I just thought I'd mention this in case anyone else wants to try it. I found a Ford rear end from a 1966 Lincoln is just about the same exact width as the stock Buick rear end in my 1970 Electra. The Ford rear end is actually the big 9 3/8 rear with 31 spline axles and the same 5 x5 bolt pattern. I've been told the 9 3/8 center section can be removed and replaced with a standard 9 inch center. The only problem I see so far is the width of the brake drum to the chassis. I plan to cut about 1/2 to 1 inch of the back side of the drum off, this is the cooling section of the drum and not the friction area. I realize I may be taking away some of the cooling capacity of the drum but I plan to add duct cooling to the rear drums. All the control arm brackets can be cut off the Buick rear and swapped to the Ford rear, the only brackets that have to be fabbed are the upper control arm brackets onto the rear end. The bore size for the bushings are just under 1.800 inch bore. I made mine from 3/4 inch steel plate and rough bored them with a 1 3/4 hole saw then finsh boring with a homemade face plate on a lathe. I should have the sawp completed in the next few days if I get off my butt and get back on it. Now I need a 4:11-4:56 gear and center for it.
You might want to make sure 9in center section will bolt right in before you go any further. I researched this once a while back, and didn't think you could swap them. If that's the case, the 9 3/8in is just as much a PITA to get parts/gears for as the Buick 9 3/8in. Good luck :TU: !
The 9" center section will bolt to the housing. Just need to make sure the side gears are set for 31 splines. Devon
there is a local derby guy that welds buick brackets on 9 inch housings for derby usage. he does some street cars too. does a good job. see if one of these guys lives near you. talk to some derby dudes.
there is a local derby guy that welds buick brackets on 9 inch housings for derby usage. he does some street cars too. does a good job. see if one of these guys lives near you. talk to some derby dudes. LOL, funny you mentioned the derby guys, that's where this came from, they preffer the GM rear ends around here. The guy sold it to me for $50 and helped me take it out. I ran into another derby guy that has a low miles '76 455 I'm planning to go get in a few weeks that's not far from me and also knows the guy I got the rear end from that's 100 miles from him. Heck of a nice bunch of guys. I'm amazed at the amount of work they put into those cars for no more than they can win. The guy I got mine from runs 383 strokers and 4:88 gears in his cars. He preffers Buicks of the '75-'76 range. I've not tried the 9 inch center section yet, but what I've read it will work from several sources. I have my eyes on two rear ends, one's a 4:11 the other is a 4:56, both are posi's.
From what I've read, the differance in the housing area for the 9 3/8 rear end has a "notch" cut out for the larger ring gear where it mounts from the front, you need to use silicone gasket material for a gasket. The 9 3/8 rear ends are the strongest Ford ever built of this style.
I've always wondered about the possibility of dropping a Ford 9in center section in the dropout style Buick 9 3/8in :Brow: .
Are you talking about the Buick rear end that the guts come out from the back? If so that will not work.
No, I'm talking about the earlier '61-'65 style. They have a dropout center section just like the Ford 9in.
Stranger things have swapped. I knew a guy that took a 12 bolt housing, cut the carrier part out and welded two ends from the short side axles from a Toyota 4x4 to it for a narrowed rear end in an Opel GT with a 430. He told me the axle splines were the same, he used the two shortest axles from the two rear ends, welded the axle tubes to the 12 bolt and ran it. I'd start with checking axle splines then I'd see if the center section would fit into the housing, I doubt it will. It'll be easier to put a 9 inch housing under it and add the top brackets I'm sure. The top brackets are not hard to make if you have a lathe or some tooling. You can sign up at a local Community College that has a vocational program with machining and make what you want for next to nothing.
