You can get bearings that will mate your 28 spline axles to this type of housing end. The benefit is this: If you ever want to upgrade to rear disk brakes you can do it cheap and easy. The rear disk brakes off a Ford Explorer are a direct bolt on swap with these housing ends. The Explorer uses an 8.8 rear, but also has the same housing end. You can get the brakes in a junkyard or buy them from Ford. Ford has a brake kit with all new parts for around $360.

You can be set up for a future brake swap for only the cost of new axle bearings. Much cheaper to do it now.

Later,

Are you sure about that? When I talked to the sales guy at currie he said that in order to use my axles I had to use the small bearing housing. I also talked to him about the explorer brakes, they sell it, and he said that you need the new style housing that would not work with my current axles. Also would the new style work with my current brakes?

The new style housing ends will can be made to work with a little drilling/grinding.

The bolt pattern for the bolts that hold the backing plates on measures 2.00" (vertical) by 3.375" (horizontal) on the small bearing ends. The new style big bearing is 2.00" X 3.562". The backing plates have an indented area that is sligtly larger than the housing ends. You have to grind the outside perimeter of the new style housing end to fit within the indented area on the old backing plate. Then bolt the backing plate on. Only two of the holes will line up, but when you tighten them up the housing ends will provide a template to re-drill the two holes that don't match. Then you can use a die grinder to open up the center hole in the backing plate from 2.835" to 3.150 so the bearing will fit through. A little work, but it can be done.

Later

you are correct they do make a bearing that will let me do this

Now you have started a whole new questions for me. Following the how to you listed for the brakes wouldn't this method cause the backing plate not to be centered? I know it is only about a 16th on an inch so does it not matter?

thanks for your help

chip

It takes a little trial and error but it will work. I helped a buddy of mine set his up like this a while back. We put a 9" of unknown vintage in his 69 Mach I. We used his original brakes and the "Torino" housing ends that were on the rear when he got it. The main thing is to get the backing plate centered so that the brake shoes contact the drum fairly evenly all the way around.

Later,

quote:

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Originally posted by SundanceKid:
That pic of the bearing from Mark Williams. It has a O-ring on it. I've seen that before on 9" bearings, what does it do though? Guess what I mean what does it seal that isn't already sealed?

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Most of the bearings sold by the performance axle companies like MW and Moser now have the O-ring seal. It lets you do away with the factory axle seal that is up inside the housing. The o-ring seals against the housing ends.

Not a big deal with 28/31 spline axles, but a must have if you run 33,35 or 40 splines. These larger sizes (I run 33's) are larger in diameter than the hole in the middle of a stock axle seal.

Later,

David Cole

If you are trying to use factory Mustang axles , use small bearing housing ends.