Ford 9 inch

This is what my rear 9 cost me.

Stock 9 housing $50
Strange 9 case $240 P#N2206
Pinion Support $90
1350 Pinion Yoke $90
5.13 gears $170
Detroit $550
Install Kit $150
About $150 to have the gears set up
35 spline shafts $425
Then whatever brakes you will run.

If you go with a Spider housing the you can add 500 for the hosing and about 100 for new end from Currie. If you get the right ends the 8.8 brake will bolt right up. So about 2500 and you have a great axle for years to come.

You may have said, but why do yo wont to go 57 wms to wms. I made mine at 65 and had to put wheel spacer on the front to get a turning radius with 40's. With the steering setup i have i have 41dg of steering.

I'm going 57" WMS to match the FJ front. I want to keep it narrow for now, plus I'd have to have ~4" spacers on each side to match a full width rear. I have thought about using new ends to have the correct pattern for the 8.8 brakes, but I'm still investigating 6 lug brake options.

I'm toying with ideas on the diff also. My original thought was to keep it cheap and weld the spiders. Lately though I've been seeing 31 spline full spools come up for sale around $50. Does anyone know if spools have the splines all the way through or just in the area where the spiders would have been? In centering the housing I would end up with two different length axle shafts, meaning having to carry two spares. The difference is only 1-1/8", so if the splines on a spool are all the way through I could run two "short side" shafts and only carry one...or I could still carry two (better to buy in pairs anyway) and be ready in case the same side breaks twice.

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Originally Posted by JBrown89

[ED]
I think you need to cut your fingernails
:flipoff2:
[/ED]

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Thanks mom, I'll get right on that.:flipoff2:

Both my rear shafts or the same length. It you have and ofset pinion the you can make both of them the same lenght. I have 6lug on mine. Just used cheve caliper and roter and welded a bracket on. But think about the what you are gong to do in the front latter. Tire size steering. You may wont to go wider in ther rear now. Find a complet rearend for about 100 put get new shaft and do your brakes and run it for now. Upgrade latter if you dont have the money right now. The key is getting to wheel. If you have to go with new shafts do the 35 spline not much more and a spool. Then latter all you need is a center section. wheel spacer on the front and you are good. Troy ran a stock center for a long time. Or run the stock shaft and have them drilled to 6 lug and weld up the spider gear. You can maybe do all that right now for less than 500.

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Originally Posted by Busa

The key is getting to wheel.

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I wish somebody would have told me this before I started chopping my rig up.:laughing::flipoff2:

You make a good point on looking to the future. It would be wise to go ahead and upgrade to 35 spline if I'm buying axles anyway. I think though even at 31 spline the 9 inch will probably be stonger than the FJ front. I may put an upgraded set of birfs up front, but I don't see going much further than that. For me, if it's time for chromo Longfields it's probably time for 60s.

Scott has the upgraded front FJ axle and has had very little problems with it.

Oh yeah, his have definitely seen abuse. I'm just saying at $700 a set you could almost pick up a Dana 60.

yes but that only gets you 30 spline outer. You still have steering and brakes and what every it takes to make the gear the same. Easy 1500 when said and done.

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Originally Posted by JBrown89

[ED]
I think you need to cut your fingernails
:flipoff2:
[/ED]

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:laughing:


Just throw a little weld in those grooves from the u-bolts and clean it up.

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Originally Posted by Busa

yes but that only gets you 30 spline outer. You still have steering and brakes and what every it takes to make the gear the same. Easy 1500 when said and done.

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But it's also full width. Just ask Coop how easy it is to almost kill someone using wheel spacers. :gigem:

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Originally Posted by mudtoy67

But it's also full width. Just ask Coop how easy it is to almost kill someone using wheel spacers. :gigem:

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:gigem:
even if you check them every day... maybe it was O.E.


i would not worry about the grooves
look at my axle from chopping off random crap that was welded on previously
i dont think its going to snap the tube or anything

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Originally Posted by mudtoy67

But it's also full width. Just ask Coop how easy it is to almost kill someone using wheel spacers. :gigem:

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do what are you at now? stock FJ with mini knuckles?

$700 and your done of the front axle. another 2 grand later you can have a 60.

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Originally Posted by Eckert

do what are you at now? stock FJ with mini knuckles?

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What?:confused2

I have wheel spacer and have not had any problem with it. If they are put on right you should have no problem. A 60 will still be wider then a ford 9. I think a front 60 is like 69wms to wms. A ford9 is 65. You can get a ford 9 from a van that is 68 i thinks.

It all depends on how bad you wont to wheel. If you have the money build good axle front and rear and never worry about them again. If not do what you can closes to what you wont in the end and upgarde as you go. It is not that hard to change center in a ford 9. also the tubes on the ford 9 are thinner than the 60. Should be ok if your not going to drive it like Scott or I. If you wont to change the housing i picked one up the other day for 50 just the housing.

i have been running spacers since i bought my blazer and haven't had any problems either, i just check them when ever i have the front tires off to make sure they are still tight

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Originally Posted by mudtoy67

What?:confused2

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WMS on your front axle, since the thought of full width axles in in the mix.

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Originally Posted by Busa

I have wheel spacer and have not had any problem with it. If they are put on right you should have no problem. A 60 will still be wider then a ford 9. I think a front 60 is like 69wms to wms. A ford9 is 65. You can get a ford 9 from a van that is 68 i thinks.

It all depends on how bad you wont to wheel. If you have the money build good axle front and rear and never worry about them again. If not do what you can closes to what you wont in the end and upgarde as you go. It is not that hard to change center in a ford 9. also the tubes on the ford 9 are thinner than the 60. Should be ok if your not going to drive it like Scott or I. If you wont to change the housing i picked one up the other day for 50 just the housing.

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Honestly, I know there are options out there that could probably get this rig on the trail more quickly, and after 4 years of not driving my own rig I'm definitely getting restless. I guess my thinking is originally I threw a rig together to get on the trail, but never had a rig I was particularly proud of. This time I'm trying to build something I can be proud of, while keeping somewhat of a budget, even if it keeps me from the trail for a few more years (or decades as it's looking now :D).

"close to what you want in the end and upgrade as you go" is kind of what I'm shooting for with this axle.

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Originally Posted by Eckert

WMS on your front axle, since the thought of full width axles in in the mix.

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Front axle is 57 WMS. Yes, stock FJ and will have mini knuckles with my original disk parts from spindle out. Right now my plans for the rig are to keep my width about the same and wheelbase at about 105". I'm planning on 36" or so tires. When the day comes that I feel the need to join the big boys at 40"+ then I may entertain the full width idea a little more.

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Originally Posted by Busa

This is what my rear 9 cost me.

Stock 9 housing $50
Strange 9 case $240 P#N2206
Pinion Support $90
1350 Pinion Yoke $90
5.13 gears $170
Detroit $550
Install Kit $150
About $150 to have the gears set up
35 spline shafts $425
Then whatever brakes you will run.

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Thinking about costs I realized I haven't attempted at putting together the cost of building this axle...


Stock 9 housing $free
4.56 gears ~$100
No Install Kit - use original bearings, buy new seal
Full Spool $55
Set up gears myself
Back brace $50
Custom shafts ~$350
Maybe upgrade pinion yoke?
Brakes $?

So right now I'm looking at about $550 plus the cost of the brakes, so maybe $650 when it's done?

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Originally Posted by mudtoy67

I wish somebody would have told me this before I started chopping my rig up.:laughing::flipoff2:

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Tell me about it

Picked up a full spool for $50. I figure if I'm going to be spending the extra bucks on alloy shafts I don't want to take a chance on welded spiders grenading.

I've changed my mind and decided to take an equal amount off of each tube instead of centering the center section. This way I can keep equal length axle shafts and not have to carry two different length spares.

Sharpe...has that axle jig found its way into your truck for a ride to CS yet?:D

no he hasn't been down here yet, I can get it up there at the begining of June

I'm coming down this weekend dammit!

allright stop by tomorrow during the day

Will be chasing turkeys around tomorrow. You gonna be home sunday?

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Originally Posted by afroman006

Will be chasing turkeys around tomorrow. You gonna be home sunday?

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check on the bolt pattern:gigem:

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Originally Posted by afroman006

Will be chasing turkeys around tomorrow. You gonna be home sunday?

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how much longer is turkey season open for

yeah ill be around sunday

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Originally Posted by TMatheaus

how much longer is turkey season open for

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This is the last weekend down here. Two more weeks in the north zone.

Anyone know a good fill plug/cap to use? Originally I had wanted to use one of these http://www.jegs.com/i/Moroso/710/85282/10002/-1 but $22 is a bit more than I wanted to spend on a fill cap, and I haven't seen one that style any cheaper.

Ballistic sells a fill plug that is just a 1/2" NPT plug for $4.99 which would be fine, but they also want $11 to ship the damn thing. http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/...ug_p_1593.htmlI know I can pick up a plug like that for $1 at lowes, but I don't know where to get the bung. Anyone know of a better idea? I know I can still use the original fill plug, but I want something on the back of the housing that I can stick a hose in and drain the axle as well.

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Originally Posted by mudtoy67

Anyone know a good fill plug/cap to use? Originally I had wanted to use one of these http://www.jegs.com/i/Moroso/710/85282/10002/-1 but $22 is a bit more than I wanted to spend on a fill cap, and I haven't seen one that style any cheaper.

Ballistic sells a fill plug that is just a 1/2" NPT plug for $4.99 which would be fine, but they also want $11 to ship the damn thing. http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/...ug_p_1593.htmlI know I can pick up a plug like that for $1 at lowes, but I don't know where to get the bung. Anyone know of a better idea? I know I can still use the original fill plug, but I want something on the back of the housing that I can stick a hose in and drain the axle as well.

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There is a local plumbing supply place here that sells mild steel nipples. I always used the ****ty cast one's from lowes before I found these. You can either cut them in half or just recess them in.

I thought lowes/HD carried blackpipe.

Spend the $16 and get back to work on something else. I'm all for building it cheap and not wasting money on something you can build, but if you spend half a saturday trying to find the damn thing is it really worth it. Ever figure out what you make an hour these days? You're worth more than that BDR! I struggle with this and my dad when he spends half a saturday restoring a wheel barrow or some other such nonsense. I'm like, just go buy a new wheel barrow, you have enough money dammit!

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Originally Posted by DRAGOONRANCH

I thought lowes/HD carried blackpipe.

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It's still cast ****. The nipples that this plumbing place has are clearly machined from raw stock.

I will have to look at our stuff again, I didn't think it was. I just kind of figured it was some type of tubing that had been cut to length and threaded. It just didn't look like regular galvanized fittings.

ass :flipoff2:

did sharpe ever make it by?

i have to go down next weekend for a wedding if there is a delivery needed

Yah I gots the goods.

Thanks Sharpe...I'll try to get with you this week. I may take a day or two off for an axle buildathon.:D

Anyone want the whole axle I have. 31 spline shafts, 2.97 gears, case is open, drum brakes, shaved housing?

Or does anyone need any Moser big bearing ends?

Send me a pm if so.

Hmmm....

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2454.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2452.jpg

This seems like it was meant to be.:D

The OD of the d44 tube is just right to fit inside the 9inch tube. The d44 axle uses the same U399A timken bearing and has the same diameter seal surface, so I can use the original isuzu parts on the 9inch axle without having some one-off oddball bearing/seal. Rotors are already six lug so no redrilling, plus they are vented whereas the Ford 8.8s are not. The only downside is that the backing plate is captured by the axle retainer. This means that my spare axles would have to have loaded backing plates on them. Or I would have to carry spare bearing retaining rings, knock the bearing off the broken axle to get the backing plate off, then put the backing plate on the new axle with the new retainer ring.

See the comparison of the retainers below...

What do yall think?

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2456.jpg

If you can make that work it would be cool. is the distance from the bearing shoulder to the wheel mounting surface the same on a 9" and isuzu dana 44? I'm thinking theres a few more measurements you need to take before ruling out custom axle shafts.