Rear Axle: 9 inch swap

[shoafski]

Can anyone help I am planning to swap a 9 inch Ford rear axle into my 56 Hawk. I remember some Threads posted to this. but cannot find them. It seems to me that there is an axle that is almost a bolt in Comet? Granada ? Any Help!!! Thanks

[Treblig]

Can anyone help I am planning to swap a 9 inch Ford rear axle into my 56 Hawk. I remember some Threads posted to this. but cannot find them. It seems to me that there is an axle that is almost a bolt in Comet? Granada ? Any Help!!! Thanks

The '66 and older rear ends (Ford) are more narrow (58 1/4", brake drum to brake drum) . The 67 and later are wider by about 1 1/2". I own a 59 Silver Hawk and plan to swap the rear end. I have a 66 Mustang rear end (58 1/8") which is very close to the stock Silver Hawk rear end (58 1/4"). But, as it turn out, the 67 and later ford rear ends are a little more "heavy duty", but they are also a little wider. So, I'm taking the 66 Mustang rear end and using the 67 (and up) pumpkin to use on my 59 Stude. The 67 and up Ford rear end have the heavy duty pumpkin but they are wider. If you plan to get new rims then it doesn't matter because you can get rims with an offset that compensates for the wider rear end.

Treblig

[Alan]

57-59 car or wagon. The spring perch pads are about 1/2" wider than the Stude, but you just pull the spring out a little and it drops right on. They are about a 1/4" to 1/2" wider than the stock Stude, flange to flange. This one is under a 53K.

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[5brown1]

I just put an 8" 66 Mustang in the speedster today. It is not a bolt in but not too tough either. I put new spring perches on in order to duplicate the original angle for the drive shaft. I did have to elongate the holes for the u bolts in the plate where the shocks mount as the Ford was thinner (2.25") than the Dana (2.5").
The drive shaft will have to be lengthened about 2 inches and a 1310 Special u joint added which will mate up to the Ford yoke. I still need to hook up the emergency brake using the Ford cable but think it will not be a big deal. Famous last words - LOL.
FYI - The 1310 Special u joint has 1.063 and 1.125 end caps and apparently was common on Fords. Took me a while to find this out so hopefully this will save others some time. Also, dropping the rear of the drivers side spring makes it much easier to remove and install.

[lark55]

I believe a Granada rear end is very close to the Dana 44 in width. A friend has one under his 58 Hawk. This Granada has the type of gears that come out the back of the housing versus the drop out center section of the 9 inch.

[sals54]

I have a 9" under the rear of my 54 Coupe. It came out of a Ford F150 Pickup. A local guy narrowed it for me many years ago. About $200 for the housing and axles. Go to some local car shows and talk to guys with regular driver quality cars. (not the high end trailer queens). they will usually know of someone who can do the narrowing for a reasonable cost. Its not that complicated. Just figure out the offset of the wheels you want to use, and how wide they'll be. Fit them under the car and check for clearance. Then you can find the width of the rear from hub to hub. Have the machinist use those numbers to make the rear. He should be able to knock it out in short order. Its just a matter of cutting and rewelding the housing, then cutting and resplining the axles. My guy had mine done in a day.
Mine is extreme, though. I can fit 10" wide rims and 11" wide tires under the stock wheel wells of the back of my Coupe with about 3/8" clearance to the fender and the leaf spring. Be sure to use neoprene bushings in the rear leaf springs. This will keep the spring from flexing side to side so much. Then you won't rub tires on any of the stationary parts of the car.

Important Note: I made sure mine was narrowed in such a way as to have the driveshaft centered on the car. I did not want the driveshaft hitting any part of the tunnel. I also had the spring perches welded to give me a 1 or 2 degree, (can't remember which) down pinion angle. This has kept the nose of the rear end slightly down under hard acceleration. The slapper bars help too.
The beauty of the nine inch for all these years is the ease in which I can change rear ratios with each time I changed transmissions. From Auto, to 3 speed, to 3 speed OD, to 4 speed, and later to 6 speed. Ive used 2.75s, 3.25s, 3.50s and will probably end up with a 3.80 posi when the 6 speed goes in.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Couple questions.

#1) What wheels/tires are you running?

#2) What is the reason for the swap?

If it is reliability, then the best bang for your buck would be to add flanged axles and be done with it.
No fab work.

If you are set on a swap, then you need to know your final 'hub to hub' measurement.
Custom wheels and tires can take you all over the place.
Set your final choice of wheels and tires. Pull the rear end. Stuff the wheels and tires in their proper position (measuring the body/spring clearance).
Get your hub to hub number.
Then... For the best bang for your buck I'd order a complete unit from one of the street rod companies.
You choose your ratio (you have chosen that already, haven't you?). You choose your choice of carrier (open/posi/spool..No spools on the street).
You choose your rear brakes (disc/drum).... and you get parking brakes.
All you will need to do is set your pinion angle and weld on the spring pads.
You will be far better off (read that $$$) getting a complete package that trying to piece one together out of wrecking yard parts.
I say that from experience. Spent as much money getting all the nitnoid stuff set up on a wrecking yard piecemeal deal...as I would have spent on a complete unit.
Exaclty the right dimensions, and all installed in a day...
BTDT... My head hurts a but just thinking about those memories beat into my brain...

[swvalcon]

If you don't plan to add a lot of HP to it I would go with a 8.8 out of a newer ford explorer. They come with posi and disc brakes. About $200 at most yards and another $150 or so to set it up to fit your Studebaker. I'am having my nephew set me one up when he gets some free time.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Why would one want to do this with a Stude engine under the hood ?

The Ford 9" (and to a smaller degree the 8"), take more power (parasitic drag) than most other rear axle assemblies out there today. Drops milage, drops power...?!

Freshin a Dana 44 and put that under your car. My "driver" Conestoga that I'm building, has an "old" housing, all new guts, new posi, new bearings, new gears, new larger diameter axles, disc brakes...what else do you need. It'll stand up to all the poop that any Stude engine and most hot rod brand X engines can put out. It's also narrowed 4" for a nicer looking wheel, while loosing a few pounds also. Well, until the big axles went in anyway..!
And no, I'm not a purest by any means, I have a Quick Change in my other Conestoga...

Just sayen...!

Mike

[swvalcon]

Mike I hear what your saying but did you pull it all off for about $400? Thats where you would be at with a 8.8. granted it wont take 600 hp but how many stock stude's are in that range.

[Alan]

Some of us CASO's are living in the past. I just bought a Currie 9" for my 53K and with brakes but no pumpkin it was $1,900. The last on I bought from them 3 years ago was $1,100. Way to go if you want to spend money is Speedway, they have 54" , 56", 58" rears with axles for $600 and made by Currie. Get the 56" for Stude. I was just telling you the cheap way that just drops right in and even uses the same drive shaft, if you get the right yoke. But 57-59 Fords are not cluttering up junk yards right now.

[Flat Ernie]

The Ford 8" is a much tougher unit than it gets credit for. It is on-par, strength wise, with a GM 10-bolt, is much lighter than the 9", less parasitic drag, and still has the drop-out pumpkin and a reasonably wide variety of ratios & limited-slip options. The Maverick and Mustang II versions are ever so slightly narrower, but the 8" was also available in the early Mustangs and later Granada in appropriate widths.

If there is an 8.8" rear that is the right width, they are an excellent option, still in production, mutliple ratios and locker/limited slip options, and very reasonably priced.

[karterfred88]

For the 8.8 crowd, cheap and reliable up to any horsepower a Stude can make, heres a chart --Studes are either 58" face to face or 58 1/2" based on who is measuring. All will need new perches welded to match spring location on a Stude.

[Flat Ernie]

For the 8.8 crowd, cheap and reliable up to any horsepower a Stude can make, heres a chart --Studes are either 58" face to face or 58 1/2" based on who is measuring. All will need new perches welded to match spring location on a Stude.

Can you try to repost...the pic won't enlarge and I can't seem to download it.

[JLB]

A note about '57 -'59 Ford 9 inch rear ends. There are two versions .........small bearings, sedans, convertibles etc., and big bearings, Rancheros , Station Wagons, and Sedan Deliveries. Besides the bearing, the flange is different in terms of the mounting bolt dimensions/location. F.Y.I., Ford Crown Vic and I believe Explorer, rear disc brakes ( with internal shoes, parking brake ) will bolt up to the small bearing 9 inch.