Another thumbs up to 'Pete the Illustrator' for making the woody logbook come alive! Since this thread chronicles the transformation from beater pickup to driveable woody, I suppose it's time to mention last summer's installation of a Ford 9" rear axle in place of the stock banjo type.
I found a correct rear housing with brakes and axles from a 1971 F100. I was told this would assure a direct bolt in and it almost was. If I had gotten the lower saddles from the '71, it would have. Axle tubes on the banjo are tapered, '71 straight. Easy fix though. I still needed a 4:11 pumpkin to fill that big hole. Turns out that our friend and fellow 'barner Lanny from Michigan had one that had been rebuilt as a spare for his '40 race car in the 90s which has sat unused in a big tupperware container under his workbench since. We agreed on a price and I shipped him a very sturdy, but empty plywood case. Back comes this pristine piece of machinery. I got it installed two days before our 4th of July parade, with grandkids urging me onwards. But first time I took a 90 degree turn into our gas station it chattered and rumbled back there giving me a fright! Turns out it is a limited slip differential and I had not added friction modifier. Following directions carefully I added the correct amount. Way better, but not quite smoot, so I added some more and di some research. Sometimes these 'posi' diffs prepped for competition get an added fricction disc, and or stiffer springs. Further investigation led me to a bit more modifier, and now all is well. In the old days if I backed too far outa the garage and cocked the rear downhill on wet grass I would need to pull it out with my tractor or a 4x4, but not any more.This sucker really digs in and pulls (traction plus the 4" crank). Also, any aggressive pull out onto the main road chirps the rear tires with a bit of a Rebel yell, and just for a moment I'm Billy Idol..... Maybe why a good friend of mine rolls his eyes, saying of me, "He's a legend in his own Mind".
