How many of you would be interested in buying a bolt in 9 inch Ford rear end kit and still be able to use your factory rear brakes? The idea is something that I am very serious about and I have discussed in detail with my fabricator. We are both surprised that no one has done a direct bolt in kit. The challege with some of the 9 inch conversions we have seen is that they are truly not a direct bolt in rear and the fabrication/labor costs to make the conversion is pretty high.

Please share your thoughts and ideas.

NitrousSam

 

If it's less expensive than purchasing a Dana 44 I'd like to hear about it

 

Are you trying to make it use the existing rear suspension as well?

 

In the plan, how would you hold the trans up? Would you have the 9" made with a nose so the "C" beam can be reused?

 

 

It would not be cheaper than buying a used Dana 44...but if you are making power it will be much cheaper than buying the Dana 44 and having to keep putting money into it.

Another benefit is that with the Ford 9 inch changing the gearing is very simple compared to changing the gearing in the Dana. In reality some of you would probably set up a couple of center sections one with race gears adn another with cruising gears because swapping out center sections are very easy with the 9 inch and can be done in 30 minutes or less in most cases.

The goal would be to be able to use a C-beam and the factory brakes off your existing rear end to save you time and money on the conversion.

 

Would only use some of the rear suspension parts such as the shocks, brakes, C-beam and a few other minor parts.

 

Sure I might be interested if I could bolt it up to my existing suspension. Also what kind of cash are we talkin? 1K, 2K, 3K?
John

 

Sounds interesting.The 82-92 camaro firebirds had a factory dana 44 offering with torque arm mount casted into the housing dont know specs and availability now though.Also isnt there a 12 bolt aftermarket casting with torque arm capabilities? The 9 inch will have the used housing capability but will require torque arm fabrication and the need for a double rib or N case center section or an aftermarket one. Which one would be more cost effectve. Lets here what all the kit would contain and a ball park price when you come up with it.

 

Let me begin by saying a 9 inch conversion with labor has been running between $6,000 to $8,000 with all parts and labor and we are hearing of other cases of even higher.

For sure not anywhere near $1,000 because the axles, posi unit and ring and pinion would exceed that cost alone.

$2,000 is not going to happen and have it as a bolt in unit that is pretty much complete except brakes.

Somewhere between $2500 and $3000 is the goal for a turn key type rear end with gears, center section, posi, bearings, rear end cover...but if there is not enough interest the rear end concept will remain only an idea.

The belief by some of the major rear end builders is that there isn't enough interest by C4 owners/forum members to launch a product like this...I think they are wrong. If you consider the number of C4's that were built...you are talking about a very big number. The number of guys hot rodding the C4 is not small so if the interest is high enough this idea could turn into something fairly quickly.

 

I could be interested a few years down the road if I were to build a C4 Drag Car.

 

I think it is a very feasible idea and coming in the 3k range is actually a hell of a deal for anyone who is a drag racer. For one, the guys who would be considering this mainly would be the ones who do a lot of sticky tire racing, primarily guys who have big power and who are tired of breaking the Dana rears. They will be accustomed to spending something to get something and should see that as a bargain.

Additionally, assuming a lot of that potential market already has a Dana 44, they could sell the 44 for a good portion of that and really only have a minimal out of pocket expense. Not to say that taking the IRS out will appeal to everyone obviously, but I think there are enough people running these cars as drag cars or who have plans to do so that it would have a market. Anytime you can have a complete "kit" which allows you to take the words "fabrication required" out, I think you have a chance to succeed.

 

Roughly 380,000 C4's I believe(I did the math once, but forgot the number)
Lets assume that 25% are trashed, 25% are garage queens. That leaves us with 50% that are candidates, but, how many of those are roadracer/autocrossers? At least half if not more.

So that leaves us with 95,000 potential cars of which we know some already have some type of conversion.

Even if 1% of those wanted to do the conversion, that's 950 cars. I think that's enough for a company to make a kit.

 

I love the way you are thinking and I am thinking similar. For some reason much of the aftermarket overlooks the C4's. I just got back from the PRI show and spent a bunch of time talking with manufactures about making stuff for the C4's...many had no interest and others were very open to the idea. There is hope for our cars.

NitrousSam

 

If we keep getting threads like the bash Tony Momo threads - we will be hard pressed to have new anything.

 

You have some very good points.

 

Speaking from being on my 3rd dana 44, Heck yes, I want one.
I dont understand how you can use the c-beam with a solid rear end. I believe you will have to make a cross member and go from there.

 

$3,000...sign me up

 

The goal is to use the C-beam and to have a fabricated mount on the rear end similar to the Dana. If you have ever seen a torque arm car the mount would not be that different except where it would be located. The bigger issue isn't the C-beam, it is the spring set up.

Sam

 

Somewhere between $2500 and $3000 is the goal for a turn key type rear end with gears, center section, posi, bearings, rear end cover...but if there is not enough interest the rear end concept will remain only an idea.

As I was reading down this thread, I was thinking about $3,000 would be about max, maybe even $3500, for a street machine.

I think as C4's become more and more obsolete engine-wise and cheaper, these chassis are wonderful candidates for SBC/BBC conversions to full-on drag racers. If the car goes quicker than 7.50, NHRA requires full float axles, but then that group is probably pretty small. The biggest knock I know of in Ford 9-inch is 3rd member weight with its cast iron. maybe some kind of sheet metal axle housing would make sense.

For full on drag race rear ends, look at the prices and the very high quality in Mark Williams. be sure you are sitting down first. It is easy to put up to $8-$10,000 in a race rear end. My MW ford aluminum w/spool, 9" third member (in an altered roadster) was about $2,000 7-8 years ago. A work of art, but, YIKE$

Maybe you could just focus on the axle housing, suspension and axles as "bolt ins" and let the buyers decide on their own pumpkins. Even then, you might want to offer 35-spline axle as standard with 40-spline full floaters as an option. It will be hard to satisy everyone, so you must target your market. I think anyone who would be interested in such a conversion is a pretty hardcore racer. Otherwise the D44 is the answer (until they run out)