Hi! I changed the shoes on my rear drum yesturday and I notice something. My rear axel look like a 9 inch, it's doesn't look like a 7.5 or 8.8 or maybe it's not even a 9 inch! Can a Maverick could came out of the factory with a 9 inch or maybe it's a modification? I don't realy know the past of the car so........ btw it's a 4dr with a 302 and C4. Here a few pics: So what is it?
8 inch. 9 inch was never available in a Maverick. All '71+ Mavericks and Comets came with an 8 inch open rear with either 2.79 or 3.00 gearing.
Yes many people who dont associate with fords of this era allot dont realize that the awesome rear axle they just put under their Bit@hin Nova or 32 ford is only a 8" instead of the 9" they thought it was when they pulled it out of the junk yard thinking they scored the motherload because it came off of a granada. A buddy of mines dad told me to come down and look at the 9" he scored for his 32 off of craigslist, that he paid premium for that came out of a 76 4 door maverick, he was kind of irritated when I told him that mavericks only came with 8" axles. The guy on the other end said I was full of $hit when he got called on it even though there is plenty of information readily available to prove him wrong.
If you can get a socket on the nuts under the pinion it is an 8", like you have there. On a 9", you have to use an open-end wrench because the pinion is larger and is in the way. Until you are making crazy horsepower, an 8" will live a long time in a light car. It weighs about 40lbs less and takes less power to turn it over too. They would be a ton more common in the hot rod world if it was cheaper to get a posi for them.
This is the center section out of my 9 inch rear. I know the photo may not be the best but this is what Captain Comet is talking about. You can see that the front pinion housing hides the bottom 2 bolts. You need an open end wrench to get to them.
Hey cdeal, not trying to be a smart ass but couldn't you have just pushed the wrench onto bolt, off the head, and used an open end wrench to tighten it back up enough to get the ratchet wrench off with out destroying either? Just an observation.
