Truck Rear End Specifications

Apr 29, 2008 6 Replies
A

Hi everyone. Thanks so much for all the input on replacing the rear end in my '51



2R truck.

I found a couple good used 9" rear ends from Fords locally, and also found a shop in Iowa that will build me a unit using a reconditioned center housing, but everything else is new. The will build it to my specifications including perch width, shock mounts, gear ratio, and new axles, posi-traction, bearings, seals and the works. This at $1600 delivered to my door in California. This is about $1200 cheaper than a similar unit from Curry.



I am thinking about going that route, but I could modify a used one myself by moving the perches and putting in new gears.



Does anyone has the following information?



- Spring Perch angle relative to the input shaft?



- Width of the stock rear end outside drum to outside drum (right where the wheel bolts on)?



I do not have a stock rear end to measure so I am a bit at a loss on how to get that information. I will need it to spec out the rear end should I buy the custom one, and also for moving the perches on a used one if I go that route.



Thanks! Allen


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A

If you go the used route, have a shop do the spring perches. I tried it myself and warped the tubes. Had to have the tubes cut off and repositioned. It's not too expensive to have the perches done right.

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N

Maybe I'm missing something, but I thought you already had a Ford rear under your truck? Why not simply grab a new center section from a junkyard, replace the bearing that grenaded and keep on driving? or are you attempting to correct the bolt pattern at the same time?

nate

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D

The rear spring centers are 44 15/16". I don't have a rear end with drums in place to measure the width, but drum-to-drum measurement will be very close to the published track width of 59 9/16". I don't see a pinion angle published in the 2R spec book, but in the 7E book it is shown as 5º up. If you don't mind the tapered axles, the easiest and probably cheapest way to fix this is to find a 1955 or older Stude pickup rear end and install the carrier and ring and pinion from a car model 44 rear end to get a cruising gear ratio. In 1956 the bed and rear axle was widened 3". They will work too, but keep you from using a real wide wheel.

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A

Dwain, Thanks so much for your reply. I found a rear out of a 53 truck and the fine folks at Studebakers West tell me that they have a NOS set of gears in the 3:92 ratio. I think that the 2.5% change in RPM will drop my revs at highway cruise just enough to perhaps make a slight difference in economy, but are not so different that it will effect the hill climbing and performance with load since I am running a '62 289 in the truck.

I am thinking of putting on a 4-barrel manifold with a small Edelbrock carb as others keep telling me that unless I hot rod it, the

4-barrel is actually a bit more economical at low speeds but helps a ton when you need the power for hills and passing. Any thoughts on that?

I think your advice is perfectly on target. I will start the process of getting the rear end and parts. Thanks again.

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M

a properly adjusted 4 barrel is FAR BETTER in economy than a 2 barrel. emphasis PROPERLY adjusted, and to ME that means having access to certain equipment and re jetting down to the best level of fuel/air mix for the BEST possible economy.

--Shiva--

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