9" 3rd member from yard w/ good ratio?

ks65stang · Jan 18, 2010

FYI, I haven’t posted for a while but have been slowly working on the stang!!!

I have replaced the rear springs, rear frame rails and trunk floors added a new fuel and I have wire wheeled 1/3 (the back) of the undercarriage and painted flat black. The front 2/3 will have to wait till spring. My current hold up is my old shackles are 9/16" bolt size and my new poly bushings are 1/2", kind of sucks, I either buy a bit and drill the bushings or order new shackles.....oh well.

So my question is......is there any junk yard 9" 3rd members that would have a better or lower gear ratio w/ 28 spline axles I could find in a yard for my 77 Lincoln Versailles rear. I know I'm gonna have to buy a new yoke so I thought I could wait till the 1/2 sale at the "you pull it yard" and get a lower gear and might get lucky w/ the yoke at the same time.

The mustang stock u-joint is a 1310, right?

I also might have to have the driveshaft shortened or lengthened? My set up is a 65 coupe 289 w/ c4 w/ a 77 Lincoln Versailles 9" rear. I plan to go to a t5 later but not for some time.

shoguun · Jan 18, 2010

i have been to the junkyard many times and seen plenty of 9" rears but never read the tag. most are in late rancheros and other big station wagons. Id have to say those are the most common ones you will find cause other ones with leaf springs will be ******ed up real quick. You should research what late rancheros gear ratios were

96 DOHC Cobra · Jan 18, 2010

Pickings will be slim at junkyards, so you might have to grab whatevr you find. Remember the last year Ford installed a 28 spline 9" in ANYTHING was about 1980. Mid and late 70s cars and vans were all 28 spline, but gear ratios sucked due to the gas "crisis." Trucks were split btween 28s and 31s, but the gear choices were pretty much limited to 3.50s at best. 60s and early 70s trucks and vans are where your best choices will be IF you can find any. Just about all are 28 spline. Most have either 3.25s or 3.50s, but 3.70s, 3.89s and 4.11s weren't that uncommon.
Not sure on the u-joint, but I've read that if you use a pumpkin from a truck or van with the common small yoke on it, you won't need to shorten your 8" driveshaft.

Wart · Jan 19, 2010

All gears swap between 9" no matter the spline so the worst you would have to do is swap gears.

And I'm pretty sure all pinion carriers swap between chunks so you shouldn't even have to take the pinion apart.

In essence just buy the chunk for the gears.

There are different length yokes on the pinions depending on application so if you need a slightly shorter or longer shaft you may be able to get away with a different length yoke.

Hack · Jan 20, 2010

I'm pretty sure that 80's full size Broncos are a good source for 9 inch rear center sections - that is if you want about 3.50:1. That's where I was told my center section came from, anyway.

4tun8 · Jan 20, 2010

Good luck finding a ford 9 inch in a yard lol.

D.Hearne · Jan 20, 2010

Hack said:
I'm pretty sure that 80's full size Broncos are a good source for 9 inch rear center sections - that is if you want about 3.50:1. That's where I was told my center section came from, anyway.

That's where the chunk that's in my 77 Comet came from: 81 Bronco. 3.50's trac-loc and 31 spline. Broncos and 4wd pickups are the best bet to finding a trac-loc 9" rear. But most are 31 spline. Some of the Versailles got trac loc. The first one I bought did. All the rest were peg legs.

ks65stang · Jan 21, 2010

D.Hearne said:
That's where the chunk that's in my 77 Comet came from: 81 Bronco. 3.50's trac-loc and 31 spline. Broncos and 4wd pickups are the best bet to finding a trac-loc 9" rear. But most are 31 spline. Some of the Versailles got trac loc. The first one I bought did. All the rest were peg legs.

There are plenty of full sized broncos being parted out in my area. I'll keep my eye open for a trac-loc w/ 3.50's.

I plan to stay w/ the 28 spline axles as I want to keep expenses low. So from my understading the track-loc and gears are interchangable between any 9" correct????

Thanks!

woodsnake · Jan 21, 2010

Right. The gears will swap, and you might find a locking center section, but that center section will determine your spline count. Axles aren't that much compared to a locking rear end, I'd say plan for the upgrade.

Hack · Jan 21, 2010

It's not that big a deal to change the chunk from 31 to 28 spline if you want. IMO it's a good idea to buy new steels and frictions for the trac-loc if you are using a junkyard piece anyway. The side gears will also have to be replaced to change spline count, and they aren't expensive either. If you are using a trac-loc, 28 spline is sufficient.

One other thing to watch out for is the hunting vs. non-hunting gears. If you use 3.50:1 gears, there will be a mark on the pinion and the ring. That's because the same teeth come into contact over and over. Make sure if you pull it apart and reassemble that you get the teeth in the correct spot.

D.Hearne · Jan 21, 2010

ks65stang said:
There are plenty of full sized broncos being parted out in my area. I'll keep my eye open for a trac-loc w/ 3.50's.

I plan to stay w/ the 28 spline axles as I want to keep expenses low. So from my understading the track-loc and gears are interchangable between any 9" correct????

Thanks!

The Bronco rear I bought was the first one I looked at. Then again the first Versailles rear I bought was also a first timer.

ks65stang · Jan 21, 2010

Wow!! Sounds a bit over my head. I was hoping it would be just as easy as buying a center section w/ a desired gear ratio, pulling my 28 spline axles which I just spent about $200 on having new bearings & studs pressed on (materials & labor), removing my current center section, bolting in the new and reinstalling my axles.

I really don't want to upgrade to 31 splines considering my $200 bearing investment. The only reason I installed the 9" is because I got a deal on it and wanted to upgrade to rear disk brakes. My ride is just a weekend cruiser for my wife and I, no drag car.

So what's my cheapest bet? Sounds like I will need a pro to do the gear swap from a Bronco 9" anyways and w/ the added cost of 28 spline side gears and rebuilding the track-loc would I be just better off upgrading my current center section w/ some used gears off ebay and buying some type of aftermarket limited-slip and paying someone for the install?

Thanks for all your help and educating me, I'm pretty handy just gears have always been intimidating to me. I still need lower gears installed in my jeep w/ dana axles but have been too cheap to pay someone (another weekend cruiser). THANKS!!!

D.Hearne · Jan 22, 2010

Do yourself a favor and buy a new set of gears. They don't cost that much more than a used set.

woodsnake · Jan 22, 2010

I didn't realize how inexpensive the new side gears are! I saw a few on E bay for like 20 bucks. This opens a whole new world for me out here in the west..

blown65 · Jan 22, 2010

I wouldn't get to hung up on the 28 vs 31 spline count. Unless your making lots of power and hard launches at the strip your just not going to need them.

Hack · Jan 22, 2010

My 9 inch Bronco center chunk had 28 spline parts in it. I agree with above posts that 28 spline is plenty. I've heard that if you are running slicks you might want to upgrade, but the Trac-Loc will not hold up to slicks either.

So if you're going to run a Trac-Loc, I would say just count the splines before you buy that junkyard center chunk and make sure you get a 28 spline unit. If you really want to stay cheap and not do the work yourself just wait to rebuild the Trac-Loc.

u0061914 · Jan 22, 2010

My suggestion: Put a "Wanted" add on craigslist. My orginal 9" had 3.00 gears, but I swapped in an AOD, so I wanted 4.10s. One option was to buy a ring/pinion and setup kit, then regear. Those are simple to set up the gears ( not like a dana 44). However, that would have run me $350 in parts. Instead I put an add on Craigslist and in a day I found one with 4.10 gears in great condition for $100. I had numerous people reply with 3.50 geared ones for $50. Lots of them out there.

Oh... 66-77 broncos are also 9" 28 spline.

Wart · Jan 22, 2010

ks65stang said:
.... I'm pretty handy just gears have always been intimidating to me.

Integral carriers can be a bit intimidating, sometimes you need special tools or fixtures.

Ford 8 and 9" are different, if you have a 'calibrated sensory system' that can feel preloads you really only need a 'spotting agent' (grease works). There is a lash check, can be gotten around with creative mechanicing (and/or experience), should use an indicator. Indicators and mag bases can be had for around $20 at Harbor Freight.

Hack said:
My 9 inch Bronco center chunk had 28 spline parts in it.

Yep, I had a 9 from a 68 or 69 Bronco. 28 spline.

ks65stang · Jan 23, 2010

Lots of good info here. I will just keep my eye open for deal on a Bronco section w/ a trac-loc 28 spline or 31. I also was able to find some 28 spline side gears on ebay and I think I can proably tackle swaping these gears w/ everyones help here. My jeeps Dana 44 & 30 is were I think I built my fear of gear setups. So I will post when the time comes!

Anyone know if the Bronco uses the same u-joints as a 65 stang?

65FBE2 · Jan 23, 2010

For what you are doing with the car, I would not go deeper than 3.5 anyway.

9" 3rd member from yard w/ good ratio?

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