Suspension Anyone here have a 9" in their fox body?

limp · Mar 11, 2021

As the title says does any one have a 9" in their fox body?? Can you tell us what you like and don't like about it??

General karthief · Mar 11, 2021

Unless you have a 9" already to just bolt in I would get an 8 .8 and build it to meet your horse power goal, less money, parasitic drag is less with an 8.8 but it may be marginal.
Oh, and the bolt right in.

limp · Mar 13, 2021

For all of the companies building " bolt in" 9 inchers for Fox bodies, I would think there would be at least some responses on here??

Since my engine is in Machine shop Hell, I have been looking at other areas to work on and I am ready to pull the plug on a 9".... Some of those Steeda lower control arms ( with new stock uppers) look pretty tempting....... Looking like my 5 lug conversion is coming early.......

Going to pull the 9 inch "N" third member I have out of the bucket of diesel it has been sitting in for 6 months ( to see what bearings I have) then order a new rear end kit for it, with the Eaton posi and some 350 gears.....

Purchased my SN94 spindles, have a Cavanaugh Rotor, Caliper, pad package coming from Amazon, and new ball joints and hubs from Rock Auto for the front end....

By the time I get this all fingered out, the TKXers hopefully will be more "available" along with my engine being done.....

slow84lx · Mar 13, 2021

I have to wonder why? In stock format the 8.8 is only marginally less strong than the 9". It's unusual to hear of anyone breaking one without a lot of power or abuse. The 8.8 is cheap & readily available. Lots of upgrade options to make it as strong as needed for your application as you add horsepower. Disk brakes / Big brakes readily available.

But, if you just want to be able to say, "I have a 9-inch" then you need to do this swap.

2000xp8 · Mar 13, 2021

limp said:
For all of the companies building " bolt in" 9 inchers for Fox bodies, I would think there would be at least some responses on here??

While there are some guys here that go to extremes, it's not really a race car group.
I personally don't see the point in one on a street car. At the track if you needed to do rebuilds or gear swaps often, i could see it.
But the likelihood someone without a race car breaks a 31 spline 8.8 built with quality parts is pretty slim.
And if you don't goto the track i'd almost call it impossible.

General karthief · Mar 13, 2021

I saw a 9" housing ready to bolt in a fox body all you need to do is have a pumpkin and the brakes for like $ 795? On fleabay.

limp · Mar 13, 2021

General karthief said:
I saw a 9" housing ready to bolt in a fox body all you need to do is have a pumpkin and the brakes for like $ 795? On fleabay.

Quick performance and Speedway both offer a bolt in 9 inch housing and axle package in that price range....
To answer some questions here, I know how to work and set up 9 inch rears, and know nothing about 8.8... I already have a nodular pumpkin in my garage and tools for setting it up.. I would have to buy a 8.8 and then buy the gears I want, the eaton posi unit and then rebuild it.... The cost for the 9 inch( which I am familiar with) would not be anymore than an 8.8 by the time I got through with it......
And perhaps I am incorrect here, but when I have looked at 8.8 rear ends they are different sized ( width) than what comes in my 83??

slow84lx · Mar 13, 2021

limp said:
And perhaps I am incorrect here, but when I have looked at 8.8 rear ends they are different sized ( width) than what comes in my 83??

1986 was the first year of the 8.8 in a fox body. Same width as your '83. Width stayed the same all the way thru 1993. 1994 Mustangs got rear disk brakes which kept the same housing but with wider axles to accommodate the disk brakes. About 3/4" per side. This width stayed the same until '99 or so when it got a little wider.

All V8 Mustangs, and many other models, had a traction-lok differential from the factory. All thru '99 will bolt directly into your '83, There are a lot of them out there.

General karthief · Mar 14, 2021

The plus with limp's deal is he already has the center section, it's an N case I believe so he has the jump on cost, even with swapping gears.

slow84lx · Mar 14, 2021

Having the hard parts and familiarity is a big factor.

limp · Mar 14, 2021

slow84lx said:
1986 was the first year of the 8.8 in a fox body. Same width as your '83. Width stayed the same all the way thru 1993. 1994 Mustangs got rear disk brakes which kept the same housing but with wider axles to accommodate the disk brakes. About 3/4" per side. This width stayed the same until '99 or so when it got a little wider.

All V8 Mustangs, and many other models, had a traction-lok differential from the factory. All thru '99 will bolt directly into your '83, There are a lot of them out there.

Thanks for the update on what fits what, I must of been thinking about 94 up.... I will upgrade to 5 lugs so new axles in 93 back housings. The 9 inch package from speedway comes with 31 spline 5 lug axles ... I am planning on staying with rear drums, kits for bolt on 11" drums for 9 inch rears available, so trying to keep this simple, as I hope my stock emergency brake cables will bolt on, PLUS larger rear brakes...
Not trying for a "mines bigger than yours" here, just want to build one a certain way and I think it will be easier and about the same price going with the 9 inch.

Back to my original post here, just curious of anyone else doing this and hoping for some real world experience. The only negative I have read is its tight on some cars by the drivers side upper control arm, which might need a little grinding on.......

General karthief · Mar 14, 2021

limp said:
"mines bigger than yours"

@Noobz347
And more important: I can't see why there would be problem with the drivers side upper arm if the the attachment point is in the same place as the 8.8?

limp · Mar 14, 2021

General karthief said:
The plus with limp's deal is he already has the center section, it's an N case I believe so he has the jump on cost, even with swapping gears.

A little bit anyways, new gears, new eaton posi unit, and new bearings will add up ....

General karthief said:
@Noobz347
And more important: I can't see why there would be problem with the drivers side upper arm if the the attachment point is in the same place as the 8.8?

The housing and pumpkin are a little bigger than a 8.8, is how I understand it...

limp · Mar 15, 2021

Boy what a mess this thing is.. I was disappointed that it did not have a Daytona Pinion housing, MOST "N" housings did.... AND a small 1310 yoke....

limp · Apr 8, 2021

Looks a little better here.. 1350 forged yoke with a new daytona ( big bearing) pinion housing.....

limp · Apr 8, 2021

And its going into what UPS brought yesterday..

Monkeybutt2000 · Apr 8, 2021

Nice rear, but completely overkill.

General karthief · Apr 8, 2021

If anybody asks 'where's the beef?'
Just point to your rear end

limp · Apr 8, 2021

Monkeybutt2000 said:
Nice rear, but completely overkill.

I am spending my kids inheritance

Gs1987GT · Apr 9, 2021

Looks nice man. Your car, build it the way you want and what makes you happy. That's what is most important. Good luck. More pics please, as the install moves along.

Suspension Anyone here have a 9" in their fox body?

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

clean it good before insertion

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

clean it good before insertion

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

clean it good before insertion

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

Mustang Master

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

Active Member

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