rear end questions

One easier to find solution is a Granada/Monarch 8" rear, unless you really have your heart set on a 9 or 8.8. The Versailles 9" is also an option.

Narrowing an 8.8 costs the same as a 9. In either case, you can choose axle/bearing ends to fit what ever brakes you decide to go with. Custom axles will run you about $300 here. Junk yard axles are extremely hard to come by in the correct length. I narrowed an Explorer 8.8 for my Ranger, total cost was around $700-800, including the purchase price ($100), Strange 31 spl. axles ($300), 9" style bearing ends ($80), aluminum girdle cover ($130), and labor ($150)

A 9" would be overkill for an I6 (unless it was really built to the max) and would take away power from an engine that probably doesn't have enough already. If I'm not mistaken I think the 65-66 Mustang 8" would work too. There are some axle charts available on the internet. I'll see if I can find one.

http://www.maliburacing.com/ford_9_inch/ford_nine_inch.htm According to a chart on this site the 64 Falcon is 58" wide and the 65-66 Mustang is 57.250" wide. I would think that they would be the same but they may not. Even if they are different that would not be enough to matter. I think the Mustang leaf spacing is the same since it was built on the same platform.

Info on rear ends --particulary 9-inch rears;

1. http://www.ultrastang.com/Rearinfo.asp?Page_ID=3

2. http://www.ultrastang.com/Rearinfo.asp?Page_ID=2

3. http://www.ultrastang.com/Rearinfo.asp?Page_ID=5

4. http://www.ultrastang.com/Rearinfo.asp?Page_ID=9

Six cylinder engines, particularly the 200, 250 or 300s have a lot more power/torque than people give credit. In the case of the 250, it's only 39 cubic inches smaller than a 289, and a 300 six is only 2 cubic inches smaller than a 302, but is 11 cubic inches bigger than the 289.

The 9-inch rear end housing in the following link came from an '80 model Mercury Monarch that was powered by a 250 in-line six cylinder;
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/3282/monarch9inchim1.jpg

The '80 Monarch drum brake 9-inch rear was the basis I used to convert to Cobra rear discs to replace the '79 Versailles factory disc brake rear I had under my '68 Mustang;
http://www.ultrastang.com/images/2006/cobrabrakehosemount0243cf_2.jpg

Few people who get bitten by the Mustang bug leave their cars stock. There's always that drive to make it faster, better, more powerful. "Over Engineering" the parts of your car to handle whatever power plant you install (or may possibly install in the future) just keeps you from having to upgrade parts (spend even more money) over and over everytime you go up another power level.

There's plenty of debate in opinions between 8-inch rears vs. 9-inch rears as to what's needed or not needed. Many argue that the 9-inch is a "heavy" rear end but in reality, for example, a '65/'66 Mustang drum brake rear end is only 24 lbs. lighter than a comparably equipped drum brake 9-inch rear from a '57-'59 Ford big car. That equates to 12 lbs difference per side --in relative terms, that's not much more, but the strength capabilities will be vastly greater with the 9-inch over the 8-inch.

But, as always, it all goes back to the owner in their preference in what they deem is "right" for them and for their particular application.

Your not gonna find a junk yard 9 inch that will fit the falcon the way it should..A real good fit is the maverick 8 inch. I installed a curries 9 inch version of the maverick axle in a 64 sprint.. The rims are 15x8 with a 4 inch backspace mounted with 235/60/15 MT drag radials.. This is about a good a fit your gonna get without massaging fenders unless you have a drag race only car.....shure you can go with a granada axle and a differnt deep backspace rim but your limited in rim choices at that point unless you want stock rims and 205 tires.



This car has the maverick 9 inch from curries with strange ss 31 spline axles and a 5.14 gear with ful spool. stock drum brakes, stock leafs, lakewood 50/50's and lakewood traction bars..

I would suggest contacting Currie rear ends. They are one of the leading rear end fabricators around. They can put together any combination for you. new axels (not forged) are around $175 each. With the 302, an 8" is more than adequate. We're running a 347 stroker in our 65 mustang and we are using an 8" with 3.55 ratio and Eaton Tru Trac. Currie, along with other shops all felt the 8" was more than adequate. Currie can more than likely tell you what the measurements for spring perches, etc should be.