hey ive got a couple ford 9" rear ends out of trucks and i have a feeling once i get these slicks on my car im gonna bust the hell out of my 10 bolt. about how much does it cost to get a 9" machined to go in my car? anyone done it before? can someone help me out and kinda make up a check list on what will need to be done to the rearend before it can go into my car? also if i want to purchase a gear for my car if it is equipped with a 9" ford, do i buy a ford gear? can someone enlighten me a little bit on the subject or point me in the right direction? thanks a lot guys

Nick

 

Yes, you buy a ford 9 in gear for it. As far as a check lists goes you'll need to get the brackets rewelded on it to match the ones on your fbody. You'll also need to get a custom driveshaft made for the rear end. Not sure how much a shop would charge you to put it in for you. I'd say just get those two things done and then do it yourself cause its really not that bad. Just grab a second person once your at the point were you have to lower the 10 bolt and raise the 9 in up.

 

main challenge is a torque arm mount.

 

A couple more issues to think about:

-how are you going to mount the rear brakes?

-do you want to keep your ABS?

-is the "truck" 9" the correct width for your car? Narrowing one costs a bit?

-does the "truck" 9" have a limited slip differential?

-are you aware that in addition to figuring a way to mount a torque arm to the 9", you will need an aftermarket TA with an offset specific to the offset in the Ford rear. That TA better also be adjustable, since the pinion shaft of the Ford 9" sits 3/4" lower than the GM 10- or 12-bolt.

-are you sure you want to give up 3% of your HP to the less efficient Ford 9", and live with the extra unsprung weight you will be lugging around?

-some Ford 9" rears require clearancing the tunnel for the TA bolts.

-have you checked the "truck" 9" for the common weak point... the weld of the axle tubes to the center housing?

-etc.

-etc.

 

....good points.

 

good points and thanks for the ideas.

i guess the point of this thread was to figure out a way to avoid purchasing some $2,000 12 bolt when i can find a dana or a 9" off a truck somewhere. i was kinda looking for someone whos had one machined to fit an lt1 and see what kind of difficulties they came across so i know what im gettin into. keep the input comin!