Thread: Project "Left Overs" is back alive !

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Jim, the tried and true 8" was also used in the Granada/Monarch, many smaller motored Torinos and many more misc Ford cars. Most 200cid 6 cyl manual Granadas used the 3.50/3.55 while the 250cid versions used the same 3.40 as the Pintos. That differential out numbered the 9" by a lot. It will hold up well on the street up to 400-450Hp as long as you don't have drag slick kinds of tires and continually do hard launches. Before you crawl under or buy a Granada rear end, a warning that some of them used that odd ball drop out the back, Chebbie type rear end. And, unfortunately there are too many of then that were 2.75/2.79/3.00 ratio

Thanks, Dave. Good info to have. I'd like to find a couple of those 3.50/ 3.55s for a reasonable price. Anything for an 8-inch around here is scarce and at least double the price of a 9-inch. Ford may have made millions more of them, but they apparently didn't survive. Everybody wanted the 9-inchers, so the 8's just got scrapped. The Spicer style "drop out the back" rears have been common since the 70s and that's about all you see in the junkyards around here...

The 9-inch has been around since 1957 and was used in full-size cars as well as trucks and vans. Do you know when they stopped making them? Just a few years ago I could buy them complete drum-to-drum for $50 - $100; now $250 is sonsidered a steal. Supply & demand I suppose. That's what makes the Toyota pickup rear so attractive...

Charlie, the wishbones as they come stock from Ford on these earlier cars are not adjustible. Ford just kind of counted on their wishbones being straight enough to put the axle in the correct spot for proper alignment. But when you split the bones you have to use some sort of rod end on each one, either a spherical rod end or a tie rod end, and those screw into threaded bungs. You then have the ability to dial in the front end alignment by shortening one wishbone and lengthening the other side.

As for being able to move the axle, actually, it will pivot on the spring perch in the center. All that keeps the front end from swinging on that spot is the tightness of the perch bolts, so if you loosen that up you can move the front axle anywhere you want, within the limits of how much threads you have left on the rod end. What you want to do is initially square up the front axle to the rear axle so that both are going in the same direction, then use the adjustibilty of the rod ends to fine tune the alignment. It's funny how big a difference one turn on the rod ends will make in changing the wheelbase from one side compared to the other side.

Don

Thanks Don I kind of figured that but realy thought the spring would stay streight on its own??Good thing I don't build these things

Haha, no, the reason I play with them is that they are so simple. The newer stuff boggles my mind...........computers and fuel injection are like Neurosurgery to me. A few weeks ago my daily driver developed a whine from the serpentine belt area. Couldn't tell exactly what was doing it. I first replaced the tensioner and belt. Still whined. Then I replaced the power steering pump, still whined. Finally replaced the alternator, that fixed it. I hate newer cars.

When you loosen up that center perch it will allow the spring to move a little in it's mount. It doesn't take a lot of movement there to affect a whole lot of adjustment back on the wishbones.

As we were cutting up the Speedway bones yesterday we both were impressed with the quality of them and how much they look like genuine old Ford wishbones. It also saved me a lot of cutting and grinding on stock Ford items as the hard work is already done. I'm glad I bought them.

Don

Jim
They are like gold around here. I paid 350 for my Ford 9" off a econline van(same width as the 48 ford, and direct mount match with the leaf springs, but that included switched out 3.0 gears and new brakes and decent drums. I thought it was really expensive but it took a month just to find a wrecker with the setup I needed!

Originally Posted by J. Robinson

Thanks, Dave. Good info to have. I'd like to find a couple of those 3.50/ 3.55s for a reasonable price. Anything for an 8-inch around here is scarce and at least double the price of a 9-inch. Ford may have made millions more of them, but they apparently didn't survive. Everybody wanted the 9-inchers, so the 8's just got scrapped. The Spicer style "drop out the back" rears have been common since the 70s and that's about all you see in the junkyards around here...

The 9-inch has been around since 1957 and was used in full-size cars as well as trucks and vans. Do you know when they stopped making them? Just a few years ago I could buy them complete drum-to-drum for $50 - $100; now $250 is sonsidered a steal. Supply & demand I suppose. That's what makes the Toyota pickup rear so attractive...

Don I usually get home around midnight from work, so I see your late postings from what must be 3a.m., so I take it late night nights at the shop are probably cooler in florida. When you guys work that late what time do you get up at?

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

What are you still doing up, Steve? Oh, that's right, you are in California., 3 hours behind us.

Thanks. When Dan proposed that we cut 2 inches off of them I was really looking for another solution. It just seems wrong to cut up a new pair of $ 300 wishbones. But he was right, as usual, it really made them fit much better. One thing about Dan, he isn't afraid to cut something up and start over.

Don

Steve, since I have gotten older and retired my sleep patterns have changed a lot. I seem to sleep in 3 hour shifts now and it drives me nuts. Last night I got to bed around 3 and was back up at 6. I plan on going back to work somewhere in the late fall, so hopefully I will start sleeping regular hours like before.

You are also right about it being cooler at night here, so I sometimes go to the shop and work late, but now the mosquitos are so bad they eat me alive.................can't win. Fall can't come too early for me.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

..............it drives me nuts. Don

Some would say that's a short trip.

(NOT me of course, just some...)

No, Bob, you would NEVER say that ! You've actually been pretty mello lately, could this be a new kinder, gentler Uncle Bob ??

Today was rainy all day, which kept the temps down, so tonight I was able to work at the shop for a few hours with the garage door closed. It was only 80 degrees in there, and it was nice to be able to keep the mosquitos out.

I wanted to see how much my front spring would drop with some weight on it, so I temporarily put the Olds engine on some angle iron supports in the frame. It dropped a good inch and a half, and I still have the transmission, body, and all the engine accessories to go on it. I figure it will drop a good 3 inches or more when that is all on it.

Tomorrow I am going to bolt the Bendstens transmission adapter to the block and put the TH350 behind the engine to start figuring out where crossmembers and other stuff will go. I also have to bolt on my spindles and steering arms so I can order my tie rod. Might try putting the body back on also to see what clearance issues I need to solve.

Don

Tonight I got a chance to bolt the transmission adapter onto the motor and temporarily bolt on the TH350 transmission. I've never seen the two bolted together so that was pretty neat. The adapter fits perfectly, everything lines up like it should.

Then I installed the body back on the frame and moved the engine back until I had good clearance between the distributor and firewall. I moved it un and down until I got the intake to be perfectly flat, and positioned so that I have good oil pan clearance.

It still was an inch higher in the front than I wanted so I removed the very top leaf from the spring and it settled down 1/2 inch more. Once I put the rest of the stuff on the engine and body it should drop down more, maybe even to the point where I have to reinstall that one leaf.

One thing that I might change is running the radiator in the bed. After I got stuff mocked up I realized I would have room for a pretty good sized one in the regular position, and it would eliminate a lot of work and cooling lines. Plus, it would give me the entire bed for a fuel tank and battery, plus some actual storage for tools, etc. I'm not 100% sure yet, just thinking.

Here are some pictures from tonight.

Don

Looking good Don, one thing is that 350 going to be ok behind the Olds ??? I was told to run a 400 although i stuck with the dual hydro

I think it will be fine, Steve. It is a Jacksons Racing transmission . The convertor is a 2500, and my 394 is just a tad over stock, plus I really don't abuse my cars much.

Don

I know guys with 350's behind bbc with no problems, mock up looks good. getting incentive??

The white block looks great(just a pain to keep clean!) With the mirror finish on the fire wall it will be a cool effect. I like the tri-carb set up you are using for this one too. Starting to look Ole School!