[Bedlam]

Any one know what rear end is in a 53 ford mainline?

 

[big gear head]

Does it have a bolt on cover on the back or does it load from the front? Ford used Dana 44s in some of their stuff back then.

 

[BogiesAnnex1]

Any one know what rear end is in a 53 ford mainline?

Ford or Dana, you'll have to get under and hunt for id data which can be damn near anywhere but usually on the center carrier or near it on the axle tubes. 3 ratos were used regardless of manifacturer, 3.90 for 3 speed stick, 4.11 for 3 speed stick with overdrive and 3.31 for Fordomatic.

Bogie

 

[Bedlam]

Thanks for the replies, It loads from the front, and it is 3.90 according to the tag. it has a bulge where the ring gear goes on the back. I just looked up Dana 44 thats not it.

 

[Bedlam]

I looked at differential chart, none of them match, but it looks most like a GM truck 12 bolt except round and front loading. mine has no bolts or fillers holes on the back.

 

[big gear head]

I'm not sure what to call that rear end. The Dana 44 has a bolt on cover and the 9 inch wasn't made until '57, so it's not either one of those. It's hard to find parts for those earlier Ford rear ends. I tried to find gears for a '55 Ford car rear end and couldn't find anything.

 

[Irelands child]

Ford being Ford, used that basic rear end from '49 through '56 though the '56 had a different spline axle (numbers I've forgotten) but can be used in a Mainline, Customline or Crestline model as they for all intent, used the same frame and body pieces. The Dana Bogie mention was used on station wagons and Mercury's - but not necessarily 100% coverage on either vehicle type, As far as strength - not very good for much above the original 90-125 horsepower. I blew way more then I care to remember with a full race flathead then a 312 'Y' block in my '53 Customline, but at 15-25 bucks in a junk yard, easy to change when piece started breaking. I'm sure that bearings and seals can be relatively easy to find though the gear sets will be difficult and pretty expensive when found with the paper version Hemming's possibly a good source

 

[big gear head]

The '55 and '56 T Bird used a Dana 44, which I think was the same width as the other Ford car rear ends. You might be able to swap one of those into yours if you need something a little better. I've worked on a few T Bird Danas and I also worked on a '55 T Bird that had a Ford rear end swapped into it. This is why I think you can put the Dana in the other Ford cars.

 

[JeffB]

What are your plans for the car? If you are planning an engine swap you may want to think about a change,the Mustang & Maverick 8" is a bolt in as are the 1957-59 Ford car 9" rears but those are getting pricey as of late. The 8.8 Ford Ranger rear 1990-92 is 56 1/2" wide and a good bargain in most Pick-A-Parts at under $200 these have a wide selection of gear ratios and many are Posi to learn about those give this a look: Ford Ranger/Explorer 8.8-Inch Axle