Lincoln Rear End
- Thread starter crzipilot
- Start date
iskwezm
10 Year Member
as far as the brake thing goes, i feel you are better off going with the crown vic disc brake swap... everyone jumped on the versalles bandwagon, and therefore, supply is thin. the crown vic's are still a dime a dozen. you can pick up any number of rear ends that will bolt in, swap the brakes out, and still have money left over for a set of gears. being from fla, do you know of any 57 - 59 full size fords? best rear there is for a 65-66 mustang...just get the spring mounting plates, as the axle tubes are larger diameter.
ultrastang
Founding Member
If you are looking for a 9-inch rear end...Versailles disc brake, or 9-inch drum brake rear end...or even an 8-inch drum brake rear end for that matter, you can convert any of them to a disc brake setup (including converting the Versailles) to a different style of rear discs.
I guess that's what I was saying, getting this axle, ditching the versailles brakes for some other conversion, but by getting this axle, I'd have a housing that fits without needing to be cut down to size, and such.
So if I was to get this housing, find a disc kit for a large bearing 9", what other problems, or drawback would there be to this axle under a 65???
Or does someone know of a better idea, baring finding a late 50's ford rear??? Avoiding the shorting route, as having it priced locally, it's about 200+ for a local place to do it.
So if I was to get this housing, find a disc kit for a large bearing 9", what other problems, or drawback would there be to this axle under a 65???
Or does someone know of a better idea, baring finding a late 50's ford rear??? Avoiding the shorting route, as having it priced locally, it's about 200+ for a local place to do it.
i guess my post was a bit confusing.what i was trying to say is that i wouldnt pay big bucks for the versalles rear just to get the disc brakes, when you can find other rear ends for less money that are just as easily adapted to a more readily available brake setup.though the versalles is a valid choice,but the parts are hard to find, and if you break in the middle of nowhere, well, lets just say the explorer set up(for large bearing housings, or the crown vic, for small bearing) would be a better choice.
Ok, gotcha, wasn't looking at this axle for the brakes. I figured I'd put something else on there. Mainly concerned with getting correct length housing and such. As this one would provide, axles, and carrier. As opposed to buying a currie housing or something similar and piecing it together...
CraigMBA
New Member
You can do a rear disc conversion on just about any rear end.
If you want to really Joe Dirt cheapshot it, I'd get a rear end out of an Explorer with discs and a traction loc 8.8 and 3.73 or 4.11 gears. They are about $300 but you have to change the perches. Big whoop. If you're going to do a T-5 swap, your pinion angle is wrong and you need to fix the rear end anyway.
If you want to really Joe Dirt cheapshot it, I'd get a rear end out of an Explorer with discs and a traction loc 8.8 and 3.73 or 4.11 gears. They are about $300 but you have to change the perches. Big whoop. If you're going to do a T-5 swap, your pinion angle is wrong and you need to fix the rear end anyway.
The Exploder rear is easier said than done, the pinion is offset 4" to the passenger side. Narrowing one side 4" may net you a rear that's too narrow for the Stang spiring spread (43" ctr to ctr) So far I have not heard of anyone successfully doing this job. I narrowed one for my Ranger and it's 52" axle to axle and this is too narrow for a leaf spring rear perch spread. I have just enough clearance behind my rear tires for the Ranger's leafs, they're narrower than a Stang. $500 is high for just the Versailles housing, and I believe the axles are too long to use with brake sets other than the Versailles discs, someone correct me if I'm wrong here. The Versailles housing is the right width, but the brake offset is more than drum sets because the over all width of a Versailles rear is 1" wider with the axles than a 65-66 rear, 1" narrower than the 67-70 rear.
CraigMBA
New Member
Does the drive shaft hit the tunnel?
I don't know if it'll fit the Mustang or not. I do know that it's real popular with the XJ crowd and the offset is no problem as long as you get the pinion angle right with the trans. Slightly different application - I've got all the driveshaft clearance in the world in my Jeep.
There's another thread here where someone's trying the Exploder rear and narrowing one side, It'll be interesting to see if that can be done to fit a Stang with the pinion centered and not be too narrow for the stock spring spread. I keep hearing about doing this, but have yet to see it done and documented.
Decurion
Member
For those not in the Jeep world, xj is the Cherokee. Which, for what its worth, got renamed the Liberty because of the native american Cherokee indians. However, in the rest of the world its still known as the cherokee. I learned this working for Chrysler a while back.
But when it comes to rear disks, personally, I stay as far away from the Versailles rear as possible because:
1. It has that weird double cardan yoke on it
2. The "towing/performance" gear was 2.79, standard was 2.43.
3. Parts, particularly calipers, are expensive and hard to find.
So when you figure the cost of rebuilding the existing brakes, putting a reasonable gear in it, maybe even posi too, it becomes one expensive rear end. If you dont make enough power to really need a 9", you can get a rear from any thing related to the Versailles, like the Granada/Mercury equilvalent, the Maverick/Comet, Falcon, etc etc etc. Early Fairlanes I think had the right width rear ends too, but maybe the perches have to be moved, Im not sure. Whatever diff you go with, I would get the Crown Vic disks if its a small bearing, Explorer if its a big bearing. I wouldnt rule out having a custom rear end made either. You can have a housing narrowed pretty cheap <$200, new axles are only around $250, center sections can vary depending whats in it, brakes are about $50 at the local u-pick and if you get lucky will still be useable, but all in all you shouldnt have more than about $750 into it if you do it right, and get a little lucky, and youll have a far better rear end than a stock Versailles.
The "weird double yoke is easily changed. You're off on the ratios a bit. They came in 2.47, 2.50 and 2.75. The calipers while a tad on the high side ire not hard to find at your local parts house. Advance Auto list at least three reman calipers from $70-90 apiece. This is a one time cost, how often do any calipers need rebuilding? Custom axles, last I checked were at least $300 a pair, where'd you get em at $250 ?
ultrastang
Founding Member
For a number of years, I had a '79 Versailles under my '68 and had very good service from it. But, I have since replaced it with a 9-inch drum brake small bearing rear end I took from an '80-model Mercury Monarch, which I converted over to Cobra rear discs.
The stock round companion flange of the Versailles can easily be replaced with a conventional (short) 1310/1330-series flange from a '65-'85 Ford half ton pickup.
A 2.79:1 ratio would actually be a ratio applicable to the Ford 8-inch rear ends. The '77-'80 9-inch Versailles disc brake/'75-'80 Granada/Monarch 9-inch drum brake rear ends actually had (4) ratio possiblities available in them: 2.47, 2.50, 2.75 or 3.00:1. Most of these rear ends had single track differentials, but there were some that had a 2-pinion Traction-Lok differential, and even some that had a 4-pinion Traction-lok in them.
Rear calipers are about $125.00 + $50.00 core (ea.) from Mustangs Plus, but the same Versailles rear calipers are $62.49 + $55.00 core from NAPA: http://www.napaonline.com/masterpag...w/+Hardware+-+Left+Rear+(Semi-Loaded)+-+Remfd I'm sure there are probably other parts stores that carry them for possibly less --you would just have to check around.
The Versailles was the hot ticket 10+ years ago or so, to get a 9-inch rear end AND disc brakes. In the last 5 years or so, the market has changed and there are more, and better choices, to pick from to have a 9-inch and disc brakes.
The Versailles rear end itself can be converted over to a more abundant and modern rear disc setup, but I would not pay $500 for something that virtually everything on it would need to be replaced just to have a foundation of a housing and axles to build on.
Decurion
Member
I never said the Versailles was a BAD rear end, but given what most people want, its gets pretty expensive pretty fast to make it performance oriented. Im shocked you found those calipers that cheap, I called my local napa and they quoted me more than double that price, so I weasled out of the one I won on eBay. Are you sure about the ratios? You would probably know better than I would, but Ive only ever heard of the 2.79 and 2.43 coming in the Versailles.
ultrastang
Founding Member
I agree, the Versailles is not a bad rear end, but it has been surpassed by better options --unless you can get the rear end for really cheap to use as a buildable core for upgraded components.
I don't know of any 2.43:1 ratios offered in the 8- or 9-inch rear ends, the 7.25" or 7.5", or the 8.7" or 8.8" rear ends. I have the rear ratio codes of over 730 applications offered by Ford from 1965-1993 and cannot find this ratio. Not to say it doesn't exist, but I can find no record of it in what I have. The 2.79 is definitely related only to the 8-inch rears.
In the information I do have, the '75-'80 Granadas, Monarchs and and the '77-'80 Versailles are listed as a code "G" body style.
These are all the rear end ratio listings designated by the "G" code pertaining to the '75-'80 Granadas/Monarchs and '77-'80 Versailles:
1. Tag I.D. Code:WDW-Z, Z2 Year Model:'75-UP Ratio:3.00 Rear End 8" Differential:Conventional (2-pinion single track).
2. WDW-AB, '75-'80, 2.79, 8", Conv. diff.
3. WDW-AF,AF2, '79, 2.79, 8", Conv. diff.
4. WDW-AD, '77, 3.40, 8", Conv. diff.
5. WDX-A, '75-'76, 2.75, 9", Conv. diff.
6. WDX-B, '75-'76, 3.00, 9", Conv. diff.
7. WER-T, '75-'76, 3.07, 8.7", Conv. diff.
8. WER-V, '75-'76, 2.75, 8.7", Conv. diff.
9. WER-AC, '77-'78, 2.47, 8.7", Conv. diff.
10. WFB-E, '75-'78, 3.00, 9", 2-pinion Taction-Lok diff.
11. WFB-F, '75-'76, 3.00, 9", 2-pinion Traction-lok diff.
12. WFB-G,G1 (Before 3/15/78), 2.50, 9", 2-pinion Traction-Lok diff.
13. WFB-G (From 3/15/78) '78, 2.47, 9", 2-pinion Traction-Lok diff.
14. WFB-K, '77-'78, 2.50, 9", 4-pinion Traction-Lok diff.
15. WFD-R, '76, 3.00, 8", 2-pinion Tration-Lok diff.
16. WFG-B, '77, 2.50, 9", 4-pinion Traction-Lok diff.
I guess I was lucky with the first "Versailles" rear I had from reading your list. That one was a 2.50 geared Trac-loc , so it would have been the 4 pinion. It was pulled from a Monarch. The guy who I sold the car too, destroyed it from what I heard. He drag raced it after installing a button clutch and stickier tires than I had without changing the ratio. The Toploader got trashed at the same time.
Well I guess a decision was made. Was wandering the pick/pull yard today. And just looking for some things for the jeep, and looking to see what 9" rears I could find. See if there was anything with a trac-loc or not.
Well found an aerostar (not sure) aluminum driveshaft already pulled from a car, so for 15.00 couldn't pass that up. Mentioned to the checkout guy I was looking for a trac-loc center for a 9", and he says "Oh there's a full axle out front there for 200.00. Came out of a mustang has posi in it.
So tape measure in hand and jumped over there, and did some quick measurements, and while looking at it, it doesn't appear to be a mustang rear, but probably originally an older 9" someone put into a mustang. Either way, it's the right length, and appears to be 31 spline large bearing, and quick estimate is gears are 2.75 or so, with posi
Well found an aerostar (not sure) aluminum driveshaft already pulled from a car, so for 15.00 couldn't pass that up. Mentioned to the checkout guy I was looking for a trac-loc center for a 9", and he says "Oh there's a full axle out front there for 200.00. Came out of a mustang has posi in it.
So tape measure in hand and jumped over there, and did some quick measurements, and while looking at it, it doesn't appear to be a mustang rear, but probably originally an older 9" someone put into a mustang. Either way, it's the right length, and appears to be 31 spline large bearing, and quick estimate is gears are 2.75 or so, with posi
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