Best Donor For a Big Bearing 9" Rearend???

[Daddy4zack]

I'm looking to upgrade my small bearing rear end.. What year and what vehicle should i look for? I realize i will need to have it shortend.. But is there a good donor with rear disks and 31 spline axles???? Any of them have 4.11 or 4.56 gears?? Anybody got one??
Thanks
Aaron

 

[Grunt1058]

I got one from an 84 FSB. I doubt the gears are what you want and it's drum brakes. But, it's buildable and ready to be shipped.

Unless you can find an EB BB9"... Let me know via PM if you are interested. I'll probably forget to check this thread in the morning... ;D

 

[SaddleUp]

All 4 Fun sells the heavy duty BB housings narrowed for $200. That's where I got mine from.

 

[68ford]

you can get a brand new one from currie, big bearings,bigger tubes,thicker tubes, and alot more tappered and thicker center. very nice 375.00

 

[71HLFCAB]

What about getting a big bearing rear end from a 77' Bronco? Mine has a "medium" bearing rear end (big bearing, small brakes) 74' that was under the bronco when I bought it. Just a thought. Good luck.

 

[Daddy4zack]

All 4 Fun sells the heavy duty BB housings narrowed for $200. That's where I got mine from.

Do they have a web page????

 

[michael084]

http://www.broncobob.com/index.shtml

 

[SaddleUp]

Do they have a web page????

The link above is right. The one I got came from a newer (About 79) Bronco or Ford 1/2 ton. It has the torino ends (often called medium bearing even though it really isn't) but they can do either end. The center section is considerably stronger than the stock 9" BB housing with the exception of possibly the 77 housing. (The taper to the center adds strength to it) I chose the torino ends because they have the same bolt pattern as the Explorer Disk Brakes. The bolt pattern is the only difference between what is often incorrectly refered to as medium bearing and large bearing EB housings. They both are actually the same big bearing. Here are a couple of pics.

 

[Daddy4zack]

The link above is right. The one I got came from a newer (About 79) Bronco or Ford 1/2 ton. It has the torino ends (often called medium bearing even though it really isn't) but they can do either end. The center section is considerably stronger than the stock 9" BB housing with the exception of possibly the 77 housing. (The taper to the center adds strength to it) I chose the torino ends because they have the same bolt pattern as the Explorer Disk Brakes. The bolt pattern is the only difference between what is often incorrectly refered to as medium bearing and large bearing EB housings. They both are actually the same big bearing. Here are a couple of pics.

So when you buy your axles you have to ask for the medium bearings?? Ya I would like to do the explorer disks also..

 

[SaddleUp]

So when you buy your axles you have to ask for the medium bearings?? Ya I would like to do the explorer disks also..

For an extra charge Dutchman can drill the Explorer backing plate for the larger bolts but the smaller bolt torino ends are a direct bolt up. Just tell them what you are going to do with it and they will set up the right one. I think the 78 had the larger bolts and the 79 had the smaller but I'm not sure. When you order the axles the shop may not recognize the term medium bearing so you will want to specify that it is a big bearing with the torino ends and you will be using the Explorer Motorsports Disk Brake kit. Are you going with 31 spline or 35 spline? If you go with 35 spline Dutchman set up a pair of axles with tapered bearings and screw in studs with the explorer backspacing for $400 and they have a lifetime warranty. Their 31 spline are the same cost but they don't come with the lifetime warranty. They also sold me the disk brake kit for about $425 including drilling the 5 on 5 1/2" pattern in the rotors.
http://www.dutchmanms.com/

BTW. if you do a junk yard explorer disk swap you will need to buy the preload spacers for the axles. (they normally come with the kit) They make up the difference in thickness on the backing plates.