Technical New Quickchange Parts for Old Style Hot Rods

Recently, I have been asked to build several Quickchanges using ¾ ton center sections and side plate adaptors to incorporate Ford axle trumpets (usually 40-48). This is a fairly straight forward operation, but the side plates are becoming hard to get and therefore the price is escalating.

The only currently available new plates are from Winters. They are beautifully done and I have built several different rear ends using them. There are 3 things that I found to be less than ideal with them. First, they do not look old school. This may or not be an issue. Second, they require either a special differential, only available from Winters, or modifications to the plates to utilize more common carrier bearings. This adds even more to the third issue, price.

The pictures below are of a stock Winters plate and one with a bearing adaptor that I fabricated.





I am looking to reproduce adaptor side plates to enable the use of early Ford axle trumpets on 11 or 12 bolt 3/4 ton Quickchange center sections. These will be virtually identical to the Halibrand H852 parts and will be available in Aluminum only at this time. The pictures below are of original Halibrand parts.

11 Bolt


12 Bolt

They are not interchangeable but are both machined from the same casting.

Center cases are normally one of two widths 3 3/4" or 4 3/8". Halibrand, CAE, ARC and Benson use the 4 ¾” dimension while Winters, Frankland, Coleman, Jones, Lynn, Speedway Engineering etc. are 3 ¾” The reason I make a point of this is that the narrower cases make a visually smaller rear end. All of these can be used as a basis for a heavy duty Quickchange that retains an old school look.

Good limited slip differentials can be had relatively inexpensively and easily modified to work with either case width in either 11 or 12 bolt configuration.

I am trying to gauge the market for these items. Please let me know if you are interested and whether you would be more likely to want 11 or 12 bolt plates. I will include you in a private conversation that will give you special introductory pricing.

Thanx,
Bruce

 

Wow - beautiful

 

Interested, 11 bolt.

 

Bump for the Day Crew

 

Man, if you can make those affordably, I'll be interested at some point. I already abandoned the idea of running my 11 bolt center because getting all the pieces together was going to cost a lot of money and time that I just couldn't justify.

V8 centers are unobtanium for most budget minded builds; either you shell out $4k for a new unit or anywhere just a little South or far north of $4k for a vintage center is pretty much the story I've found lately. BUT, you can get an 11 or 12 bolt big center for a couple hundred or less, they are plentiful, and there are lots of parts on the market.

 

I'm not in the market for any big quickies, but I could see if you could put those side plates together with a good differential, and offer a sort of "kit", that a lot more guys would use big quickies in their hot rods. A great alternative for the big $$$ V8 quickchanges

 

Alchemy,
I was going to make a list of items needed to complete a Quickchange build. The idea of a kit is even better.
2 new plates, refurbished and modified differential and possibly axle trumpets to make the rear end of your dreams.

I don't have anything against V8 units, but the robustness of the 3/4 ton makes it so much more practical. Especially for those of us that can now build the power that we dreamed about as kids.

 

I would possibly be interested in a Kit. I've wanted a quick change but those prices for them...... oh boy.

 

Pat59,
I'm trying to add you to a conversation I started for those interested. I may have exceeded the number of participants. If I can't get this resolved, I will PM you with info.
Bruce

 

Bruce, I am sure you know that the Hot Rod Works have all the drawings to do the same but found there was not enough demand. I signed up for a couple of sets but they never produced them. They used my old plates to make the drawings for the castings. The Halibrand name is magic for some of us old guys. Center sections are also hard to come by that are any good. The Winters are complete and priced right but many still like the Halibrand Champ. Why not offer the whole unit complete if you have some cases. I have never put one together under $3K. Another fellow in San Diego was going to make them a few years ago and found there was a very limited demand. The going rate for these plates in our area is about $500. I don't know what Winters plates cost but I suppose around the same price. Good Luck!

 

Winters lists theirs for $306 ea.
I didn't know HRW looked at doing this. I must be doing something wrong because I have built a bunch and only a really high end full polished rear would approach $3K.
My wife's right (again), I work too cheap.

 

I LOVE the idea of a "kit". Can't say 11 or 12 bolt would be better - I've owned many of both over the years but currently have a nice 12 bolt.

Steve

 

I might be persuaded to go that route with mine. I have two old Timken rear ends that I was going to use along with my Frankland center section to build one. I also have lots of V8 rear parts to chose from. Just never thought about doing it that way. I might also be interested in selling them through my hot rod parts business Highway 101 Rod and Custom. My center section is 11 bolt.

 

I'm in for a pair of each. The old ones can be found but vary from 400-750 for a pair. Also time takes its toll on these old parts. Patina is one thing but corrosion is another. Have run into some pairs of badly corroded adapter plates still in the 500 range. I think you would do well with them. Probly won't get rich. But we do it for the love right ??

 

HalibrandSteve,
A "kit" could be offered with the option of 11 or 12 bolt plates with no price penalty.

Jim (55willys),
I could persuade you, but you know you should do it. I'm not ready to have distributors yet. I don't even have a prototype.

thommoia33,
If you sell that V8 you can build a Champ and have money left over!

Blackout,
I'll put you on the list. I haven't found any problems with old aluminum plates, but the mag ones can be sketchy.
I've given up on being rich, although I am going to buy a ticket for the PowerBall drawing. If I win $650 million, I'll give a set of plates to everyone who has responded to this thread. And, 2 sets for Ryan!

 

Pricing would be key, 300+ each for the winters is crazy............even more so since they are fugly.

 

Tman,
Tell us how you really feel.

 

go to hotrodta,albums,34 5 window,n01,DSC0101K
One you build for me Car still not done. don

 

Hi Don,
Sometimes these things take awhile.
That rear end does look good!

 

Definitely interested in the 11 bolt if they become a reality. Maybe a set of 12 bolts in the future if i get lucky again.

 

Bruce here is a photo of some side plates that were made by a machinist. They look a little different but do the job. I think the cost would be way up there units like this. I am not sure the back side looks like. I think he was asking $500 for the pair. I wonder what differential bearing distance you would need for these plates.

 

Lynn,

I bet that was an expensive chunk of aluminum. Interesting that these are 11 bolt. The bolt circle diameter requires that the outside of the plate be more than 12". So, you have to start with a piece bigger than that. A piece of 12" diameter bar won't work. It would for 12 bolt plates. Looks like the top one is thicker (right side).

Another customer sent me pictures of some he had made also. Those were different thickness on each side. He wasn't happy with the look. I was afraid to take them in trade as I couldn't see someone else wanting them either.

 

Having just seen Lynns post, and those big side covers, I thought i'd add this, just for interest. My V8 center came with these mag (I think) side covers, and this has a big diff inside, not a 40 item. It was under the bench of a race car fabricators, so possibly originally used in a circuit car, but I have no history on it.As you can see, it has ally adaptors for the UJ's so it may have had solid shafts at some point, or tubes?

 

Neils,
I think those might be Allard. And, based on where you are, that would make sense. Any markings anywhere on who might have made it?

 

They look like they could be to run an IRS.

Steve

 

Nice work Bruce ! - by the way if you do win the lotto - I'm adoptable.

 

Sorry bubba,
I already have 4 kids and 12 grandchildren (+2 on the way). And, I didn't win Wednesday. I'm giving God one more chance to let me prove it wouldn't spoil me.

 

Bump! I didn't win the Powerball (neither did you) so I need to sell some side plates!

 

Anybody else?
One thousand views and only 8 guys want to be on a list of potential customers.

I thought there would be more interest than that. Hmmm.