'37 front and rear end questions

S

sgtlethargic

Junior Member
'37 rear end: What are the typical gear ratios? What other year housings(?) will fit (one side is bent)?

Front and rear end: What hydraulic brakes will swap?

Thanks,
Kurt
 
sgtlethargic said:
'37 rear end: What are the typical gear ratios? What other year housings(?) will fit (one side is bent)?

Front and rear end: What hydraulic brakes will swap?

Thanks,
Kurt
Click to expand...
The gear ratios that were typical for 1937 Ford was 3:78 or 4:11 for the 85 hp and 4:44 if it was originally a 60 hp. Some 85 hp came with the 3:54. The axle housings are the same or interchangeable 1937-1940 I do not know if includes 1941. I used 1939-1940 brakes on my 37 hydraulic conversion,some like the 46-48 better or even Lincoln brakes.
 
Brakes: use 46-8 (slightly better design, floating shoes at bottom), use 39 pedals & master cyl mount.
 
If you would post which side of the rear is damaged, I have some extra axle housings just sitting round in one of the storage buildings and might have the side you need.
O&T
 
oldandtired said:
If you would post which side of the rear is damaged, I have some extra axle housings just sitting round in one of the storage buildings and might have the side you need.
O&T
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Hmmm, I don't know which side for sure and I took it apart. I wanna say it was the driver's side, but I may have had the rear end upside-down. How can one tell?

Should I chuck the axle assembly in a lathe to check if it's bent?

Thanks,
Kurt
 
Charlie Stephens said:
As an option to the '39 pedals consider calling Richard Lacy at earlyv8@aol.com, (626) 338-2282 for the adapter he makes to use the original '37 pedals and a hydraulic master cylinder.

Charlie Stephens
Click to expand...

Once again, THANK YOU Charlie!!!

AND... 37-40 and 41 COMMERCIAL (PU/Panel on 112" WB) are the
same housings. Ford changed the passenger car chassis in 41 but
left the Commercial chassis alone until 42... but sounds like he has
35-36 rear???
 
Richard (EV8G) said:
Once again, THANK YOU Charlie!!!

AND... 37-40 and 41 COMMERCIAL (PU/Panel on 112" WB) are the
same housings. Ford changed the passenger car chassis in 41 but
left the Commercial chassis alone until 42... but sounds like he has
35-36 rear???
Click to expand...

Yep, but I don't have a whole car- just working with parts here, and it's not gonna be a restoration.
 
sgtlethargic said:
It's looking like the parts are '35-6 because the rear axle housings have the radius rod mounting flanges welded on.
Click to expand...

The '37-40 rear axle housings have the spring hangers welded to the back of the housings. '35-'36 axle housings have an angled flange welded to the housings with two holes for mounted radius rods. There is also an article on the '32-'53 Flathead Ford website in the Techno Files that shows how to ID all the different Ford rearends.
Let us know what you are you building. Many of us who post here like hot rods/modified early V8 Fords/etc., as well as stock originals. There all good!
 
Alright, but don't say I didn't warn ya. I'm pipe dreaming about an electric vehicle. I wanna go with a Model T body, frame and such because I'm going for lightweight. I'd love to get a '26-7 tudor sedan and turn it into a panel. I'd probably give it a healthy chop, too. I'd love Model T wire wheels, but I've got these '36 axles and wide-5 wheels and that seems to be the better/easier way to swap on good brakes. Mr Model T's gow job on the H.A.M.B. is the general look I like. Until I saw his car I wasn't too keen on T's for myself. If I had to label my project I'd call it a Watt Rod.
 

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Welp, I'm going to build it with an engine, first. I've got more parts on hand, and I don't have funds. It'll probably be a turbo 2.3L running on propane, like what I have in my '61 Comet. I've got a '37 front end with wide-fives, and a pair of Buick artillery wheels that I need to get a 6-lug rear for beside the offset one I currently have.
 
It's my opinion that it may be that your parts could be straightened... I did that for myself with out realizing it, put a bent rear together with drive shaft and wishbone that were not distorted, by forcing the good parts into place, I found after the fact that they pulled it into line... Karl
 
Karl Wolf said:
It's my opinion that it may be that your parts could be straightened... I did that for myself with out realizing it, put a bent rear together with drive shaft and wishbone that were not distorted, by forcing the good parts into place, I found after the fact that they pulled it into line... Karl
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That's a good point; I'll look into fixing them. The axle housing and radius rod are both bent quite a bit more than would be taken up by assembling, though.
 
I posted earlier that I had some 37 axle housings...if you have a bent 35/6 rer axle housing, I also have some 35/6 rear axle housings. I cannot help with the radius rods. Where are you located? I am in SC.
 
oldandtired said:
I posted earlier that I had some 37 axle housings...if you have a bent 35/6 rer axle housing, I also have some 35/6 rear axle housings. I cannot help with the radius rods. Where are you located? I am in SC.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer- I appreciate it and I will try to keep it in mind. I might be using a more modern rear end to start with, and I need to check if the axles are bent, first.

Kurt
 
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