Ford 9inch rear axle into 5.0 fox mustang using stock rear drum brakes

My 1987 chp fox mustang's rear end had seen better days. Replacement would be the best option, as as such I figured I should swap to the venerable Ford 9 inch rear axle while I was at it! I wanted to take advantage of the easy third member swap, since I already had a 9" in another car. I wanted to be efficient (cheep & easy) and change ONLY the items which I absoultly HAD to change, which meant (to me) keeping the stock rear drum brakes. Other companies said it couldn't be done, but Ed at Sutton Engineering had done it before!!!!
Sutton Engineering is located at 220 South 9th Avenue, La Puente, CA, 91746

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10'x20' car tent erected on my Dads old 1/2 court.


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Assembly at Sutton Engineering


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This is the product from the
Sutton Shop (except the ALUM drshft)


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Close up of Flange. Note
Non-rectangular spacing


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Ford Axle Housing End Chart

As I am sure you can see from the Axle Housing End chart, the std. nine inch bolt patterns are rectangular; for both large and small bearing 9inch ends (and therefore backing plates)
New 10-26-05:

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Moser 8.8 axle ends: non c-clip
Fit 9" small bearing & stk backing plate

http://www.moserengineering.com


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comparing the Sutton 9" with the stock 8.8


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comparing the Sutton 9" with the stock 8.8


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comparing the Sutton 9" with the stock 8.8


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New 11-08-05
Don't use Currie, they are obsenely expensive, and will only sell you something which requires you to change brakes and parking brake cable...(or even require you to cut up your brake lines) their *cheepest* "solution" that they offered me was MORE THAN TWICE AS EXPENSIVE as what I ended up with. Also don't seem to know what they are talking about, telling me again and again that there was "NO WAY I COULD POSSIBLY KEEP MY STOCK-TYPE BRAKES AND USE A 9" AXLE" experts?? Even with their fame, I don't think so!

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I knew I had to do something. A horrible grinding emitted from the rear axle area. I guessed and replaced the worst of the bearings in the rear. I noticed that the axles had been reused at LEAST three times. The outside axle bearing was riding on the stock location, but there was evidence of an axle saver bearing being used in the past (shiny surface inboard of stock bearing surface) now it was back to the stock location. The area that the bearing rides on (saver bearing and stock) was pitted, scratched looking and irregular. That is why I replaced the axle. Unfortunately, I had replaced an old worn out axle with a bent one!!! At this I had my first experience screwing around with a c-clip rear, crawling around on my back underneath a car on jack stands. I think that it is damn pain in the ass, trying to get those damn c-clips re-installed...and after I realized that my *new* junk yard axles were bent, I had enough! My 1967 mustang had a 9-inch rear, with a Detroit locker and 3.89:1 gears. I figured that If my fox mustang had a nine also, I could swap third members at will (and never have to screw with c-clips again!!!) I had a old "war" case anyways, with an open differential and 3.0:1 gears, perfectly complementing the other 3rd member... One for daily driving, one for mild track use!! So I went ahead with the plan.... but... where to get it all done?


Sutton Engineering is located at 220 South 9th Avenue, La Puente, CA, 91746
I have been using the 9" that they built for my 1967 Mustang for 10 years, without a glitch! I was foolish to not contact them sooner. They had moved to the address above. They used to be at 15117 Unit K Salt Lake Avenue, I can't find their new address on the web. They have the same phone number # (626) 961-9369, also 626-961-9360. I have provided some maps below:

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