ranger rear end swap

[hucks 50]

who all has made the swap ,and exactly what size do i need ,also what years work the best .anything can help. im tired of trying to get these brakes to work correctly without the proper tool.i guess im going disc in the front also. its only money right?

[woodscavenger]

I bought an S10 for the T5 tranny and was hoping to use the axle as well but in the 2wd version it is way too narrow. Bummer. I am looking as well. On the HAMB a guy mentioned a 67-72 Ford F100 axle but then you will be dealing with different bolt patterns likely. I am going to look for a Dodge D100 axle or mid 70's MOPAR or GM axle.

[Tony Cipponeri]

I used a 1978 Volare rear end fit great, I had to move the spring perches a little. Tony C

[Don Coatney]

I bought an S10 for the T5 tranny and was hoping to use the axle as well but in the 2wd version it is way too narrow. Bummer. I am looking as well. On the HAMB a guy mentioned a 67-72 Ford F100 axle but then you will be dealing with different bolt patterns likely. I am going to look for a Dodge D100 axle or mid 70's MOPAR or GM axle.

Ford and Mopar bolt patterns are the same. Spring perches will most likely be different on the furd differential.

[BobT-47P15]

Don, is that list of likely rear ends for swapping still on the resource

pages of this forum???

[YukonJack]

Ford full size trucks all the way back to the 60's have a 5" bolt pattern, not 4 1/2. I think Rangers & Explorers use 4 1/2.

[hucks 50]

how about a 66 fury,8 3/4 rear, i found one for 125.00

[Kustom52Mopar]

well if you go to use the Ranger rear end you can go with the 7.5. It'll be cheaper than the 8.8 cause its not as strong but I'm sure the flat 6 won't break it. I got mine out of a '94 and they should all be the same from early 90's all the way through '06. Don't quote me but I think they got a little wider in '01 with the body style change but not too wide for the car.

BUT if you use it you'll have to cut off the spring pad cause they are on top of the axle tube. You can get em at speedway for like $13, part #54585090.

Just bolt the pad and axle on the leaf spring to get your pinion angle right, weld it up right there or tack it and pull it out to weld it.

Then you have shock mounting, the Ranger has mounts off the tubes on each side. You could once again go through speedway (I'm not a speedway sales person, just find most my stuff through there.) and get there shock mounts that weld to the tube. Or you can get a leaf spring plate that has you can mount shocks to. Be creative with this, and have fun!

[58prostreet]

I've got a 99 Ford explorer rear end in my '52 Wayfarer. About 1/2 " n

narrower. Has posi, 4.10 gear and disc brakes.

Bob

[Oldguy48]

I'm in the process of installing a 8 3/4" rear from a 68 Roadrunner in my P15. It's just a bit shorter, and the spring perches have to be relocated. The axle tubes are

3", so the plates that attach under the leaf springs won't match up, so I fabricated new ones. The original wheels have the same bolt pattern, so I can retain them. Not quite done yet, but so far everything looks good.

[james curl]

I install a 90 Dakota 3.55:1 rear end in my 48 P15 and all that I had to do was remove and replace the spring perches.

[fredsv8shop]

1972 Sattelite rear axle under my buzz coupe works fine just had to reweld the spring perches. a saturday afternoon job.

[hucks 50]

i got a guy that has a 71 challenger rear end .anybody no about these

[Fireball]

Challenger (E-body) rear is 60.70"

Mopar Outside

Width Year Model

55.60 1960-1976 7 1/4 A-body

55.60 1973-1976 8 1/4 A-body

55.60 1966-1972 8 3/4 A-body

55.60 All 8 3/4 A-body

56.00 1932-1934 All Mopars

57.40 1963-1972 7 1/4 A-body

58.54 All 8 1/4 F-body

58.54 All 8 1/4 M-body

58.54 All 8 1/4 J-body

59.00 1935-1936 All Mopars

59.14 1966-1970 9 3/4 B-body

59.20 1962-1970 8 3/4 B-body

60.00 1937-1948 All Mopars

60.70 All 8 3/4 E-body

60.70 All 9 3/4 E-body

62.00 All 8 1/4 B-body

62.00 1971-1974 8 3/4 B-body

62.00 All 9 1/4 B-body

63.40 All 8 1/4 C-body

63.40 1971-1974 8 3/4 B-body S.W.

63.40 All 9 1/4 C-body

[knuckleharley]

Ford and Mopar bolt patterns are the same. Spring perches will most likely be different on the furd differential.

Don,Ford pu's have either a 5 or a 5-1/2 inch bolt pattern. It's the cars that have the 4-1/2 inch wheels.

[Frank Elder]

Ford Torino rims fit my Ram charger, maybe that axle will do.

FRANKIE47

[Don Coatney]

Ford full size trucks all the way back to the 60's have a 5" bolt pattern, not 4 1/2. I think Rangers & Explorers use 4 1/2.

Don,Ford pu's have either a 5 or a 5-1/2 inch bolt pattern. It's the cars that have the 4-1/2 inch wheels.

I stand corrected. I should have said car wheels from furd have the same bolt pattern.

[knuckleharley]

I stand corrected. I should have said car wheels from furd have the same bolt pattern.

Don,I am the one who stands corrected for not being complete enough. As another poster said,Ranger wheels ARE 4-1/2 bolt pattern wheels and will fit Mopars. In fact,I have a 56 DeSoto sitting out in the yard that has 2 Ranger wheels on the front of it.

My excuse is I am a geezer,and don't really consider Rangers to be pickups. When I think of pu's,I think of full-sized trucks.

[woodscavenger]

An update. I swapped a 97 Jeep Cherokee 3.5 axle in. I had to cut the perches, reset the pinion but it was pretty simple. I don;t have the rig on the road yet but it looks like it will work.

[Olddaddy]

When you measure the width it's the wheel mounting surface that matters, not the backing plates. I used a Mopar 8 3/4" rear in my 50 Plymouth wagon, it was about 1' wider than stock. I think it came out of an A100 truck. The Dakota rear is a good one if you can find an early one that is 4 1/2" pattern. You will want one from a manual shift truck as the automatics ratio is too high for the flathead. I run a 3:23 in my car, but it is an automatic. A 3:55 is about at tall as you can go with a flathead. If you are installing a T-5 five speed, 3:73 or 3:90 would work well. You can cut the spring perches off your old rear end and re-use them, or buy new. You want to check the pinion angle also to make the new rear match the old one if you are keeping the stock drivetrain.

[HughForrest]

The Rangers through '92 are 56 3/4" wms/wms. '93-'97 are 58 3/4". These numbers are regardless of which size brakes, and regardless of 7.5 vs 8.8.

Be aware that the pinion is offset about 3 3/4" to the passenger side. As a result of the big-ish offset I have a very nice '92 Ranger 8.8 sitting in my driveway right now if anyone can use it.

[Frank Elder]

Would that offset come close to matching the passenger side offset of a V-8 transplant? I think Tim said that it would require several inches to the side to clear steering column.

[james curl]

I put a 90 Dakota rear end in my 48 P-15. Start to finish was less than 4 hours working by myself. The drive shaft has to be re-configured for a cross type U joint. I purchased spring pads from a local trailer repair business. Set the pinion angle the same as rhe old axel and have not had any problems in 6000 miles. The Dakota rear end installed and using my old stock wheels it moved the tires outboard about 1/2" on each side. I think the 48 has a wider track than the 50.

[tinlizzy]

Has anyone tried any of the swaps on a 1948 1/2 ton pickup? Anything just a bolt n or do they all need spring perch moved?

Nice info.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Would that offset come close to matching the passenger side offset of a V-8 transplant? I think Tim said that it would require several inches to the side to clear steering column.

Franke..the offset I mentioned is the fact that the engine in the Dakota is offset to the passengers side from the factory...the Dakota rear gear is equal center of the differential cover to each backing plate with the pinion input offset approx 1 inch to the passenger side...on installing the 3.9 in the 51 Suburban I have moved the engine to the drivers side a bit and "lessened" the distance between the engine and the steering but as I also moved the engine to rear several inches...thus the closer proximity to the steering was of no consequence. However the front cross member now must be notched so to eliminate any possibility of the oil pan banging due to torque up of the engine when accelerating...

Now with the 360 V8 install on the 52 using the same Dakota set up clip in the front..moving engine left and rear..the V8 is longer..the steering clearance is still adequate but will require an additional brace and bearing...this car has a full size 9 1/4 posi-trac from a 79 model and thus almost 6 inches wider...with the positive offset wheels I have...this baby will tuck full meat 225-60-16's with no problem and a nice full wheel well with clearance..