Thread: Banjo rear end

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Would a 38-40 style ford banjo rear end be strong enough for my 33 Ford coupe project with a mild small block? I was told it is the V-8 style rear end. I am trying to go for the old school look.

there was a couple weak areas but generally the old roads, ruts, ditches and such punished a rear end more than the modern smooth paved streets do---weak brakes and axle keys---- and what trans would you be hooking the tube drive shaft to??

The best product Craftsman (Sears) ever released was the 1/4" square shank screwdriver, when cut to length they make great axle keys!!!!!

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

there was a couple weak areas but generally the old roads, ruts, ditches and such punished a rear end more than the modern smooth paved streets do---weak brakes and axle keys---- and what trans would you be hooking the tube drive shaft to??

Jerry, I was planning on using a turbo 400 with Speedways bearing adapter kit so I can use a standard driveshaft. I am hoping to do this because I like that look of rearend and can't afford some high dollar new quick change rear end.

They are not strong, i love them myself and consider them the coolest thing ever under a traditional hot rod. The biggest worry i would have is if you put some big meats on the rear, that would be bad juju.

I'd like to have some of those early rears---and also a Columbia 2 speed---Altho I like q/c for race cars, I don't think I would want one in a driver(meaning a car I would get into and drice anywhere I wanted to go---I'm sure that on my 78oo mile trip last september I would of got tired of the noise---

The axles were the weak point--if you convert to a flanged axle -----

Of course we did break the whole flange off one in our Pinto---

In 64 I acquired a 36 Ford 5 window coupe with a 301 sbc and stock drive line. In less than a year I blew the tranny and twisted the left axle in half about 3 inches or so from the axle key. The 301 was running a 30/30 Isky cam, reworked heads, early Vette 2-4's and a Scheiffer 10# aluminum flywheel. I put a 39 box with Zephyr gears and the rear end from a 40 pick up in the car and they were still there when I sold the car, minus the engine, in 73.

You might want to become familiar with Hot Rod Works; http://www.hotrodworks.com/

These guys can set you up with the open drive hardware, the flanged axle setup Jerry referred to, quick changes, they're the go to guys on this. Their open drive conversion is competitively priced with Speedway, but if you're a "buy American" guy the HRW is US made, not Chinese copy like Speedy Bill's.

Not much to add to what the guys have already posted about strength issues, high horsepower and banging shifts will stress it mightily.

As an aside, the best price/value in banjo quick changes right now is the Dick Spadaro kit, though I like the Rodsville unit as it more resembles the Halibrand and is beefier where needed than the old Hals.

On the flip side, a lot of very fast drag cars back in the day ran banjos, before stronger rears came out. They did break and have some quirks, like the keys and the fact the entire brake drum would come off when an axle broke. But if you intall stronger keys and put one of the retainer kits that clamp over the edge of the drum to keep it on if an axle breaks, and drive in a sane manor, they can hold up under a mild engine.

I have a 46 rear that I bought from Paul on here and will use it under a project I am thinking about (as soon as I get the very next one done) and am not afraid to run it. But like Jerry said, I won't use that car on cross country trips, more around town and short hops.

One side note, if you use the conversion kit you are left with needing to find a way to locate the axle. The stock wishbones are NOT meant to operate without the torque tube and lots of guys who have tried to run them as lone radius rods find out they do snap in half easily. You will need to fab up proper radius rods that can take the forces exerted by a rear that wants to tear itself from under the car.

Oh, and Norm didn't exactly take it easy on the banjo in his T bucket!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4bMyrKxRdQ

Don

This is my first street rod that I have built. I thought I could split the bones and make them work. I really want that look on the car. The car is a 33 five window that is chopped a little and channeled. It is going to have 7 rows of louvers on the trunk lid 3 rows on side of hood and 6 rows on the top of the whole hood. I guess I need some advice on how to use the stock bones. I have talked with a company out in Idaho about making the rear end stronger with axles and bearings. I hope you guys like my project and thanks for the responses.