Hello all,
Thank to all of you who helped in getting my reverse lights working they work beautifully now like they should.

Now my new question/project arises and I have a couple of questions. Lately I have been skimming past articles and trying to find information on my 9 inch rearend. This past weekend I scraped around a little under the 30+ years of caked on grease and found the axle id tag. Heres what the tag reads WDM-W 1JE 3.50 9 345A. I can tell by the 3.50 that I have the 3.50 gear set but that set is not what I want to go back with when I get ready to take it apart and rebuild it. On one of the aftermarket sites I like for parts they list a ring and pinion installation kit for around 300.00 not bad considering the parts it comes with. For example it has a new 4:11 ring and pinon. Now getting to my questions. Is a 4:11 going a little overboard? Im not too concerned about fuel mileage (probably will be in the future but not now) but my concern is the rev's the motor will be at its only got the 3 speed C-6 in it anyways.

Next question their are 3 installation kits available on that site. 1 of which I have eliminated but 2 still remain. The difference between the two is the carrier bearing outside diameter. 1 kit has a 3.062 in carrier bearing and the other has a 2.891 in. My question is now which one and how can I tell? When I pulled out one of the axles and counted the splines I have come to the conclusion that its a 28 spline axle. By my deduction I believe that I would need the 2.891 in kit? And maybe you can't tell by that way I don't know for sure.

Okay last question the shocks are out and look to be original for this truck for the rear end ones anyways haven't checked the fronts yet but they are probably the same as well. Can anyone recommend a good shock for this and how hard is it to take the back ones out? The bottom side of the bed is where it looks like the biggest clearance issue there.

Thanks for all the help guys and sorry about making this message so long hope you guys can read it.

-Richard

 

What are you going to use the truck for?
pulling or cruising? 4.11's are not real suitable on the freeway unless your planning on putting taller tires on it. I have 3.50's in my 70 f-100 and it does better than my old dodge with 4.10's
As far as the rest of your questions maybe someone else will chime in.

 

ok first part i can not help with. at all. sorry about that don't ask no idea .
shocks go out with 2 nuts and a little fines *read light hits* the new shocks go in top first then use a jack to install lower bolt. very very straight foreward install.

autozone sells a pair of coil over heavy duty supposed shocks for our trucks i think i paid 80 per pair for the rear. they ride smooth and have handled the loads quite well.

the front shocks same but easier to get out just losen the bolts and pop out then install they sit in the middle of the spring and that is it easy is the word. same with autozone for the front coil overs.

hope it helps.

 

also i would like some info on the ford 9 rear end as i have one and would like to know how good they are for towing and hauling. if they are worth building to be bullet proof or just junk it and go with a dana 60?

 

I think this site has some interesting reading Kevinstang's Ford Nine Inch Differential Page

Why are you wanting to rebuild one? There are too many rears for too cheep to do that. IMHO



John

 

Hey Richard,

i would go try one of these rear end gear calculator's


RICHMOND Street Performance Calculator


this way you will have some idea on what gear ratio will do for you at certain speeds and what RPMs you will be seeing,

also i agree with John, there are many gear sets out there and i bet you can find a nice one and save some money, but if you can't find any original ones, well that's a different story,

just be careful, i have heard of some people finding Richmond gears howl when going down the road, i know some extreme setups can be noisy, but i know a howl would drive me up the wall!

also if it was me i would try and keep the truck drivable, i know you want some hot gears, but gear ratios are a major factor, as its the final drive to the ground, and thus you can largely effect acceleration and top speed, thus if it was me, i would try and find a happy medium, and i know MPG ain't no concern in these trucks, but some gear ratios will really burn up the gas!

my truck has 3.50 gears, front and back (as 4x4s need ratios to be the same, otherwise they would fight each other) and both are open diffs, my only concern is i might want to upgrade to a Trac Lock setup, but then again, i hear stories of locked rear ends in these short box trucks tending to want to swing the back end around easier, something i don't really want! but who knows, maybe i might go with a Trac Lock setup some day,

also you mentioned your shocks, so there shot then? maybe there original! lol lol anyways i can see replacing them with Rancho shocks, i hear and have seen good things from them, and i will be ordering Rancho shocks for mine when i go replace them, (there also Made in the U.S.A. to my knowledge), but maybe your leaf springs are tired also? as you said the rear end has clearance issues? either way your rear end leafs are a easy fix, you can either order new, or go find some at the Junkyard that will fit, that's what i did, now my rear leafs are pretty beefy! and the front coil springs came out of a '91 Ford E-450 Ambulance! so i think there tough enough for me! and they sure bring the front end up!

-Brent

 

other than junkyards are there any sources for cheap rear ends around the going rate for our year trucks around here is 1500 bucks at min. and even then it is a crap shoot on the rear end being what you want and in good shape. a rebuild of a rear end is 3000 buck. and last i saw a new rear end is in the +5k area.

 

WDM-W: Ford 9" Rear Axle / 3.50-1 / non Limited Slip / 28 splined axleshafts / "Slim Line" Differential (Carrier) Bearings.

1JE: Assembled the fifth week (E) of September (J), 1971 (1).

In midyear 1970 (at serial number J30,001), Ford changed the differential bearings (on 9's used in F100's, Bronco's & E100's) that had been used since 1957 to the "Slim Line" type.

These Slim Line bearings (**) were then used thru 1986 (Passenger Cars 9" differential bearings changed in 1969).

In 1974, Ford changed the axle seals on some 9" rear ends (depends on the applications). The 1974 type axle bearing and the seal came as a one piece assembly (D4AZ1225A) or the seal could be bought by itself (D4AZ1177A).

This seal, and the original used from 1957 (EOTZ1S177A replaced B7A1177A), were both used thru 1986.

There's another 9" axle seal (DOTZ1177A), but it was only used on 1970/72 F100's with the 9 3/8" ring gear [WFE] which your truck does not have.

** C9AZ4221A .. Slim Line Differential Bearing / Marked with Bearing Industry Number: LM102949 / 1 25/32" I.D.

C9AZ4222A .. Slim Line Differential Bearing Race / Marked with Bearing Industry Number: LM501910 / 2 57/64" O.D.

 

Car shows, swap meets are good for parts.

Where in the world are you that you quote those prices? $1500.00 for a rearend is insane.




John

 

1500 bucks? You're kidding right?

Where exactly in CA is "around here" that a wrecking yard charges 1500 bucks for a 9 inch?

For that price you could buy all the parts new...several times over.

Pick-a Part yards sell COMPLETE 9" rear ends for 100/150 bucks, and since there's no rust issues here, there are plenty of 1970's cars like LTD's, 1960/80's trucks and Econolines in these yards.

The Econolines & passenger car's 3rd member will work in a truck, but the housing won't.

Like jowilker said, 1500 bucks is insane.

 

maybe he added to many Zeros? otherwise i want to know carpenter547's exact location, as i will gladly deliver hundreds of 9" Fords to his location, just to cash in on $1500 a piece price! lol lol

even around here in Southern Ontario with all the rust problems we have, you can still quite easily find a 9" Ford, you just have to know where to look, (back corners of junkyards, farmers fields, behind or around or even in a barn) if you look for them, you will find them! and generally there had for $100-200 depending on the gear ratio and if its open or a locker, and what condition its in,

-Brent

 

Hi all,

Thanks for all the great replies on this topic. To answer some questions. First off jowilker your question on why to rebuild one? My answer is to learn sure I could find a junker f-100 with a usable 9 inch around my area for a pretty good price but I want to learn what makes them tick and to have that satisfaction of saying I rebuilt it myself. Sounds cheesy I know but I would be proud to know what went into it when I rebuild it. Carpenter547 and Brent Thanks for the tips especially on shocks. I was looking at the Rancheros before and saw the price tag, so I'll have to set some money aside for them or those autozone brands you guys recommended. as for leaf springs Im not sure yet but I think I'll put shocks on it first and go from there on whether or not im gonna have to replace the springs. Thank you as well jowilker for the link to that site its a really interesting read and has cleared up some of my questions that I have asked here. As well thanks Bill(numberdummy) for the decipher on the axle tag and brief history about that 9 inch I was curious to know when it was built and what makes it different from previous years.

 

Like I said Bill thanks for the info. But with all this info you listed 1 question arises for me. With these slim line bearings these bearings would technically be smaller than the ones they put in there previous to 1970? The reason I still ask is maybe I'm not understanding this correctly, but the two kits that I listed in my first post, I'm still scratching my head on what will fit properly the 2'' bearing or the 3'' bearing. Thanks again for the help.

 

I think you may have to have some special hi-dollar tools to complete that task, so giving it some extra thought may be in order.

I do not want to stand in the way of you having fun.



John

 

if any of you knows of a pull your parts *the last of ours closed* around here i will surely be happy to hear of it. the central area code for me is 92243 a little hicksville right about 25 miles north of mexico.
now in mexico parts are a whole nother matter but i refuse to go there *too much of a hassle and i am white*
1500 was the price quoted to me by a *reputable shop* needless to say i am in dire need of a good mechanic cuz the aforementioned shop is waaay outa my price range. the 5k came off of the internet as that is the only place i am able to find stuff.
almost ever one here who wants cheap work goes to mexico. so the pro's charge those of us who stay to make up for the lost "goin over there" business.
my zip code is 92250 and if you can find me from that show up and share a beer *your treat *