I am considering this rearend for my build. It's a posi unit with 373 gears. It's got drum brakes and 4 bolt wheel pattern. Is anyone running this rear in their A? Anyone have an opinion as to whether it's a good choice or not. I plan on a traditional rear spring setup and I want to run 16" steel wheels. Does anyone know if this bolt pattern will match the repro steel wheels?
This should be as obvious as the number of lugs, you're missing one. Now could be the posi itself would work with a swap to 5-lug car axles, but if you're going traditional and running a stock front end, why not go get a Ford pickup rearend that has the same size bolt pattern on it? Model A is a small car as it is, be nice to carry just one spare tire with you and not need two different ones.
Another option is have to the axles redrilled. If the rearend is free, go for it, but if not, make them all match with a different rearend, imho.
It can easily and cheaply be converted to 5lug with '83-'92 Ranger/Bronco II Left (driver) side axle (29-5/32") from a 4cyl or 3.0L V-6 with the 7.5" rear end, or '86-'97 Aerostar RIGHT side axles (29-5/32"). and drums... and if its stock gears, then its probably 2:73s. Thats what most mustangs have.. they NEVER came with 3:73s. But that 8.8 is a pretty good rear end.. The trac-locs can be rebuild cheaply too. I beat the **** out of them.. If you have good traction and lots of power, you might want to weld the tubes to the hog head for added strength. But odds are you aren't going to have 500hp AND perfect traction in a model A.
I'm ruuning the same one under my coupe and with the four lugs (long story) but this winter i'm changing out the axles or having them re-drill to 5 lug.. Not sure if you can go to 4 3/4 or not.
Spudz has the perfect answer, ive done the drivers side ranger axle swap to 3 cars and works great ..alot better than redrilling axles..unless you need a odd bolt pattern.
If you want the gm 5on 4 3/4 pattern consider dutchman axle. They have excellent customer service and reasonable prices. They make custom axles and can shorten and respline yours if you narrow the housing. http://www.dutchmanms.com/
Let's see. The 5 lug axles are 5 on 4 1/2". EVERYBODY wants the 5 on 5 1/2", but there were a lot of cars that used the 5 on 4 1/2". You could probably find artilleries, the Ford 40 style, or even spokes in that pattern. Probably cheaper and easier to find too. I believe early Mopar stuff used 5 on 4 1/2" as well as IH?
That thing you wish to hell you had when you blow a tire out on the interstate 45 miles from home. Trust me, been there, done that, had a spare but it was wrong bolt pattern, now unless I have a load in my truck I carry two. I'd try and make room for a donut spare in an A just so if I was in the middle of nowhere I could at least limp to civilization, or something p***ing for it. On the bolt pattern, I guess it depends what you're running for a front end, too. But to match the 30's Ford bolt pattern (except wide-5) any Ford full size 1/2 ton truck rearend pretty much from '46 into the 90s will match up pretty well. Now sometimes you can buy a whole damn '64-'66 pickup for $500 that you can drive home - odds are some poking around would turn up a rearend for one easy enough.
Another over looked OEM source for axles is the Aerostar van. EXCEPT you use the p***enger side axle only. Ranger axles are getting a bit scarce in some areas. Moser Eng. will drill axles in any pattern you want. $239 for a shiny new pair of axles last I looked. Then re-drill your drums and off you go. An added bonus, if you want to take the time, is to grab the backing plates and drums of the Aerostar axle. They are bigger than the Mustang drums. Brake shoes may or may not be the same. ALL Mustangs from 1979-2004 had 28 spline axles and carriers. 4 cyl and V8 axles are the same part number. The 7.5" and 8.8" use the same axles. Axles from a Ranger MUST be from a 4 cyl or 2.9/3.0 V6 truck witha 7.5" axles. 4.0 Trucks got 31 spine axles in 8.8 housings.
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