9" Case Fitment
 

I have had fitment issues with 2 different fabricated 9" housings and my aluminum strange case. Has anyone else had this problem before, or does anyone know how much elongation of the case holes would be acceptable before it would cause axle alignment issues?

I normally use a LARGE soft Face hammer!!! :thumbsup:

That will do the job, but I hate forcing stuff together. I am a Mechanical Engineer for the Navy and one of my areas of expertise is design/drawings and GD&T (geometric design and tolerancing) which basically controls fitment of parts and allowable tolerances between the parts. I have been searching for the bolt circle of a 9" everywhere to figure out which of the parts is off and by how much, but for some reason that information is Top Secret. Strange and Currie would not give me the numbers. This stuff should fit together MUCH better than it does, all of these parts "should" be CNC machined so hitting allowable tolerances should be done 100percent of the time.

But I do feel a little comfort knowing someone with your experience has to use the ol rubber hammer!

I agree 100% they should fit better. but they don't theats why the big hammer lol

I have not had that issue, as a fellow engineer I hate forcing things that should not be forced.

Are all the studs on the housing straight?

They all need to be tapped home with a little use of force.... Use a dead blow hammer it will go right home...

So I have done a little more investigating, since the manufacturer of my newest housing actually sent me a video showing his face plates EASILY going together with two different cases (the face plate he used is from the same lot/machinist as my face plate). I know that doesn't 100% confirm the issue to be the case, but I tried something else that just may confirm the case as the culprit.

I took the studs out of both of my housings and lined up the top holes between the case and face plate and as many holes counter-clockwise as possible(which ended up being 4 total in each housing). Then marking which side of the hole was off and taking a "Fully Calibrated" mental picture of how far off the holes were, and the were suspiciously almost EXACTLY the same on both housings. So either the housings are off on the exact same holes a similar amount or my Strange case is off.

Now I need to figure out how to convince Strange that their case is off, because when I called them they were EXTREMELY cocky in telling me that the problem was with the housings and that they have only had 1 case ever returned because it was machined incorrectly. They did admit to me that they only check every 5th case for quality control. Which is pretty good quality control and would provide very high quality parts. I ONLY trust 100% inspection since statistics are all theoretical and basically "**** happens" in the real world...

Man building cars as a hobby is VERY stressful, and NEVER seems to go smoothly! I cannot count the number of times I have been so pissed I have said I was going to sell everything and start woodworking more.

What he said!! I have always had to tap them in

I own TWO Strange cases -- one aluminum and one nodular iron.... they both fit the exact same way -- they needed to be convinced...

But who knows what you've got going on...

I have never had to tap one in. Moser aluminum case with two different housings and a stock ford 9" with two different housing that the aluminum case.

GrnDragon called me the other day very stressed out and also sent in some e-mails regarding the fitment issue with our housing, I feel his stress and understand where he is coming from so I addressed the issue right away.

With some of the cases the casting can be larger then others so a simple clearance of the inside faceplate hole is required. To help GrnDragon out I went and checked our faceplates ASAP to make sure everything was where it is supposed to be even though we are in the middle of relocating to AZ...

Here are two quick vids I shot with Moser and Currie brand new cases.

http://thegmr.com/wp-content/uploads...1/IMG_0356.mov

http://thegmr.com/wp-content/uploads...1/IMG_0360.mov

It has been a while since I have used a Strange case but I don't remember any major issues, just that it was a little bit of a PITA to get on. Still worked just fine, just make prep a little more work, that's all.

It's "hot rodding" - if it was easy - the fat chicks would be doing it!



Kidding of course -- and I feel for you because it can be very stressful.... Hope you find a solution... or a die grinder....

Man building cars as a hobby is VERY stressful, and NEVER seems to go smoothly! I cannot count the number of times I have been so pissed I have said I was going to sell everything and start woodworking more.[/QUOTE]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

It don't change much when you do it for a living!!

:thumbsup:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

It don't change much when you do it for a living!!

:thumbsup:[/QUOTE]

That is one reason that I have been content working for the Navy, if I was using my engineering degree to build cars as I originally intended I think I would be divorced and living in a garage with a studio apt!

I am going to find the bolt circle for a 9" and make a fitment gauge so I can nail down if the case is really the problem.

I am pretty amazed that Strange doesn't use a Go/No Go gauge to test EVERY case, it would take about 10-15seconds per case.

I have installed many Strange cases. Along with Moser, Mark Williams and don't forget the stock Ford stuff. Probably 90% have to be "tapped" a bit. I am not saying you don't have a problem, just saying don't be afraid to persuade it a little. I do agree and have always said that you would think this would not be such a problem. Just seems to be the nature of the beast.

I just put a 76 lincoln 9" back together today and even it needed small persuasion. I have never had one fall right on.

This is where your engineering mind can hurt you. It happens to me all the time. Most guys would just bang it together an never have a problem. We think of every worst case scenario known to man.

This isn't the Navy and 90% of my car required clearancing this, tweaking that, etc.... The real defiinition of pro touring should be the mesh of a pile of bastard parts. If you can nudge it on, you don't have a problem, yet. :lol:

If almost everything you do falls together even half the time, I'm selling everything I own and come work for you for free. I have three different size dead-blows I sleep with at night......... wait......... nevermind. I think that came out wrong. :_paranoid

Hot rod parts go right together?? :lol: :lol: :lol:

My buddy is an engineer and races a dirt track car... You want to see a man go crazy working on something LOL

Here is his one of his comments when I tell him to use the "persuader"

"It's piss-poor car engineering that causes car guys to use big-ol-****ing-hammers. If you let areospace engineers design a car, they'd fit together as designed but cost as much as a space shuttle".

Coming from a construction back ground I have used my framing hammer and my single jack many many times. And I dont leave to a track event without them.

As long as you don't use nails for cotter pins, We're good :willy:

Do you have a gasket? Does it fit the housing?

Thats what happens when Engineers start mixing with grease monkeys....have you seen the guys that work and build these for a living??? LOL I kid. Im an ex heavy duty flat rate mech, I can make fun of us.....however back to your issue.

Who installed the studs in the case? If they are crooked or misaligned you will have problems droping in. I always recheck the studs for square before I drop in the chunk. just sayin. p

oh just incase you need it...top secret stuff. burn after using please. :P

I am working on a 3D model of a stock early 70s 9" Ford truck housing. Any chance you could post a higher resolution shot of that so I can read the dimensions clearly?

Thx!