8" Rear End for my wagon

**Luva65wagon** · January 10th, 2010, 05:54 PM

Thanks for keeping an eye open for me. Getting to Tacoma didn't happen that week I was off, 'cause I was sick -- but I knew if I went it would be a long, wasted day. Glad it wasn't for you though.

Thanks again for the Sequim tip, too. Will see what that guy says.

**Luva65wagon** · January 15th, 2010, 10:27 AM

Well, with the sharp eyes of a forum member (thanks to Ralph aka: 62 Comet) on the other side of the pond (Poulsbo side) I have found a 4-lug 8" rear-end. It's not the prettiest thing in the world and will no-doubt need a thorough going through, but I'll be heading there (over on the ferry and through the woods) in the morning (Sat) to pick it up. Cost: $250 for the unknown!

Although I could have got it for $150 if I wanted to muck around in the rain first thing in the morning. $100 more and I'm getting all the attaching bits and pieces as well (asked them not to torch it off, unless the torch the leaf springs instead and left it to me to unbolt it all). So, oh boy! Work.

Will be trying to contact Steve as well to see if I can check out his Sedan Delivery.

**redfalken** · January 15th, 2010, 05:17 PM

Sweet! All that oil and road grime actually preserves it! Mine looked just as filthy and once I cleaned it up there were even some factory yellow grease pencil marks left from 30+ years ago.

I called around to see what it would cost to have it rebuilt and adjusted but it seemed REALLY expensive. Maybe around $400 if I remember correctly. So...it just got a good cleaning and a paint job. So far so good. What are your plans for it? Will it need to be narrowed?

**Luva65wagon** · January 15th, 2010, 06:37 PM

Shoot Kenny, I don't know what I'll need to do, just yet. According to the documents I read on-line the Maverick is 58" drum-to-drum whereas the 64-65 Falcon is 56.5" I have no clearance issues now with my current tires (easily two inched per side if I recall), so I'm inclined to just leave it as-is if I can. We'll see.

I can't imagine with all that crud on it that it got there by osmosis. I'm sure something was leaking. Heck, maybe it was the automatic tranny oil- if that's what it had. It sure is cruddy though.

Hope the tag is still on it. I'll start a tech thread once I get it home and start looking at it.

**Luva65wagon** · January 24th, 2010, 03:35 PM

Well, I moved this tread to the tech forum to continue it here.

So the progress is moving forward. I have the punkin cleaned and repainted and the axle housing is cleaned and ready to paint. Would have loved to sand-blast this too, like Kenny mentioned on his 8" rebuild site, but alas, it is just a rear-end. I did use your gasket templates though, Kenny. Thanks for those.

As it turns out I had the measurements bass-ackwards from something I posted earlier. The Maverick rear in 1.5" narrower than the wagon was. Certainly not the same as what Kenny had with his (the Maverick was 3/4" longer for him). SO the round-body cars must be really short if you (Kenny) needed to narrow it even more. The Maverick width, flange to flange (no axles yet), is 52" and the wagon is 53.5" -- and you essentially add 5" to that for the axle flange to axle flange length. So my wheels will be further in than they are now by 3/4" on each side. Now I got room for big meats!

Well, not really. Would still need different rims to do that I think.

Luckily I have room for this on the backside and it will hardly be noticed, but I was hoping it might be the other direction. I have a lot of room towards the wheel well/body edge.

One thing I am baffle by is the lack of drain holes on the axle shaft flanges. Generally I see the gasket (like Kenny posted) allowing any run-off off gear oil (in the event of an axle seal failure) having a place to go other than all over your brake shoes. There doesn't appear to be any accommodation for this on the 8" axles. I'm still studying these parts to see if I'm missing something, but if I am I don't see it.

I came in to check some things on-line and will head out again in a few to take some pictures, so I'll post those later.

**Luva65wagon** · January 24th, 2010, 06:12 PM

Here's a few images of the progress. More in the next thread.

**Luva65wagon** · January 24th, 2010, 06:18 PM

Have the housing cleaned and one coat of paint on it so far. I'll put on a few coats before I decide whether to mimic the marking (just for fun). You'll note the number 4 painted on the pumpkin, it was foun after I cleaned it up. It had a dawb of green paint on the yoke as well, but I don't have any green paint. Considering this isn't a '65 rear-end -- most of this is meaningless anyway.

**Luva65wagon** · January 24th, 2010, 06:24 PM

Now here is where you'd normally have a "drain" in the axle flange, but there is nothing here to accommodate a drain. Still thinking about that. I seem to always recall seeing something in that regard.

The seals appear to have been replaced, and perhaps the axle bearings too. Have yet to clean the axles, but the bearing feel fine and tight.

Ordered a bunch of parts to do the brakes with all new stuff. Interestingly the wagon and this Maverick had exactly the same size rear brakes (9x1.5"), so I had a new set of shoes on the shelf. I originally ordered a bunch of parts from Rock Auto, since Kenny mentions them a lot, but they would have ended up shipping the stuff I added to the cart from 3 locations and would have charged almost $35 for shipping for less than a pound of parts all tolled. So I cancelled that order and got everything I needed from National Parts Depot from a Mustang catalog including things Rock Auto didn't have. Anyone with Falcon parts ought to consider getting a NPD Mustang catalog. Lots of a Mustang is made up of Falcon parts -- but the Mustang parts can be much cheaper.

**redfalken** · January 24th, 2010, 10:21 PM

Looking good Roger! It's amazing what scrubbing off all that road grime will reveal.

I wondered the same thing about the draining but maybe not that much oil ever makes it up the tubes?? The retainer plate on mine was shaped like it should have a hole for drainage but there wasn't one. I'm guessing the bearing would have to fail pretty bad before any oil could get past them.

**doghows** · January 25th, 2010, 02:29 PM

That looks great from the condition it was in when I saw it at the house. You should have let me powder coat it for you. Oh well, when you get done with that come over and help me cut and weld some sheet metal. I have a long way to go before my rig is a purrty as yours. Later

**Luva65wagon** · January 25th, 2010, 09:48 PM

Steve,

I seriously debated calling you and seeing what we could work out -- then I said to myself "it's a rear end" and kept scrubbing. It actually cleaned up really well in just a couple hours using engine cleaner to emulsify the crud. Then a scotch-bright rotary pad and it was beautimous. Some thinned 7777 Derusto and a foam brush is going on nice and smooth with no overspray (can't spray outside or inside right now). May have it ready to go together this weekend if the parts get here.

Troy sent me two sets of lower shock supports (thanks Troy, check your mail in a couple days) and so I'll be working on making custom parts from these. Then it'll be figuring out a driveline.

**InkedForLife** · January 25th, 2010, 11:08 PM

Roger,
No sweat! Glad they are going to work out. Whichever ones you don't use, go ahead and sell at the upcoming swap meet and put the money in the club funds.

Troy

**Luva65wagon** · February 5th, 2010, 09:49 PM

Well, thought I'd post an update. I've been cleaning and painting for a few days and it's all almost ready to begin the swap. Still need to do a couple things, but may get it in this next week if my back gets a little better... just in time for me to throw it out again to do this.

Some updated pics below. Found I could just file the holes in the lower shock/axle plates to accommodate the bigger u-bolts. An hour of filing later and all was good. No cutting and welding!

**doghows** · February 8th, 2010, 08:04 AM

Nice work; can you do that for my rear end??

Just kidding looks great. I'll put some pics up of my progress later today.

**Luva65wagon** · February 9th, 2010, 10:07 PM

I got a little side-tracked with the F350 I just got. Kind'a doing two things at once now, but I did get the shock brackets painted and I could actually start to pull the old one out and figure out what other parts I might need (brake lines, mostly) and then try to figure out the driveline thing. I have two drivelines now; my current and the one I got at the wrecker from a Maverick they had. I'm not sure which I'll use yet.

Early Bird Swap meet is this weekend, so it'll probably be the weekend after and I'll start on that.