'54 Ford rear axle into '51 Ford ?

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streetdreams

Well-known member
Hello all. Usually in the '54 and up forum, but I've got a nice '51 Ford Custom here in the shop with a bad rear diff. Rings like a bell on the hoist. I've got a '54 parts car coming in for another project and am wondering if the '54 rear differential will interchange with the '51. Any info appreciated.
 
my inter change manual says no, 52 thru 54 will, same with the third member, 54 wont inter change with the 51, it doesnt say why, maybe the 54 is to wide or to narrow, spring pads might be in the wrong place, but any thing can be made to work if every thing is close
 
Thanks. Yeah, that was my thought also. Given the same width, spring perches are no big deal. I was hoping to hear I could swap out the pigs between them. I thought Ford used the same basic diff from '49 to '56 until 1957 when the went to the 9 inch diff. Other than maybe wagons and such that used an integral Dana design.
 
maybe so but my hollinder inter change says they wont, it says 52 thru 54, once again it doesnt say why they wont inter change, try the HAMB site on here, those are the street rod guys
 
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My Hollander shows them to be the same through early 55 unless there is relation to station wagon from 49 to 51 or station wagon, sedan delivery, T-bird, or police from 52 to early 55. The Ford car parts catalog shows different flange sizes on some rear axles. Any of the Fords or Mercury cars that had Dana 41 or 44 would be different but the removable third member types are interchangeable as listed. It has a note that the late 55 through 56 Ford will work with the early 55 so there must have been a change in there somewhere. The Mercs use the Ford type rear axle from 52 thru 54 as long as they aren't a station wagon. Hollander interchange group 11 Complete rear axles No. 486 as reference.
 
Rotowrench, under #486 it says 49 to 51, then on another line it says 52 to 54 and it mentions 55 and 56, but it does not say 54 is the same, axle splines are different 17 and 28 side gears so the axle splines have to be different, im going to let him do some more research on his own
 
"I have swapped 3rd members a few times. I have found that the axles will interchange between 51 & 54. I have never swapped the entire axle housing from a 54 to a 51. Charles"

Gentlemen, the axle housing in my '51 is fine, the differential assembly is suspect. if I understand the info from all correctly, then a '54 third member will swap into a '51 axle housing. There may be a problem with axle splines, and if so, providing the lengths are the same, I could carry over the '54 axle shafts as well with the '54 diff into the '51 housing. Make sense?
 
ok last post on this subject, my hollinder says nothing but 49 to 51 is a direct inter change, you maybe able to make it work by mixing parts, my advice is to try and put the whole axle assembly on the car, measure and see what needs to be changed to install the 54 onto the 51, i dont know why it wont inter change, ive never did that, all i can go by is what the inter change says, good luck on what ever you decied to do
 
The 54 axle assembly is the very close to the same width as the 51. Actually a late Maverick 8 inch will go right under the 49-54 Ford. It is the same width. I did this with my neighbor's 49 and his 53. The Maverick measures 57 1/4 inches from axle flange to axle flange(where the wheel bolts on)
 
I put a Maverick 8 inch under my 50. It's about as close to a bolt in as you can get. I did move the spring perches a 1/4 of an inch for alignment but it is not totally necessary. I'm running a Mustang WC T-5 with a 3:50 rear.
 
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