1956 speedo angle drive

[zoegrant]

Was the speedo angle drive only used for the 1956 T-Birds or were they also used on full size Fords of the same year ?????

 

[Daves55Sedan]

I'm assuming you mean where the speedo cable plugs into the rear extension housing on the T-Birds, there is a 90 degree turn with an integral gear (which means that the T-Bird speedo mechanism works in the opposite direction as the speedo in the full size cars).
Yes the T-Birds had the "angle-drive" as you call it, but the full size cars had a straight cable without splices nor intermediate gears.
So, if you tried to install a car speedo cable in a T-Bird, the speedometer will not register (unless maybe in reverse gear).

 

[zoegrant]

Thanks Dave...the reason I ask is that I have one that I would like to sell but do not want to mislead anyone stating that it would fit a 56 full size
Ford when it is only specific to a 56 T-Bird ....thanks again

 

[dmsfrr]

I believe they came in the '55 T-Birds also.

I've only got one fixer-upper / project to base these statements on but...
The '55 Bird in my garage didn't have an angle drive when I got it.
The speedo cable was plugged directly into the auto trans tailshaft and I didn't notice a problem (tight corner?) when removing or inserting it, so I left it that way.
The 150 mph T-Bird speedo reads in a 'forward' direction without it.
I had previously bought a replacement angle drive in case it turned out to be needed. The directional cut of it's internal gears allows the output to turn the speedo cable in the 'normal' direction.
.

 

[rotorwrench]

Stewart Warner and Smiths Instruments both made angle drives for either clockwise or anti clockwise directions. What ever the customer might need to adapt was available at one time.