Posted by Mack on March 06, 1999 at 19:16:19:
In Reply to: 8" rear end posted by Brian on March 04, 1999 at 13:40:46:
The drum to drum distance is 56-1/2". It is 2" narrower than a Granada which has an option of a 9" rear with disk brakes (Lincon Versallis is the one everyone looks for which is the same). If you have the clearance and want the strongest rear go for the 9" Granada.
From pretty reliable sources I understand tthat the Granda rear bots right into a Maverick, but remember it's 2" wider at 58-1/2" and the 9" has a longer nose so the driveshaft may have to be shortened. Remember that the 9" Granada is an optional rear and are getting very hard to find and expensive, most standard Granadas have an 8" rear or hothkiss type rearend, be sure of what you are getting. From what I have seen, all 9" Granada rears have disk brakes. I do not believe that the Maverick ever came with an optional 9" rear.
The stock 8" rear if prepared right could handle about 300-350 hp. If you use one of these (8") look for the later model with more ribbing on the pumpkin, try for a 74-77, it also has the oil fill in the pumpkin and not the housing. Both the Granada and the Maverick rear are considered narrow by most standards which make them ideal for street rods. The Maverick has the narrowest 8" rear that I am aware of. The only drawback is the brake drums which are getting expensive at about $90 each. By comparision a late model Nova rearend is 60-1/2" and an early Camaro is 59-1/2 (maybe just slightly wider at 60").
One more thing, if you do try and adapt the Granada disk brake setup to the 8" Maverick be prepared to machine the axles down as the diameter of the late model axles will not fit in the rotors (off by about 1/4"). Another thing, Ford didn't get real accurate when the cleaned the flanges of the axles off (the side that bolts to the wheel) they are usually out of whack by .010 to .020" right from the factory. That's nothing for a brake drum but when a rotor is bolted up it gets significant, from the .010" that it's off at the axle it gets to be about .020" at the end of the rotor!! I am not sure what else would have to be done to make it work (when I got that far I decided to try something else). All 8" rears have small axle bearings and 28 spline axles. Oh yea, the Maverick rears came with 4 and 5 bolt axles, be sure of what you are getting, if you just tell them to yank it from the scrap yard, you might be suprised when you go to pick it up!!
I hope this helps. Mack
: Does anyone know the over all width of a Maverick 8" rear end from the outside
: of each drum?