Where to find Ford 9"?

[mattausten23]

Originally Posted by 64skylarkls1

Well, if you get one from a boneyard you have to do your homework first. First you would need to figure out what width you need flange to flange. If you are staying with stock wheel spacing, offset, tire size and rim width then you can measure your stock axle and try to find a 9" the same width but if you plan on changing anything you'll have to find one to your calculated width. Even if you pic one up to have it narrowed, talk with the shop that will narrow it for you first. They need the housing/axles to be at a certain length range in order to do the job correctly.

Next, the center section and axles. You need to consider what gear ratio you'll want, posi or not and so on. If you plan on running more than 300 hp, you will want to stay away from 28 spline axles. Finding the exact combo that you need can be tough.

Finally axle mounts. Fabricating the mounts yourself to fit you car can be a time consuming challange. I'm not sure but someone may sell an after market mounting bracket set for a 9".

All that being said, there is a huge advantage in ordering the complete set up from a supplier once you determine what your needs are. With the 9" being as popular as it is, there are quite a few suppliers that can set you up. The one I ordered for my Skylark will hopefully be here tomorrow!!

Good luck.

Thanks for the run down! Sounds like it will be pretty much the same price then? I'm a 19 year old college student so I'm trying to get the best bang for my buck because $ is tight! Good luck with your build! Thanks

[64skylarkls1]

Originally Posted by mattausten23

Thanks for the run down! Sounds like it will be pretty much the same price then? I'm a 19 year old college student so I'm trying to get the best bang for my buck because $ is tight! Good luck with your build! Thanks

More versatile - yes...the same price???....what's cheaper??? That answer very much depends on what you exactly need. Ordering a complete 9" axle set up is not cheap by any means. If you can find a boneyard 12 bolt with correct brackets that meets your needs, or just change the internals of your stock axle, it will be your cheapest route by far.

Let's get some specifics; What hp will you run? Will the wheel and tire combo that you will run require you to change your axle width from the stock width? Does the axle ratio need to change from stock? Do you need posi? Will the use be for the street or strip?

[mattausten23]

Originally Posted by 64skylarkls1

More versatile - yes...the same price???....what's cheaper??? That answer very much depends on what you exactly need. Ordering a complete 9" axle set up is not cheap by any means. If you can find a boneyard 12 bolt with correct brackets that meets your needs, or just change the internals of your stock axle, it will be your cheapest route by far.

Let's get some specifics; What hp will you run? Will the wheel and tire combo that you will run require you to change your axle width from the stock width? Does the axle ratio need to change from stock? Do you need posi? Will the use be for the street or strip?

My car is a driver already but I kind of want to start building it for the future as my street/autocross so definitely limited slip(herd thats best for autox).. My dream would be to have about 500-600hp to the rear wheels from an LSX..want to run a 6 speed. I want the rear tires to be 18x12s not sure on the offset yet but I don't want to run a huge lip..these are my goals over time..I want to swap the rear get brakes and rear suspension done and put my car back on the road for a bit as well!

[randy]

Im in the same boat. Im getting ready to order mine from DSE within the next two weeks

[64skylarkls1]

Originally Posted by mattausten23

My car is a driver already but I kind of want to start building it for the future as my street/autocross so definitely limited slip(herd thats best for autox).. My dream would be to have about 500-600hp to the rear wheels from an LSX..want to run a 6 speed. I want the rear tires to be 18x12s not sure on the offset yet but I don't want to run a huge lip..these are my goals over time..I want to swap the rear get brakes and rear suspension done and put my car back on the road for a bit as well!

I hope others chime in here but I'm afraid you may be putting the cart before the horse. 18 x 12 means you will need to at least mini-tub the car. The order in which this should all be done is: Figure out which brake package you will go with as this can make a difference on wheel size and offset. Then buy the wheels and tires so you have them for mocking up. Next, tub the car and possibly the frame to give the clearance needed to fit the wheels with the desired ride height. Once that is completed, you can measure from wheel to wheel to come up with what rear end width you will need to make it all work without tire rub. Tubbing can also influence your suspension mounting points and configuration.

Bottom line in my opinion is, work with what you have until you plan on doing the whole rear of the car or you will likely end up pruchasing your rear axle twice. "A" has to come before "B" in order for "C" to be possible. The only other option that can really help you plan is to find a car like yours that has the set up that you desire and hopefully the guy will let you copy what he has. That can be a huge time saver. Not many have done Skylarks like mine so I spent countless hours measuring, ordering wheels & tires, measuring and ordering the rear axle. Even without tubbing it it takes a lot of planning to get it right. I am doing my LS six speed swap right now.

Many kuddos to you - in the "texting" generation yet getting into some real American iron!!!!

[mattausten23]

Originally Posted by 64skylarkls1

I hope others chime in here but I'm afraid you may be putting the cart before the horse. 18 x 12 means you will need to at least mini-tub the car. The order in which this should all be done is: Figure out which brake package you will go with as this can make a difference on wheel size and offset. Then buy the wheels and tires so you have them for mocking up. Next, tub the car and possibly the frame to give the clearance needed to fit the wheels with the desired ride height. Once that is completed, you can measure from wheel to wheel to come up with what rear end width you will need to make it all work without tire rub. Tubbing can also influence your suspension mounting points and configuration.

Bottom line in my opinion is, work with what you have until you plan on doing the whole rear of the car or you will likely end up pruchasing your rear axle twice. "A" has to come before "B" in order for "C" to be possible. The only other option that can really help you plan is to find a car like yours that has the set up that you desire and hopefully the guy will let you copy what he has. That can be a huge time saver. Not many have done Skylarks like mine so I spent countless hours measuring, ordering wheels & tires, measuring and ordering the rear axle. Even without tubbing it it takes a lot of planning to get it right. I am doing my LS six speed swap right now.

Many kuddos to you - in the "texting" generation yet getting into some real American iron!!!!

Thanks! I really got to start doing my hw!haha Thanks for the insight, this is my first car so I'm going to need a lot of it!

[64skylarkls1]

Originally Posted by mattausten23

Thanks! I really got to start doing my hw!haha Thanks for the insight, this is my first car so I'm going to need a lot of it!

Okay, your first car, going to school, working and wanting to build a PT car.... I was in your shoes almost 30 years ago....man...I'm getting old Anyway, along with school, work, a limited budget I also met the gal of my dreams. I was building a street rod and decided to do everything at one time...big mistake. Between the lack of time and lack of money the car didn't see the road for another 6 years.

The most important thing here is to keep the car a driver as much of the time as possible or it will become another disassembled project car on craigslist in four or five years. Keep your alterations small and tangible. I think you could be biting off too much if you decide to tub the car. For a novice, that can easily be hundreds of hours of work by the time you take care of the body, frame and suspension mods that go along with it. If you stay with rims and tires that will fit the stock body and frame, you can buy parts that will simply bolt in. Again, find someone that has the same car with the look and stance you like without tubbing and see what they've done. You can still fit a lot of rubber in there.

Keeping the car a driver keeps the heart pumping and the dream alive. Plan your build then build to your plan but do it in small chunks. Do your research, saving the money for the next stage. Once you have it, buy the parts do the small upgrade and get the car back on the road. Then, plan, save and do the next upgrade.

I hope you are able to stick to it, that's a busy time in life that's for sure!!!

Good luck.

[mattausten23]

Originally Posted by 64skylarkls1

Okay, your first car, going to school, working and wanting to build a PT car.... I was in your shoes almost 30 years ago....man...I'm getting old Anyway, along with school, work, a limited budget I also met the gal of my dreams. I was building a street rod and decided to do everything at one time...big mistake. Between the lack of time and lack of money the car didn't see the road for another 6 years.

The most important thing here is to keep the car a driver as much of the time as possible or it will become another disassembled project car on craigslist in four or five years. Keep your alterations small and tangible. I think you could be biting off too much if you decide to tub the car. For a novice, that can easily be hundreds of hours of work by the time you take care of the body, frame and suspension mods that go along with it. If you stay with rims and tires that will fit the stock body and frame, you can buy parts that will simply bolt in. Again, find someone that has the same car with the look and stance you like without tubbing and see what they've done. You can still fit a lot of rubber in there.

Keeping the car a driver keeps the heart pumping and the dream alive. Plan your build then build to your plan but do it in small chunks. Do your research, saving the money for the next stage. Once you have it, buy the parts do the small upgrade and get the car back on the road. Then, plan, save and do the next upgrade.

I hope you are able to stick to it, that's a busy time in life that's for sure!!!

Good luck.

yeah thats my plan! I'm pretty much just collecting parts right now thats why I kind of want to get started getting the rear end parts together. Thanks a lot for the advise I really appreciate it! Good luck on your build!