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Ford 9 Inch
Files not fully transferred yet.
For lack of a better name, I will call this the "CAR" housing.
Even though it was used on many vans and other heavy
vehicles, it is the standard-duty housing used from the
very beginning of the 9 inch'ers in 1957, thru the 1970's.
The housing can be recognized by the axle tubes running
right up to the center housing.
It is made of thinner metal than the "truck style" housing
that came along later, which is described below.
This was used in the early muscle cars, so it is considered pretty tough.
I would readily use this style housing on a street muscle car with
pretty good size tires, even with a big engine.
Less weight, particularly unsprung weight, than the other
heavier-duty 9 inch housings.
These came in Small Bearing (2.8-something wheel bearing)
and Big Bearing (3.15 diam wheel bearing) models.
The axles and gears are usually pretty strong, but older Broncos with
big tires have been known to bend or break the small-bearing axles
right by the bearing area when doing rough off-roading.
The Big Bearing models have less of that problem.
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If you plan to drag race with big slicks,
AND get abusive with a heavy clutch,
OR if you go off-roading with large mud tires,
OR if you bounce around carrying heavy loads,
then you will want to consider the housing style below..
Keep in mind that the early Bronco used the "car style"
housing and was still called rugged, so don't automatically go
running to the heavier one below if you really don't need it.
The heavier one below will give a slightly rougher ride on bumpy roads
simply because of it's extra weight, and remember that extra weight slows down
any race car or muscle car by a little bit.
If you don't need it, then don't add the weight, but if you need it, you need it.
Extra large tires, extra heavy loads, hard landings .......
Simply for an easy reference, I call this the "TRUCK STYLE" housing,
even though it was used in many Lincoln and other heavy cars.
I find most of these in 70's and very early 80's
Lincolns, vans & pickups.
Keep in mind that the newer, cheaper, weaker, Ford 8.8 started
showing up around 1980, so not all the early 80's will have a 9 inch.
This 9" housing came along- (??WHEN??70's??), and uses thicker
& heavier metal. The difference in design is obvious in the way
the axle tubes meet the housing. You can see the way the
center housing tapers slowly to meet the tubes farther away
from the center. This gives a very large increase in strength,
and a whole lot less housing flex under very heavy loads by
supporting the axle tubes much closer to the wheel bearings.
Even if the metal was NOT thicker, it would still be stronger
than the "car" style simply because of the shape of the center,
and the way it supports the axle tubes.
With the thicker metal you REALLY get a STRONG housing.
These were used in many pickups because of the load carrying ability.
I also find them in mid and late 70's van, big Ford & Lincolns.
So far, I have found these in only the EARLY Big Bearing, and the
LATE Big Bearing models with either the 28 spline and 31 spline axles.
I don't know if a small bearing model exists, but I haven't seen it yet.
As long as you use a correct jig to keep the bearings lined up
and the housing straight, this housing is easy to shorten compared
to the "car style" housing.
This is the BEST housing for heavy off-roading or
use in a drag car with big slicks and a heavy clutch.
These housings accept the same axles and center gear carriers
as the other "car style" 9 inch housings.
And don't forget- we have disc brake sets for all of them.
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