1952-59 Ford 53' Mercury rear end swap?

I have a 53' Mercury Monterey 2dr HT and *think* I would like to update the rear end. The PO told me always carried a spare axle with him as he had broken a couple of them. Debating if I should swap out the rear for something that is a little sturdier and with more modern brakes? If so, what rear end is a fairly easy swap? My fab skills are limited, though I do have some resources for help if needed.

 

The Ford Explorer rear is very popular and many Pull-A-Parts have them for around $200 these are disc brake and use a stout 31 spline axle here is all the Tech you will need to pick one: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Ford-8_8-axle.shtml

 

Jeff, I know you've posted this before but is the Explorer rear axle a direct swap or are there mods needed? Also is there a year that had drum brakes?

 

For 52-56 Fords, the 57 and 58 nine inchers are a direct swap . Same for a 65-66 Mustang 8 inch. 59 9 inch may also be a direct swap, but not sure of this because of the spring pads. I don't know if this holds true for the Merc's. You would have to measure the Merc and compare it to a Ford of the same year.

I believe that the Explorer swap may require modifications, so read the article mentioned.

 

The 1957-59 9" are the same they are a direct fit except for the rear U-joint but these only have 28 spline axles and are non-locker aka Posi but due to demand over the years they can be way up there in price as is the early Mustang and Maverick 8". If you read thru the 8.8" link I posted from rangerstation.com it lists the widths in this chart http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Ford-8_8-axle.shtml Best fit with only the relocation of the spring pads is the 1990-92 Ranger rear at 56 1/2" width you can swap the disc brakes from an Explorer to a Ranger rear. The Explorer rear could be used if you were to use wheels with a positive offset as it is about 1 1/2" wider than your Mercs,the other option is in these two videos.

 

Thanks for the great feedback. Looks like have a little research to do. Thanks for the info from the ranger station, this is a big help. I have a u-pull yard near where I work, I will check in there and see what they have.