Anybody out there got a cheap or just plain ingenious way to store a removeable 3rd member? Yeah I know there are plastic boxes for 9" fords, priced around $30. Used to have one and gave it away after tripping over it empty for 2 years. Now I'm tripping over a constantly oozing centersection and kicking myself. So maybe one of you guys/gals has a home brewed solution? Possibly for a similar style rearend that doesn't fit well in the ford boxes, or any idea born out of pure monetary desperation. Thanks!
I use milk crates..... But a 5 gallon bucket, upside down with a hole cut in it so the 3rd member just fits in (gear side down) works nice too.
Bucket seems like trouble waiting to happen, don't they collapse after a year or two? A ford 9" pig is freakin heavy.
I made a wooden frame out of some junk pieces of 2x4 stacked up and screwed together for one of my spare pumpkins. The pumpkin sits on the rim of it on the flat flange part of the pumpkin with the gears facing down and the pinion facing up. It's nice because I can put it on a handtruck to move it around instead of having to carry it. Probably a good idea to wrap it in a plastic bag or something to keep it clean so it won't wind up with dust and spiders and junk stuck all over it like a couple other pumpkins I have sitting in the corner of the garage. Get a long 5/16" eye bolt and stick it in one of the holes on the yoke with an aviation nut on the back side, and it makes it easy to pick up with a cherry picker -- like if you want to clean it or paint it.
I have one stored now in a milk crate, wrapped in a heavy garbage bag.. The only thing i do is every once in a while i spray a good penetrating oil on it..rather than let it sit with nothing and begin to rust. I've also used the bucket with pretty good luck actually. I've used the lid, cut it to fit and snapped it back on..(Like a driveway sealer bucket) . At least that way it's fairly solid. I've seen where guy's flip one over, cut it and use it that way, but they may give out.
I cut out a round, 1/2" thick piece of plywood to sit in the bottom of a CLEAN, plastic, driveway sealer-type bucket, to spread the load of the pumpkin and then snapped on a cover. It's been patiently sitting there for a couple of years waithing for me to get to it !!
I stuffed a ford rear in a heavy duty bucket filled with sawdust. The opening was wider than that big orange one you can buy at home depot, which was too small. I think it was for horse feed. Taped up the lid and shipped it to someone out of state.
I use the "short" 5 gallon style bucket. Leave the lid on and cut it out for the rear to fit through. The close fit will help keeping dirt debris out and will also serve as a reinforcement to the bucket top. Throw a little gear oil in there and you can give it a spin every so often - making sure everythings' nice and oiled up all the time. Works like a CHAMP!!!!
Thanks for the replies Looked up Rashy's thread per Chadillac's suggestion, Rash uses the buckets too. For my storage setup the buckets aren't so hot because they consume floor space instead of shelf space. All my decent milk crates are in use and I wouldn't try to use those POS ones they sell over the counter for something this heavy. (Which is a rant in itself, it's no wonder people steal milk crates, you can't legally buy one worth a damn) Looks like I'm breaking out the scrap 2x4s and making something. Personally don't mind dust and spider accumulation, they soak up some of the ooze.
I have an old 9" housing with the tubes cut off as close as possible to the center. In a week or two I'll be capping the open ends and adding a couple of legs to make it stand on its own with the open part up. (The Traction-Loc gearset I'm looking after is still outside in the original housing, but thats going before the snow hits!) Add some gear oil to the thing and install the pumpkin...give the yoke a few spins every now and then...the gearset will last forever!
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