Model A sedan rear end

I need help picking a rear end for a 29 model A sedan. I plan on running an 8" wide rear tire so i want to have enough room that it wont rub. My buddy has a sedan with a tall tire on it and it rubs pretty bad. I know there suppose to be 52 backing plate to backing plate and about 56-58 mounting surface to mounting surface. I was looking into an explorer rear end which is 54 inches plate to plate and 59 mounting surface to mounting surface. Any help would be appreciated.

 

on an A with full fenders a 56" wheel mounting flange to wheel mounting flange wide maverick rear will keep most wheels/tires under the fenders. on sedan bodies the wheel well tapers out at the top which can limit how wide of tire sometimes. roadster/coupe/pickups don't. you may want to consider slightly tubbing it if you want wide tires

 

Well I'm not gonna run fenders but i dont want a 3 inch gap between the wheel and the body. Ive got a super solid body and i hate to cut it up but i think i might have to.

 

since you are not using fenders forget everything i said

here is what you do: take the wheels/tires you want to use and mock them up exactly where you want them to be. then measure in between the mounting surfaces on the inside of the wheels.....that is how wide a rear end you need

 

36-3window has the right advice, but 56" drum to drum (outer) works pretty good for most thin-fender cars.

Here's a pic of my 31 on 32 rails roadster as a highboy with 10" x 15" mags and 30" tall tires with 8" tread width.


No probs with tire fit or clearance to the body.



And a pic with bobbed 31 fenders, 6" x 15" steelies and 28" tall tires with 7" of tread width.


Note that there is plenty of room for a bigger tire and wheel.



Everything is a good fit and no clearance problems even though it sits about as low as it should go.


I realize you're building a sedan highboy, but the same stuff I mentioned and pictured on the roadster should work on your sedan as well.

Key thing is, leave yourself some options for fitting different tires and wheels later on.

Fwiw - fenders on the roadsters and coupes are interchangeable between all years if you're going to run bobbed fenders.
The arc of the fenders is the same on 29 through 32 - I know, the 32 isn't an A, but an A fender will bolt up.
Except, when you go from a series, 28-29 to 30-31 for example you'll have to drill new holes for the different bolt pattern.
Same is true for the 32.

If you have running boards, you can't swap from one series to the next because of the different sized notch at the front of the fenders where it fits into the apron.
No probs with bobbed fenders.

Another fwiw is, the 28-29 fenders are 1" narrower than the 30-31.
Depending on whether you're going for a big tire or fender that fits well depends on which fender to use.

 

I have a 1998 explorer rear end in the 31 highboy sedan that I am building and with the 10 inch wide steel wheels I am going to run it fits fine.... I like the disc brakes and it has 3.73 gears and it is a posi .......

 

If you need additional room why not narrow a 9 inch and have some nice axels made to size? That way you can do exactly what you want to do without rubbing or incorrect fender space.

 

I would love to buy a 9 inch and have it cut down but money is kinda tight for a college kid working at a parts store. Especially with a car and bike payment... might be time to sell the bike....

 

If you're short on cash you'd be better off with a 9" than a damned Explorer rear end, seems they cost a fortune for parts (at least any I ever needed). I had an Explorer and personally I thought the rear end was a piece of garbage. Carrier can't be taken out, so every time you need to work on it under the car you go. Limited slips pretty much came outta the factory already fried and I absolutely HATE the drum-in-disc E-brake. I'd like to kick the shithead that came up with that sack-of-miserableness right in the nuts. I did have factory 4.10's though, that was nice (really the only thing I liked about the damned thing... Other than the 10 minutes it had a functional LSD).

Even cheaper would be an 8"... Lots of guys pull 'em THINKING they'll be too weak for their motor (read that as: Mustang guys with street cars ), they're very similar in design to a 9". I'm going with either an 8" or a 9", 4-71 flatty thru a Toploader.

I will be honest though, it was in a 5-speed Sport that was NOT stock and I was NOT easy on it. And I am way more used to 9ers. I traded the Exploder in with an absolutely OBLITERATED clutch. You shoulda seen the guy try to move it after the deal was done. Shoulda drove it BEFORE the dealin' dummy! Look under the 2-door Sports, most got AT LEAST 3.73's and LSD's. Mine was seriously optioned out.

Take it with a grain of salt. I'm a crabby bastard and hate everything.

 

On the Explorer rear end....... How does the center of the drive shaft being offset about 2 inches affect anything?

 

I just picked up a 1980 granada or monarch. 9 inch drum brake rear. kinda rare, and somewhat pricey, but it measures wheel mounting surfaces at 57 7/8th inches. The draw back is most came with 275 open gears. but these can be changed easily...John

 

As long as the angles are right it won't matter. I didn't like it offset on mine so I got another short side axle. Then cut the long side tube to match it. That way if I break an axle I can use a stock short axle instead of cutting one down.
28tudor

 

Those white bobbed fenders on that A roadster in the garage on stands are about 2-4" wider than stock ones, look like 'glass. Glad the next pic has some modified steel ones that are stock width.

 

65-66 mustang rearend is the same as the grenada width wise and should work for what you need and also may be easier to find.

 

use what you have, make it work, you are building the car to suit your needs, i run a ford engine in mine and catch a lot of junk about it, i run it hard and it has never put me down, most of the guys around have garage gueens, just have fun with it

 

I'm going to use the Explorer 8.8 under My 56 Plymouth. I have a 95 Explorer with 199,000 on it, had to rebuild the rear at 160,000 as it was singing. I put everything in new, ring & pinion, all bearings and seals and shims. It cost 285.00 for everything & I did it under the Explorer in 3 hours. I did put new disc pads on 70,000 miles ago and they are still at 50%. Mine is 3.55 & that is what I bought from the junk yard for the Plymouth.
Van