pattern on an 8.8 is 5 on 4.5.....not the usual GM 5 on 4.75.

The pre-95 diffs are 10" drums and the post-94's are discs. The axle code is on a sticker on the drivers door post:

#44 is a non-locker 3.73
#45 is a non-locker 3.55
D4 and D5 are 3.73 with traction lock.

I was pleasantly surprised at the number of diffs, both drum and discs in our local yards. You didn't have to crawl under the vehicle to hunt for a tag to ID the ratio, and that the biggest surprise was that my yard charged me a flat $100.00 for the 3.73 drum Trac-lok. I could have had a disc setup for the same money.

The current lists of donor diffs has you scrounging for 35-50 year old diffs that are at least going to need all new seals and brakes if not bearings and gear sets, if you can find one!!!!. It might be wise to consider taking a closer look at the 8.8 and keeping a little of that extra jingle in your own pocket.

Dave

I would like to thank you for all the info you have provided. I will try to put photos on here when I learn how to do it. I currently have a 350 chevy engine and 350 tranny. I don't know the difference in the lockers and non-lockers. I just plan to use the truck for a daily driver and probably tow a vehicle if needed. You have a suggestion for the following:
1.I want disc front and rear. I want it to be chevy compatible.
2.What ratio rear would be best for the 350 engine. I was thinking somewhere around 3.18
3.You said the axle width for the truck was 62". Is that from backer plate to backer plate?
I's sure I have many other questions to answer, but I really appreciate all you have told me so far. I am just a DIY'er but I will knock about until I finish the truck. Hope I can keep my head above water before finishing.
Thanks again.

I'll jump in here...
The engine really doesn't determine the rear end ratio, the transmission and torque the engine puts out does. The 350 is available with HP ratings of 160 HP all the way up to 750 HP and beyond. What type of 350 are you running? You mention a TH350 automatic in a daily driver. A 3.08 ratio would work well as a daily driver, but rather poorly for towing. A 3.73 ratio would work great for towing, but poorly for general economy. The solution could be to go for a ratio somewhere in between say a 3.38 or a 3.55, or use the lower gears and an overdrive transmission like the 700R4. The 700R4 with 3.73 gears will probably give you the best acceleration, performance and fuel economy.

There are other things to consider like peak engine torque and horsepower, and tire size, and of course budget.

As far as breaks go, there are plenty of options out there. 11 and 12 inch disc kits are available in both 5 and 6 lug applications. You may end up getting a kit based solely on matching the rear lug pattern. You might also consider having the rear axles replaced or redrilled with a chevy pattern.

Looks like several ideas have been batted around. I set up my 51 - 3100 with a Ford 9 inch because they are more plentiful around here than chevy rear ends. A 3:55 ratio was under a hundred bucks, but new brakes and seals as mentioned earlier were required. I used the original springs and purchased new perches from Jegs. I later went with a 3:08 for highway travel. There is an additional advantage with Ford rears, you can swap gears in under 2 hours without a lot of effort. Have the Ford lugs welded up and re-drill for Chevy 5 hole. Rims are more plentiful and cheaper (15 x7) and work fine without fender mods. If you want a slick hook-up with Ford rears to the original e-brake, check with Lokar products from Yogi's (Calamus, Iowa).
The rear brakes are the original drum type, but changed the front spindles to disc w/the straight axle. The master cylinder was changed for a dual reservoir along with inline pressure valves for drum/disc setups. This set up stops it real quick. Don't know if you really need 4 wheel discs unless you are towing.

Fellows I am just a DIY'er. Good mechanical skills, but nothing when it come to fabrication. I am not sure what HP the 350 has. I won it at a car show. However it is a new 350 Goodwrench. Got about 2,000 miles on it so far. You guys are putting me in overload with all this information, but that is what I need. (LOL)
Fla543100 said the 80's cameros rear would work. I'm thinking maybe using the camero to reduce the work required to change the Ford rear. So now I will have to find one 62" wide. Since I am only using the truck as a daily driver I have to decide what size tires to use also. Right now I'm using 235/70/15. The truck came with 16 so I'm thinking f going with the same. So this is what I have so far.
1. Camero rear end......now to determine the ratio
2. disc brakes...I have a monte carlo and I'm thinking about using the same size....11 inch
3. The back space for the rear end will be determined due to the width of the camero rear...have to get this right
4. Tire size of (15x7) seem to be the favorite. Well guys what you think about (16/7). You think that would look ok????

I really appreciate all the help provided. Hope my budget can get me through this project.

This thread will be very useful for many guys trolling through to archives.

Bag54,

Being that I also have a 54 truck that has been on the road for over 2 years you can feel safe in checking out my Webshots album and saving yourself a bunch of trial and error stuff. I'm running the 62" 88 Camaro drum 3.42 diff and have the correct wheel backspacing both front and rear. One suggestion I'm make would be to stick with the 15X7" rims. Plenty of tire selection and no interference problems with the front (tie rod ends) or rear fenders and box. I'd also suggest considering 235/70 series tires so you can rotate. The 16" rims would look okay but I can't speak to clearance issues with a 50 or 60 series tire. A 28" tall tire is going to fill up the wheel well.

As for the Camaro 62" wide diff, there are plenty of 3.08's out there as well as 3.42's. The 3.08 would probably be a reasonable choice for running behind your stock 350. I first set my truck up with an IROC-Z 3.08 disc/posi. These diffs were made in Australia and should handle the torque from a daily-driver 350...however, the ratchet emergency brake mechanism and lack of replacement axle seals could be a problem. I am not a great fan of power 4 wheel disc brakes in a truck without ABS. Even with an adjustable proportioning valve, the rear brakes were extremely touchy. I now have manual brakes with front discs and rear drums with a 3.42 R&P and find I have much better control over rear-wheel lockup.

Speaking of budgets.....I had no luck in finding 4 decent matching rims in the j-yards with a 5 on 4-3/4" pattern so be aware that you may be springing for new rims. The Camaro diffs sell for $100-150. in this area, but an IROC posi/disc will set you back twice that. When you find your diff be sure to have the yard include the rear sway bar and control links, the emergency brake cables intact, and the driveshaft.

The primary reason I tossed out the info on the 8.8 was for the guys with overdrive transmissions, (.63 OD's) that weren't having any luck finding later model GM 3.73's. They are a couple inches narrower than the GM (Camaro) but that can be compensated for in reducing the backspacing, they are plentiful, easily adaptable, with lower mileage, and relatively inexpensive. Hope this helps.

Dave