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ok, so i would like to know, is it worth it to pull the third member on my 9" and weld the spider gears? im on a VERY tight budget, but have access to a welder. im also VERY tired of worthless peg-legs and almost getting stuck cause i can only put power down to one rear tire. this truck probably sees about twice as much highway as off-road, so i want some opinions here. wait till i can afford a much more professional solution? or bust out the welding gear? btw, i am aware of the tire wear and possible drivetrain damage associated with locked/spooled/welded rear ends.
I don't think you want to drive it on the highway with a welded spider. The truck will try to go straight all the time and will fight you in the turns, wear out the tires in no time, and quite likely break the rear end. Could be dangerous too. I would look in the junk yards or on line and see if you can find a cheap posi unit.
I welded my D60 a few years back. It had 35's on it at the time and would bark them in tight turns. Other than that you wouldn't even know it was done while driving. The rear tires definately wore faster than the front but I never noticed any bad driving characteristics. Rather than welding the spiders and sides together I took the side gears out, filled between a couple of teeth to prevent the spider from engaging and put it all back together. When I got sick of it I took it apart and ground out the weld. Back to normal (the ring and pinion were already in bad shape so I wasn't worried about ruining anything). Make sure to keep the pressure even between the two tires.
The truck will try to go straight all the time and will fight you in the turns...Could be dangerous too.
Are you kidding? That's half the fun!
The old go-kart that my cousins and I used to drive when we were kids had a solid axle, and it was a riot on dirt roads. Where do you think Fast & Furious got the "Tokyo Slide" idea?
Of course, by the time we retired that kart and went to real cars (to our family's horror), the front end of it looked like the Bat-mobile from all the fenceposts, trees, and mailboxes it hit. I'm not even gonna talk about the helmet when it was retired, but I thoughts still organize can't well...or something
im not worried about tire wear or handling (it drives like a spastic cockroach on acid). i dont drive this truck much and its already tail happy enough. im more worried about even tire wear over the stupid peg-legs it does on that right rear. besides that, when i drive it, its usually to have fun, so im out somewhere whippin cookies or driving through mud and, out here, sand.
ok. let me be clear: i like this truck. i like having fun in this truck. if it breaks, well that why i have ANOTHER truck. i plan on going through, and almost completely restoring this truck at some point, and if i break an axle, ford 9 inch axles are a dime a dozen around here. my question is: is it worth the effort to weld it up? or should i wait and get something more professional like a tru trac, spool, or locker? like, will it vibrate at highway speeds? this is the kinda stuff i wanna know. thank you for your input so far, just lookin for a little more accuracy.
you can get limited slips for the 9 inch for about $500
rotfl! you give me the $500 to buy a limited slip, and ill put it in. ya see, im gettin ready to go to college, and im in track, so untill around the middle of the month, im also jobless. i barely have the $40 to fill my rear tank on my 91. so: cheap=good. free=best.
What i was getting at was since fords limited slips are fairly cheap, you could find one in a junkyard for $75,thats what i paid for one, rebuild it and its as good as a brand new one. Mine didnt need repairing since it was out of a late model truck, but i would suggest lookin around the junkyards,,,hell if you felt like it,,sneak out to one at about 2 am and take one out and it would be free! haha I do not endorse the idea though lol
ok. heres what ill do. weld the spiders up. in the meantime, ill keep my eyeballs peeled for a cheap limited slip, and when i find one, ill just put it in. simple as that.