Is there one over the other..?

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Coffinmaker

Banned
Joined
Aug 23, 2008
Messages
119
Location
Dearborn,Michigan
While seraching for parts I began to wonder..( VERY DANGEROUS for me..)Is ther one rear end that is the right choice to use when you do your build..? PLEASE dont say "Well if your a ford man use..:D ) Trying to narrow down the search and wanted to know which one I should be looking for. Chevy 10 bolt easier ? Ford 9 inch easier..? One off on my schwinn...:eek: I pretty sure each one comes with its pros and cons...BUT if there ia a thread abotu it let me know that too...:eek:
 
The short answer is no. A ford 9 inch is a great rear, and there are alot of aftermarket parts, however alot of guys use a ford 8 inch because it is smaller and cheaper. The amount of horsepower you are dumping into the rear is also a factor, as the smaller rears are a little more likely to scatter parts. There are other factors, like width, bolt pattern, budget, parts on hand, and personal preference.
This says nothing about quick change or independent rears.
 
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I usually go by wheel bolt pattern and width. I try to get what will fit the application I'm using it in and to match the wheel bolt pattern in the front, doesn't need to be. If I don't have the front yet I'll get what fits the rear.
 
ford 9" is pretty much bulletproof and is always a good choice for a high horsepower application....ones from an old (60's) truck are even a little narrower than most of the other 9's. if power is't the main issue then i agree with DMW, find what fits your width and bolt pattern....
 
Cheaper!

Both are good rear ends. 9" will probably hold more HP but I usually go with what I can find cheap and fits the space requirements. Rear ends are a dime a dozen in junkyards, just know what your looking at and for.

ISore
 
First let me preface this by saying that if you are on a limited budget, virtually any medium duty rear that suits your needs as far as width and wheel bolt pattern could work for you.

As far as my personal preference, I like the nine inch Ford for numerous reasons. They are strong and the aftermarket parts selection is vast. Also, the center section unbolts as a unit and drops out of the front, allowing for easy gear/center section changes. The entire housing is steel and does not have a cast center section as part of the housing. As a result, welding brackets and braces anywhere on the rear is possible.

The eight inch Ford can be a cheaper alternitive. Still strong enough to handle the power of the average street/hot/rat rod engine and has the same basic nomenclature as the nine inch Ford. My 32 coupe came with an eight inch Ford in it when my dad originally purchased it. It served well for years but was recently changed to something different.
 
In our last build I used a ford 8.8 31 spline out of an explorer. They are strong if you believe everything you read some say they are similar to the chevy 12 bolt and close to the 9 inch, cheap and plentiful. Many of the ford products use the 8.8 rearend some applications are wider than others. The explorer just happened to be the width we needed. 94 and newer are disc brake. You can usually find these in the 100-250 price range. I paid 100 dollars for drum brake 3.73 posi. There are a couple of isuses, offset & cast diff housing making it harder to weld brackets for suspension.
 
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Here is a chart of common domestic rearend widths. They don't list S-10 rear ends, 2WD diffs are about 56" won't hold up to a BBC but are reasonable for mild small blocks if you you don't drop the clutch on em. They are cheap and pletiful.

Don't discount import rearends. Some of them are pretty tough but the bolt pattern may be a problem.

http://www.carnut.com/specs/frear.html
 
Been hitting junk yards for a rear end

Hit a few yards today...Mostly had those Explorer read ends with the rear disc brakes..I really dont want one,worked on them for YEARS and still hate em.Was kinda hard to find a 10 bolt posi from a chevy but I did get a REALLY good lead on one and will stop by and take a look at it.Guy at the yard said a neighbor of his was junking out a Camaro.
Found one on EBAY..LMAO...4.95 !!! ..and a POSI...!! Too bad the damn thing is on Florida.Probaly get it cheaper after the next Hurricane.A guy I talked to today after I delivered some metal to his shop said that the E250 van sitting out back has a 9 inch in it but I wasnt about to go crawling around after seeing about a million bees crusing around it.:eek:
BUT I do have to say I am getting AWESOME input on which way to go...OMG wait until I go to ask about an engine...:eek: Not to worry though..I am going with a 6 cylinder...I think they look SO cool in a Rat Rod.Yes..a straight 6.
 
Some of the older E250 vans have a dana 60 full floater rearend in them. Super tuff but heavy and 8 bolt wheels.
Nothing wrong with a straight 6.
 
9"

This is a little off the subject but still about the 9". Will all third members from all 9" rears interchange with each other?:confused:Thanks
 
I must be the only Mopar fan around here. I like the 8 3/4 Mopar and because they are not that popular you can find um cheap, unless its for an A body. And if you want a really cool rear end you can't beat a 57 Pontiac.
 
I must be the only Mopar fan around here. I like the 8 3/4 Mopar and because they are not that popular you can find um cheap, unless its for an A body. And if you want a really cool rear end you can't beat a 57 Pontiac.

Thank you for speaking up.

For me, the 8 3/4 is the only way to go. I run them in both my cars, and will for everyone from now on. I started collecting housings and third members; the gear swap is easy and I like having an array of different gear choices laying around.

What I like about them is that they are 5x4.5" bolt pattern, VERY STRONG, light as hell, and really great looking on a rod; no diff cover and they have a perfectly round dome (not like the bulgy 9inch).

The weight comparison between the 9inch and the 8 3/4 is pretty steep. I am a big guy and can wrestle an 8 3/4 around by myself easily, but a 9inch out of a truck I need another hand. You can pick up 8 3/4's out of cars or trucks for $200 a pop at my local yard.
 
Here's the rear end I just picked up for my build. It's a Ford 9" that has been narrowed 7"
with strange axles. I got it for 300 didn't think it was a bad deal at all. Needs bearings and change the gear ratio.

l_123f2e8264be4bd8ac8c53bb7725128a.jpg
 
Sweet. The axles alone are worth it IMO.

Is that the pinion over the shoulder of that housing? Did you get a pumpkin with the deal too?

Thanks YoungBlood

Yea that's the pinion that you see. It's all there and he told me last night that he has an extra 3rd member that he is going to give to me for it as well. As soon as he can find it
 

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