9 inch ford rear end question?

[jcal87]

I know a guy selling a ford 9 inch pretty cheap out of a old ford truck but I am wondering if it will be compatible with my 68 camaro and if i ever choose to do a four link can i still use it?

[andrewmp6]

You'll have to shorten it and change axles,And double check for rear brakes for the big bearing they made 3 style bearings small large and Torino.

[jcal87]

so i do want the big bearing? and what spline is best?

[Apogee]

Big-bearings are better than small-bearings for the obvious increased load capacity reasons, but most of the mid-size sedans came with small-bearing housings similar to the Ford 8" rear ends. You have two big-bearing options for OE style housing ends, a ball-bearing and a SET20 tapered roller bearing. Each has their pros and cons, but the SET20 does have a higher load rating, especially when comparing axial (side) loading.

Standard axle splines are 28 and 31 for the Ford 9's. Only a few of the performance cars, full-sizes, pickups and vans got the 31 spline axles from the factory whereas most of the mid-size cars and early Broncos (66-77) had 28-spline shafts. If you go aftermarket, you have 35-spline and bigger options, but those will require big-money and full aftermarket housings, center sections, etc to fit them.

Since the Ford 9" housing is fabricated mild steel, welding brackets to it for 4-links is typically much easier than a cast-center type axle housing such as a Dana, GM, etc.

There are more than three housing ends to worry about, but the three mentioned above (small-bearing, big-bearing, and the new style "Torino" big-bearing) are the most common. If your friends 9" is under an early 60's F100 pickup, it may have one of the not so common housing ends and brake offset dimensions, so buyer beware.

Tobin
KORE3

[andrewmp6]

If you can find the axle tag on it its a little piece of metal on one of the 3rd member studs has numbers and letters on it i can tell you what its from and whats in it.

[Apogee]

Here are some additional links that may be helpful to you in deciphering all that is Ford 9":

http://www.kevinstang.com/Ninecase.htm
http://www.mustangsandmore.com/ubb/FordRearDimensions.html
http://www.mustangii.org/decoder/axle/

Plus a few more at the bottom of the page on the first link above.

Tobin
KORE3