Topic: question about 8" rear end gears

[66GTKFB]

That "little" 289 HP had a Crane cam, a Holley 4150 on a high rise, 4.11:1 ratio, Jardine headers, the heads were shaved 0.030 with thin gaskets and with the other mods, I raced in D-Gas. The car was a 1964 Fairlane 500 Sports Coup. The rear axle blew on a street run caused by an axle breaking that tore up the ring gear.  I kept the "stub" for many years to remind me not to do anything stupid again. It didn't work.
Jim

[BlackShadow]

Jim ..You have GREAT TASTE in Fords ... here my  Stang and Sports Coupe. And to put my 2 cents in I would if anyway possible try to find a nine inch with the horsepower you have you won't be sorry. They come up cheap from time to time, just keep watching craigslist or take a junkyard tour. There are still good parts out there, 3.55 will work for your Auto, I'm running 3.89  with a 5 speed and turning just over 2300rpm at 70 mph.  and  it still comes out of the hole quick.

[66GTKFB]

The Bronze Fairlane Sports Coupe looks sharp. Mine was black with red interior. It was a special order that I made in early 1964. When the car came in on the 20th of April, 1964, the dealer offered me a straight across trade for a Mustang. I said no.
Jim

[Jeff73Mach1]

I changed gars in  an 8" probably 20 years ago and ran across an odd ratio (at least to me at that time)  it was a 3.40:1 if memory serves me correctly.  Behind a well built 302 it was strong enough to hold up to the driving habits of a mid 20's kid with a very heavy foot and little respect for the law.  Launch was good and top end was suspension limited with an FMX transmission as the shimmy and shake got a little out of my comfort zone just north of 120.

[Giddyupv8]

I'll once again have to agree with soaring, it seems odd that you trashed a 9" rear with a 289 even if you had 4.10s,- unless you have a habit of doing neutral drops, I cant see it happening. I was , at one time looking for a 9" rear they aren't that easy to find in my area anyhow.

[66GTKFB]

I had only two other cars in the area that were competition, a 64 Thunderbolt and a 64 Comet, and I consistantly turned 13 sec quarter miles in Lebanon, NY. Mopars, Vettes and GTOs came close, but no cigar. It's like I said - "Speed costs . . ." 
Jim

[Soaring]

Why were you in New York, Jim?  That's clear across the country from Kali. 

[66GTKFB]

I lived in Massachusetts from 1955 to 1967, minus 4 years in the Navy, before I returned to California. And the ratio was 4.11:1, 37 and 9. The first 4.10:1 ratio from Ford was the front axle ration on the 4WD Bronco.
Jim

[Soaring]

OK, so you are an implanted Yankee.   

[66GTKFB]

No, I'm from Hawaii - Aloha MF.
Kimo (Hawaiian for Jim)

[Soaring]

Yeah, if you want to get technical, they are 4:11's  So, you are from Hawaii like   Obama, huh?  Show us your birth certificate.   

[68-coupe-289]

what i would do if i were you and you have the money you should look for a Lincoln Versailles they came stock with a 9 inch rear end stock with disk breaks 

[Soaring]

Yeah but the Versailles was only produced for a few years back in the late 70's.  Good luck finding one of them in the bone pile. 

[BlackShadow]

 The  Versaille would set you back around $600 if you can find one and they were all built for automatic tranny so had  a high speed rear end gear.... So you would still have the cost of buying gears

[Giddyupv8]

I think Im gonna go with a 8.8 and 3.73 gears. I can get one (i think) out of a ford ranger then put the gears in . It will need a bit of modifying but It will work

[Soaring]

Putting those gears in will need some training on your part.  I wouldn't try it. 

[Giddyupv8]

It was a sad day today. I was gonna go to my friends house to put sub frame connectors and traction bars on my car ( he has a lift) I have a massive transmission oil  leak between my bellhousing and tranny probably main seal that means motors gotta come back freakin out! Pain in the a$$!

[Soaring]

It's easier to pull the engine to replace the seal than to try to do it with the motor in the car, but with rear wheel drive cars, you can replace the seal by pulling the tranny instead of the motor.   Rear main seal leaks are caused by low oil pressure or the oil hasn't been changed in awhile, or the engine has been sitting for awhile and not lubricated so the seal dries out.  At least we have real seals today rather than the old rope ones. 

[v8supercar]

Hey…..thanks for suggesting craigslist…………it was worth checking out……..I found 3.89 for my auto…that too in my area only…..this works great…

[Ford406FE]

What gears to use is effected by your weight and your tire diameter.  Also your RPM potential.  If you run a short tire in a Fox Mustang, and if you are used to 2.73 gears with a T5, changing to 3.73 gears will stun you!  This with a 25" tall tire...or less.  In an older pony with a 28" tall tire, that same ratio will not give you the same thrill on takeoff, nor will it satisfy the top end charge without overdrive.

My opinion:  If you are NOT using overdrive, don't dip below 3.50 *(higher is lower with gears) for a highway use car.  If you are building a Saturday Night special, go with 4.11 or 4.56.

If you have a Fox...get the 5.0 to offer some over-6000 rpm action, and go with 3.73's and the 5-speed.  If you are street racing (horrors), use a 351 instead.  Chevy guys can't tell a 408W from an anemic 302.  Until it is too late.