Ford 9" question?

[CW]

Hey, I have a 9" from a galaxie 500 that I would like to use, it has the same lug pattern as the d35, and it has drums so I am fairly sure that it is 31 spline. It measures 6 inches wider than the d35 and most of the extra width is from the massive drums. Could I make up for the extra width with different wheel backspacing in the rear than in the front? Or better yet, is it possible to do a cheap disc brake conversion? thanks in advance.

[MaXJohnson]

There are so many variations of the Ford 9" that you should tear it down to really be sure what you are getting. Some of the full size Fords had 31 spline axles, but the rest of the axle shaft is necked down to a small diameter. Some of the early ones look like a 9", but are actually larger and can't use the standard 9" gear sets. Tube thickness should be checked as well as bearing size.

Changing the brakes won't help at all with the width. The extra width of the drum brakes is within the WMS, not added to it. And juggling back spacing will be a major headache when it comes time to rotate your tires which is something you should do often if you want to get decent tire mileage.