I know it`s 9 inch, but from what? ID badly needed

[James R]

Hi people,
I`ll try to make it quick, please bear with me. I don`t have a 67-72 ford truck, I have a modified 93 Explorer with a 1978 vintage dana44 up front and a mystery Ford 9 inch in the rear. Events have led me to believe it may be an old F-100 axle.

I came across these axles as the last owner found them, behind his garage on some property he bought. All that was there was a frame and two axles..

I rebuilt the axles and put them into my 4x4 project, seeming only to have troubles with the rear end, namely, the bearings and seals. Anyway I ran it for a while, but slowly pushed it more and more, then got stupid and snapped a rear shaft.
that is when my troubles started~

I cannot seem to find replacement shafts for this axle even though I brought the actual axles into the parts store. They say the measurements don`t add up, in other words they don`t exist!

What I know:
- Axle housing flange to flange measurement: 60.5 inches
- Big bearing (smidgeon over 3 inch outside dia.)
- housing is "old" or "banjo" style (rounder than later housings)
-Shaft flanges bolt up as 5 on 5.5
-shafts are 31 7/8 long (end to outside flange)
-shafts are 28-spline
- shafts had 11 inch Drums on it and 2 &1/4 inch shoes
- The mounting studs look like 7/16 fine thread and fit through 1/2 inch diameter holes in the brake backing plate. The fastening bolts are 3/4 inch size

*A large part of the parts store confusion seemed to be the equal length shafts. The shafts I have are the exact same length BUT one side seems to have not run into the carrier/locker splines as far as the other, with maybe 1/4 inch of spline running outside of it on one side, and fully seated splines on the other -so it could well be that the axle is slightly offset..
(it was the passenger side that is possibly short, although it was the driver`s side that snapped)

Finally, discussing this anomaly with another web wheeler has broght to light the idea that the 9 inch is from a 67-72 Ford F-100.

So being no stranger to specific automobile internet forums for enthusiasts I started searching 72 F-100 and found this site!

Thanks for looking, I hope someone can help out, SOMEONE has to know the answer! Let me know If I`m missing some info that will help out.

Gotta get back in action!

-James

[fordman]

yea it sounds like a 71 or 72 rear 9 inch. the axles are the same length. in those. so you need the axle shaft out of a 67-72 ford 9 inch. they are almost eveywhere. the 28 count splines is what you will need though. very few 73-79 trucks had a 28 count splines. those usually had 31 splines. i hope this helps. check junk yards for the axle they would probably know more than the parts stores

[FORDification]

You know, even with all the trucks I've parted out, I don't think I've ever actually measured a rearend housing from one of these, even though I have several sitting in my shop. If nobody else pops in with the correct answers, I'll stop by the shop on the way home tomorrow and get some measurements for you.

I agree that virtually all of these trucks came with 28-spline axles that were equal-length.

[James R]

Thanks guys, this sounds encouraging!
So if we actually do ID this axle are you saying that there are no aftermarket shafts to be found for this type and year axle?

I had hoped to replace with aftermarket because I`ve read that compared to late 70`s vehicles a basic replacement part is up to 30 percent stronger just by today`s metallurgical proceedures, which are far superior.

-james

[fordman]

i dont know about aftermarket parts there might be i have never looked for them. but i bet you can get them. because you can get new 9 inch to put under brand x cars

[FORDification]

The 28-spline axles are notorious for being the weak link in these earlier 9" rearends. Most of the '67-'72 truck owners who are going to be doing some spirited driving are encouraged to use a '73-'79 rearend, since these came with stronger 31-spline axles. However, the frame width is a little wider on these trucks, so you'd have to relocate the spring perches outboard about 2" farther on each side...aside from that, they're a bolt-in. The '73-'79 rearends are also slightly wider overall than the '67-'72 versions, so that would help bring the rear wheels in line with the fronts on our trucks. Because the housing is wider, the axles are as well, so we can't just swap in the later third member and axles into our existing housings.

However, you can get high-performance 28-spline axles for 9" rearends from Currie Enterprises. Check this link:

http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestor ... px?id=1885

[cdeal28078]

Intil I recently measured 2 axles I had here, I always assumed one side was longer than the otehr due to the offset of the center. Is this differenace just made up by how far the axle goes into the side gears?
clint

[BobbyFord]

My '72 short bed came with a 9 3/8" 31 spline limited slip rear.
Guess I got lucky...

[James R]

The 28-spline axles are notorious for being the weak link in these earlier 9" rearends. Most of the '67-'72 truck owners who are going to be doing some spirited driving are encouraged to use a '73-'79 rearend, since these came with stronger 31-spline axles.

Yeah, see there is a problem with that, I bought a Detroit softlocker for a 28 spline axle. It was 800 bucks so I`m hoping to keep it rather than trying to sell it. in hindsight that was the way to go, I actually didn`t realize I had a 28 spline rear end until after I had re-built the Dana 44, then sandblasted, cut off and welded on new spring perches, and painted the 9 inch housing, bought all the brake components, seals and bearings. When I was ready to buy the locker is when I realized it was 28, by then I was so far into it I just carried on.

[FORDification]

OK, here are the measurements I got:

- overall width, axle flange to axle flange - 61-1/4"
- housing width - tube flange to tube flange - 56-1/4"
- axles, length - 29-7/8"

When you measured the housing width, did you put a straight-edge along the housing tube flange on each end and measure the width, or did you just hook a tape-measure on one end and wrap it around the pumpkin to the other tube flange? If the latter, that might account for the extra 3/4" width that you're reporting. Try measuring it like I describe, by getting a buddy to help...put a long straightedge (like a yardstick) squared against each axle tube flange and then measure the distance between them.

And how did you measure the axle length? I know you say you measured from the end of the shaft to the front of the flange, but your measurement is 2" longer than what mine measured...which is about what mine would've measured if I'd also included the length of the lugs. I measured from the front part of the axle flange, where the wheel would rest, to the end of the axle.

[James R]

Oh No!

I measured the housing with the tape measure actually going through the axle tube with the third member and shafts removed, no bending or kinking of tape at all.
I used a flat piece of metal on either side of the flange you mount your drum brake backing plate to, hooking the dumb end of the tape on one and reading at the other. I measured both alone and with the help of my son. 60.5 inches. I could be off 1/16th I suppose, if the tape end is not quite dead on.

I`ve never measured the actual axle flange to axle flange.

The shafts are 31 7/8" from the surface the wheel mounts to, back to the end of the shaft.

Thanks for measuring for me.
I thought I had them Id`d, I`m running out of ideas, I`ve searched the net thoroughly, this makes no sense, my axle should be in a museum somewhere.

[fordman]

maybe james has a car axle and housing.

[James R]

That seems to be my only option left.
I will definitely post the answer when and if I find it!

[fordman]

but you know i took a axle out of a car once and put it in my truck because i couldnt pay to have the axle bearing chanmged so i used a used axle with a good bearing on it.

[James R]

PS spring perch center to spring perch center measurement on axle when I got it was 44 inches.