American Thunder
New member
Ford got rid of the solid front axle in 1980, does that mean the newer front ends are better and stronger than the older solid 44 setup?Ford got rid of the cast iron gear driven np205 transfer case, too. Is the newer aluminum one better and stronger? They went with the 8.8 because it's cheaper and lighter than the 9, not because it's stronger. The 8.8 doesnt hold up very well in mild drag racing with slicks without a lot of work. The 9 with 31 splines will hold up to most things.
The 9" I swapped into my Mustang II 15 years ago is holding up nicely. It's from a 1959 thunderbird, with 28 spline axles and a detroit locker. The original bearings, ring and pinion, even the original leather(!!) seals from 1959 were actually running in the car until just a few years ago. It needed some new bearings due to rust spots from sitting outside over the winters. Is 46 years a decent lifespan for original rear parts??
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> (I'm still running the original 1959 3.10 gears)
p.s. The Mustang II has a 530 hp 332" stroked 302 that will rev to 8500 rpm. This means life hasnt been kind to that 9" under there.
The 9" I swapped into my Mustang II 15 years ago is holding up nicely. It's from a 1959 thunderbird, with 28 spline axles and a detroit locker. The original bearings, ring and pinion, even the original leather(!!) seals from 1959 were actually running in the car until just a few years ago. It needed some new bearings due to rust spots from sitting outside over the winters. Is 46 years a decent lifespan for original rear parts??
p.s. The Mustang II has a 530 hp 332" stroked 302 that will rev to 8500 rpm. This means life hasnt been kind to that 9" under there.
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