New Axle Housing

[JPotter57]

Zapato, yes, I used a 16 gallon cell, recessed into the floor, so it still had use as a trunk.  It wasnt totally flat, but it didnt take up the entire trunk either.

[RICH MUISE]

Jim..now you're probably asking yourself why I would ask a stupid question like "are you measuring to the inside of the flange"...I just went back and looked at the great website Zap posted and realized that I had for years been misreading all the articles on housing length. I was thinking in terms of the housing, not the housing with axles, so when they all gave measurements for "inside flange" length, I had wrongly assumed they were talking about the inside surface of the housing flange. Even though it made no sense to me that everone I thought was measuring to an unmachined surface, other than assembled in a car it would be an easier surface to measure to, I wasn't thinking in terms of the "inside flange" being the one on the housing as opposed to the "outside flange" being created when the axle flange is added to the equation. I think I have it straight now..
Makes me want to change my name on this website to "Anonymous"

[JimNolan]

Rich,
  53.000" is the measurement that is just of the housing. No backing plates. Face to face of the axle housing.
I've read all the material you're talking about. Anything on the web I could get my hands on, I read. A lot of that information didn't fit what I had. The only conclusion I could come to was that either they needed figures to throw in the spaces and generalized information or I had an oddball rear end. That's like everywhere you read that the narrowest rear end they made in a 9 inch rear end came in a 57-59 Ford Ranchero or Station Wagon. Duh! What about the cars. They made umpteen more cars than they did Rancheros or Station Wagons. And each chart looks like they copied the information from the same source.
  As far as cutting down the housing 1/2-3/4" to enable more tire to fit I decided against it. If I didn't already have twelve tires and wheels to fit what I've got it would be a no brainer. I've got a set of powder coated factory wheels, painted factory wheels and a set of Cragar wheels already. I'm tired of calculating, I want to drive the car again.
  I do want to say this: Between the " I destroyed my Equi-Loc thread and this New Axle Housing thread". James ought to edit the replies and re-label it as required reading for anyone concidering building a 57 Ford. There's a lot of good information that each one of us have put into those two threads that could help others. Jim

[RICH MUISE]

You're probably right about all articles using the same base source of info....I think that's why I was misreading for so many times...they all use the term "inner flange overall dimensions" when refering to housing length. That's erroneous..a housing does not have inner and outer flanges..only a rear member assembly. It's kinda like the Ford misleading use of sohc and dohc.
Jim, I noticed James had said he had a '57 with a housing that was narrowed 1 1/2 per side to 50"..that would make it the same as yours @ 53" before modification...so maybe not so oddball.
Anonymous

[JimNolan]

Rich,
   That's correct. You see, James has been there. Most of the guys that answered these two threads have either been there or was trying to learn from it. When James talked about the 1 1/2" cuts, I related to that. When John told Moser his left axle was 26" instead of 26.250" I knew he had been there. I don't think a lot of the articals I've read have been there.
   I was fortunate enough to track down everyone that had owned my car since 1971. I talked to them. The guy that changed it from an automatic to a three speed overdive was the one that changed the pig in it. The axles were the tapered 28 spline that they quit using a long time ago. There isn't even a metal indentification tag listed on the web like the one I have. It reads " L-3.70".
  When the information age started, it was started by younger people that think that the 60's and 70's was the actual start of information. Anything older than that doesn't require anything other than guess work. And, think about the guys, especially younger guys that buy thier cars already done. They can't tell you if the oil galleries were drilled out in their engines or what deck clearance is for the pistons they used. Next time you go to a car show ask the guy what his brake offset is on the axles he's using. DON'T GET ME WRONG, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. It's just finding that correct information on the web is getting hard to find. If it weren't for websites like this you'd never know. I'm learning every day, I'm just thankful I can be a part of the information getting out there. Jim

[RICH MUISE]

Well,here's another question that'll tell you I haven't been into my rear member...Does a single wheel drive rear member have 2 axels, or is the follow wheel just a hub? I assumed they had two, but I realized I was doing just that...assuming...and if they do have 2, why?
Anonymous Again, lol
post #934,,,man I need a life..I'm even catching up to James and in less than 2 years

[JimNolan]

Rich,
   You probably wish no one knew you just wrote that last post. Like my teachers all the way through school told me " there's no such thing as a stupid question, there's only stupid people that would make fun of you for asking that question".
   John made a comment to me that suggested just because one of my axles broke I should have been able to drive home on the other axle. Well, I researched that one for half the morning. What I found out was a limited slip differential with one wheel in the air acts just like a standard rear end. They claim you can trick them though by applying your brakes. How that would work in my case is beyond me because one axle was broken and the resistance of the left wheel brake would have never been felt on the differential anyway.
   Back to your question: Google " how a differential works". I bet you'll find a video like I did that will save a lot of typing. Jim

[JPotter57]

Actually my housing wasnt a `57 housing, it was a custom Moser housing, late model triangulated style, with 3.5 inch tubes, much stronger than `57 rear.  I had it custom built with axles to the width I wanted.  I found the spec sheet on it the other day, and it was actually 49.5 flange to flange with 2.5 inch brake offset, for disk brakes.    I ended up using truck backing plates (1962 F100) and the stock 57 drums with the center register machined for the larger register on the axles.  I never did get around to putting on the disks.  It fit a big wheel and tire though, lol...and yes, it was a pain to navigate the tire and wheel around that big drum, would have been far easier if I had put disks on it.

[suede57ford]

If you take 3/4 inch out of each side of the original '57 rear end it allows you to use the more common 8" width rim with 4.5" back-spacing wheels.  That centers the tire/wheel in the rear fenderwell. 8" wide with a 4.5" backspace is the common in-stock size for many wheel companys.  To center an 8" wheel with the stock width rear end requires a 5.25" backspace.

I have used up to a 275 width tire under a stock fenderwell with the outer quarter lip folded flat in the close areas.  A little clearancing in the inner fenderwell with a hammer and dolly where the tires might touch(shiney metal after a few miles) you can make room.

A rear sway bar really helps prevent rubbing too.  The Thunderbirds of the Southwest bar or 57 cheby aftermarket bar works as long as the exhuast system is run up high.

The original '57 housing is right at 58 1/4 wide where the wheels bolt on.  Cutting 3/4 off an original axle only leaves 1/2" of spline, but makes a great pattern for some decent axles, which they need anyway.

[JimNolan]

Guys,
 I'm having a hard time posting this. Here's my 57 and the clearances I have in the wheel well. the top one is my set of cragars and Harmony tires and the bottom one is of a 8" wheel with 4.5" backspace and I threw a set of 9" slicks on it for drag racing. You be the judge. Jim
Edit: After downloading God knows how many pieces of graph paper to calculate backspacing and wheel clearance by changing rims, cuting axles and figuring section width on various tires, I come back to what James told me a couple years ago. " How many flats have you had in recent years". I've finally decided he's right. Today I'm going to go out to the hanger and loosen the shocks to see how far that will drop the axle. Then if I still don't have enough room I'll drop the spring shackles. I've had my car all over the country and I haven't had a flat on that car since I bought it in 2004. I can run any wheel and tire I want and have plenty of clearance by just having room to get the section width of a tire over the big drums we have. Jim

[JimNolan]

suede57ford,
    I owe you a public apology. I've been thinking about this ever since I found out I could use different shocks and put a tire on my car without the hassle of section width. I measured my wheel opening again and found I could use an 8" rim with a 9" slick if I wanted. The backspacing would be 4.5" just as you said. Also each of these cars can have a different brake offset on the axles so that comes into play also. I honestly didn't think the wheel and tire you described could fit the wheel opening of a 57. Please accept my apology for contraditing you. Jim