Posted by Charlie Ping (IP: 209.253.9.11) on September 16, 1999 at 18:28:51:
In Reply to: Re: Versaille Rear End/Traction Loc? posted by rickyracer on September 15, 1999 at 16:41:01:
All 1977-80 LINCOLN VERSAILLES came with the 9-inch, rear disc package that was availible on the Monarch/Granada.
I researched this heavily at a Ford dealer and parts store before I drove 500 miles to get my Versailles for my swap.
The 8.8 rear was not even available with this platform.
Look in a bearing or seal catalog. They only list one pinion seal & bearing for the Versailles. One axle bearing. Two axle seals are listed because this rear requires two seals (one before the bearing & one after). Only one caliper is listed, and only one brake hose per side and one in the middle. Only one rotor per side is listed.
Many repair manuals group Granada/Monarch/Versailles together, and this is why one might think the lesser rearends were available with the Lincoln. Not so. Any rear other that the 9-inch is not original.
: : First of all the "war case " is a manufactoring designator. It's is used for the very weakest of applicantions,(very light duty).
: Next not all Versailles had 9" rearends, some had 7.5" ones which is the same as the MustII. The biggest rearend in a Mustang II was the 8". Not the same as a 9" & 7.5". And yes some Versailles had Posi units in them, not very many. Dealers don't like to put something in a car that cuts into profit. And 95% of the cars people bought off the lot back then and the dealer ordered most new cars not the new owner.
: A "pumpkin" is slang for the removeable third member assembly that the ring/pinion gears, carrier, and bearings are housed in. There is also different carrier bearing sizes, there are two. All that you will find in a Versailles are 28 spline,(grooves in the axles shafts) with the 9" rearend.
: To use the rear disc brake system you don't have to have the Versailles front discs , but you do have to have front disc brakes and the propotioning valve from the Versailles. or an after market one.
: The reason is with drum in the front and disc in the back the disc will brake better and your cars ends will swap on you. Remember, 65-75% of all vehile braking is done by the front brakes, change that % and you'll have some real fun of slick roads. Also don't forget any parking brake cables, hardware from the Versailles. Get all the info from the donor car, yr, make, model, etc. for parts down the line.
: And yes you can convert a non posi rearend into a posi unit by using a posi carrier unit, get a new one, because by the time you clean, rebuild, change to the gears you want,+ labor, you might as well have bought a new or already rebuilt one.
: The main advantage of the Versailles rear disc rearend is only the brakes and housing. Everything else in a profermance applicantion will need to be beefed up. Still a good swap thou. Just rearends are getting hard to find. And there is allot more convertion kits available for any rearend you have now. Check out the kit convertions against the Versailles rearend cost first.
: Hope I didn't confuse you any more then alreally
: .
: I'm getting confused. Can someone please clarify a few points? Do all Versailles have 9" rear ends? Do any of them also have Traction-Loc? Can you convert a non-Traction-Loc Versaille rear end using the Traction-Loc from a Mustang II or other Traction-Loc equipped car? What parts would be involved? What's this about having to change the "pumpkin"? What's a pumpkin exactly? What's a "war case"? To use the Versaille rear disc brakes do you need to use the Versaille front brakes too? Thanks for any help offered. John B.