Thread: A few Questions, On setting up rear end!

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Hey Guys; My frame is 34in. wide in the back, My rear end is gonna be 40inches wide. Is this enough space between tires and frame?
Also I'm gonna cut the rear end down from 57in. to 40in.
What is the proper way to measure the axle length?
This way I can order some new axles. Thanks Kurt

What Happened? Kurt

Using your deminsions you will have 3" on each side for clearence, Its a little close but should work fine. On my 46 Ford I only have 2 3/4" on each side and my tires completly fill my wheel wells. As to ordering new axles the simple way is to remove the same amount from each side and deduct that amount from the current axle length. This picture should give you an idea of how close mine is.

Roland

Hombre259;
I thought about removing the same amount on the axle, but I figured
some would say to do it right measure the axle it's self.
Because after all I don't really know if this things been messed with before
and how close it is to being off. I pulled it out of a full size ford pick up and
it is a true 9in. rear end. Gonna change the third member with 31 splin posi
and some gears, But this is the first time to cut a rear end buy my self.
Thanks for the help. Kurt

Best method I've found is to mock up the tires and wheels you will be running under the car at the track width you will be ruuning, measure the distance between the mounting surfaces on the wheels, narrow your rear end so the wheel flange on the axle matches this dimension......

Kurt, do you have any kind of fixture to alighn the housing ends so that the axles will fit the housing and center section correctly?????

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Best method I've found is to mock up the tires and wheels you will be running under the car at the track width you will be ruuning, measure the distance between the mounting surfaces on the wheels, narrow your rear end so the wheel flange on the axle matches this dimension......

Kurt, do you have any kind of fixture to alighn the housing ends so that the axles will fit the housing and center section correctly?????

yes this is how i do it to and if the rotor hats are thick i subtrack 1/2 or better on the over all hub to hub you need a fixture to cut down the ford 9s i have seen them way out of alignment

Hey Guys;
I've got a buddy that did his before and he said he was gonna come over and help out.
But what I was thinking is cut a bunch of V cut plates, weld them to my steel table.
Align them under the axles before I make any cuts, then weld them down to the table.
Weld the very ends down first,They should hold the whole rear end high enough so the axles tubes are completly at the bottom of the V plates. Cut the ends off, slide it down in the V plates and weld it back together. This should keep it aligned, right. Kurt

Nope, not good enough Kurt.... You need a round steel tube that goes from one end of the housing to the other and locates the carrier bearings and axle bearings in alignment.... I guess you could do it that way, but I just don't see how you'd get it accurate enough that the axles would fit properly in the bearings. If it's not aligned correctly, the rear end isn't going to last very long...... Here's a picture of the alignment fixture. You also need a good solid fixture to align the housing ends onto the housing, also helps keep things straight when you're welding the ends back on.....

i made mine but the same thing as photos used a 9 old pig you can not just butt the ends back up and weld them i have seen them off as much as 3/8 when you use the fixture if your welding lot on the tubes the last thing you want to do is weld the ends back on the rear end

Well Thanks Dave; I guess I'm gonna have to wait for my buddy.
He told me he had the stuff to do it but he never told me how he did it.
I'm gonna have to call him tomarrow, I know he knows what he's doing.
He's got his daily driver down in the 9sec. class in the 1/4 mile.
Anyway i got my front cross member welded up today, It's not welded in
but the three pieces are welded together. The holes are drilled for the pipe
to go thru, Iin. higher on the one side then the other. {Front to Rear}.
Those are for the lower A - Arms, aligned everything and it looks good so far.
Thanks Dave

when i cut a rear end down i scribe lines down the tubes to line up the ends .if you used the old ends i mark them so they do not get mix up as well as turn them flat and bevel them on the lathe. then sand the hi spots on the tube cut so they will not pull when welded

Hey Dave and Pat;
I called My friend Rex up today and asked if he had that tool.
He said He's got it and to call him tomarrow.
So I'm gonna start welding the stuff to the rear end.
I've got 3 of the true 9in. rear ends laying here and I'm thinking
of cuting them all down, so maybe I can make a little extra cash.
HE! HE! HE! I can use some extra cash. Kurt