I had a big long thing with some details typed up but lost it while switching screens, ill retype tomorrow. Here is some pictures to get us by til then. What I started with.



Here is after tonight.

So I added the 1350 forged pinion yoke kit from dennys just because the more I messed with it I didn't care for the Ford flange, the yoke kit is $122. It's listed at $134 so not sure but I was only charged the $122.

https://www.dennysdriveshaft.com/p1...n_yoke_1350_series_with_hardware_fi.html

So for the pictures above the cost for the parts to build the rearend was $2413 and that includes shipping and taxes.

Rearend. $1943
Brakes excluding pads. $470
Total. $2413

Not sure what was going on but that damn solid pinion spacer had something weird going on and never could pin point it. I ended up putting a crush sleeve in and crushing til pinion preload was 26 in/lbs. (FORD says 16-28 in/lbs) Metalic noise and very very slight rotational binding was gone. I even tried all new bearings and they acted the same with solid pinion spacer. Crush Sleeve will do just fine, only reason I was using solid is for serviceability down the road. Mustangs with way more power doing just fine on the crush sleeve.

I originally set the rear up with .008" backlash (Ford says .008"-.012") when checking in 4 different spots I got down to .0065" in one spot and around .007" in another. I swap shims around and now my backlash in 5 spots reads .0115", .012", .011", .010", .010". Which are within the Ford specs. Final pinion shim size was .032". For the carrier shims I ended up with .267" on drive side and .271" on passenger side. I checked the pattern a couple of places one last time and it was still exactly the pattern that Ford's Ken Kot said was a good pattern so we shall see.

Well would you look at that!!! Good job getting that all together... It looks fantastic. When will it be installed and test driven?

Heck it's beyond sweet, too bad it's not a GM 12 bolt rear with Ford ends.... You know, then it would be perfect... I'll copy that rear bearing and brake set up soon though. I need to get new solid axles for my 12 bolt rear and strip it down and freshen it up for the LS7 & 6L80E swap.

It could be as early as next week or as late as mid to late October. I need to change out the proportioning valve, order a new driveshaft and also need to put some small notches in the frame for the bleeder screws when i install. Due to my car being low my bleeder screw could slightly contact the frame as mentioned before which in hind sight would not have been a issue if I turned the caliper a little before welding on.the ends. In saying all that when I install I need a solid 2 days just for the what if. All my favorite shows and cruise ins are coming up and don't want to miss because I ran out of time and my work schedule is kind of hectic. Thanks for the compliments

Thanks for the compliments Ron! In all honesty I would have loved to keep it gm but with the inventory in my area and the budget I set for myself I couldn't find a way. I kept my eyes open for a while for a 8.5 10 bolt or a gm 12 bolt but never saw any around. On the 12 bolt I did find a few but not cheap. I like the bearing and brake setup myself.

My 12 bolt is a Moser G body nodular housing with large bearing ends that I got nearly new for 1800 as it didn't meet the requirements in a stock appearing GN class. I was beyond lucky when that deal fell into my lap because of a friend and location to the event.

I agree, that thing looks nice. Hard work and attention to details pays off!

Thanks Kevin!

Only a few individuals today would make the effort to take something made for another vehicle and piece together a very stout replacement. Most would "Bxxxx and complain" about the insane prices of a stout rear for a G -body rear supplier, then either pay the piper of just not do anything at all. I was one of the skeptics when you said you were doing a Vic rear into a G. Why? But you sold me.
Due to your tenacity and multitude of skills you pulled it off and congrads!!!!! Looks all pretty, and i know every detail has been given due process, and I like stuff painted black. No one will ever look under the car at that rear, unless you invite them. But I know!!!!!

Thanks for the EFFORT, othes should, could, learn from your achievement.
Bob

Bob, thanks for the compliments and the help on your end. I'm pretty sure I remember on several occasions you had to listen to me b×××× and complain about the high prices of rearends. I started this by buying a cheap foxbody mustang 8.8 housing and I was skeptical about it and still am. After looking at the three housings together sitting in my garage floor side by side the mustang rear is a horrible idea imho.

If a person has the skills and tools I think the crown vic/grand marquis is a good option. Also the only other 2 crown vic rears that I know of are in g body's the owners sent the rears to Quick Performance and had the brackets welded on for a g body, so that's an option for others. I know it's not an s60, 9", or a 12 bolt but it's not far off either and with the above and me doing the work it's about 1/2 the price so I'll take it.

As with the serpentine and a few other projects I take pride in taking the rearend and ls1 brakes from a junk yard where they were destined to be melted and letting them live another day.

I am in the "don't worry about changing the proportioning valve" club. I've been running the stock master, booster and prop valve on my car for a long time with several different sets of front and rear brakes on my car and it has never been an issue.

I did eventually plumb an adjustable prop valve in the line going to the rear brakes just to let me dial the bias in just right but I ran for a long time without that.

All I'm saying is maybe try it without first and see if you agree?

When I originally talked with Tobin he said for c5,c6, or ls1 fronts and ls1 rears to stay with my stock master and booster, said they were sized right for those combinations. We didn't speak on the p.v. but I found a thread on gbodyforum.com a while back and quite a few people just left the stock valve and were happy with it. After that thread and your endorsement I'll give it a try.

After looking at the calender and my work schedule I'm thinking October 1st is looking like a good day to start the install. I should have a couple of post between now and then on how I'm going to do the e brake setup and my plans for the rear suspension which will change a little. I thought about trying to squeeze it in the next 3 days because I'm off but have other things to tend to.

What's everyone's opinions on brake pads for just a street driven car that might get a little spirited on twisting roads from time to time?

I plan to use the Monte carlo ss e brake cables but will have to make a few modifications along the way. To convert to the lever style on the ls1 e brake I'll be using the lokar EC-81FC clevis kit.



This is not my picture but here they are being used on what I think is a 3rd gen camaro using ls1 brakes. I think they should work well.

Liking the way this is going. Making a rear 12" rotor with a drum e-brake setup using the original cables was a major requirement for me if I was to do the disc swap on the rear.
The Locar questions, Are they made of gold? Second question, they only have a 1/8" hole for the cable? How does the Monte cable at that end get attached to the
Lokar?
https://lokar.com/assets/instructions/INS0011-Ford-Explorer-Wilwood-Internal-EbrakeCables.pdf

That guy that sold the cable mount brackets sure makes a lot of other brake swap parts. I was looking at his Ebay and made me curious about what his C5-C6 12" four piston rear swap would take to get installed on a 10 bolt. The E-brake backing plates are the problem, a 3 bolts hub /bearing complicates that swap. Just like the idea of having a four small pistons and long pads.

Got a shock length at ride height measurement?
Bob

Bob, with the price you would think they are made of gold. Wilwood has the same thing for their brakes but it's about the same price. Not 100% sure on making the cable work but I have 3 different ideas, did I mention the milling machine was delivered and setup last week.

New rearend is still sitting under the steps in the garage so not been able to get it in and figure out the shock height.

I used those Lokar clamps on my Ford Explorer and Stoptech ebrake setups. They are now in a box on the shelf with the rest of the ebrake parts...

Too many hills in Tennessee!

So my plan was to throw this rearend in around October 1st, My thoughts were I would hopefully be able to get a driveshaft in 5-10 days. I called Denny's today and he is 6 weeks out on driveshafts, I'll check my local place this week and see what their thoughts are. I'm thinking that the driveshaft length might be the same so in that case I would put a 1330 to 1350 u joint in my modified stock shaft just to keep me on the road until I could get a new one delivered, if not the rearend won't be put in til November.

From dennys the nitrous ready steel 3.5" with 31 spline slip yoke and 1350 joints for my car with shipping is $800, the aluminum from dennys is $780.

When I talked to Denny at Denny's he favored the the nitrous ready steel shaft and claimed it was his buy once cry once drive shaft and would be perfect for my car. The local place, Knoxville Driveline claimed their buy once cry once for my car was their Aluminum driveshaft which was within $10 of Denny's. The main thing with the local shop was the turn is 5-7 days where dennys is 6 weeks.

What's everyone's thoughts steel vs aluminum?

I bought my Denny's 3 1/2" Alum with 1350s, think it was 2002, and it was 500 delivered 20 years ago. Denny told me the same thing, if you want to drag race a heavy car a million times at the drag get a nitrous type shaft, the alum is fine for everything else.

The lighter the shaft the better, the better the balance make everyone happier. the bigger the joints the less you should worry. Driveshafts are another one of those things, measure five times, cut once, you only want to have one high quality made once.

My front yoke is a Dana, nothing special, about 17 years into it's life it decided to weep trans fluid, Mobil 1 ATF, around the steel plug the seals the splined bore of the yoke. Why, don't know, I blamed it on Mobil 1. Pulled the shaft and took it to a friend to TIG the plate to the yoke, that fixed the problem.

Ask Denny what his policy is on shortening an alum driveshaft he built.
Bob

Bob, his website says free lifetime labor on shortening, rebalance, and changing u joints for the aluminum driveshafts.

it's been awhile since I got my shaft, 20 years, but think the "we won't shorten an alum shaft " was in regard to cutting a 1/2" off cause you mis-measured. My thought back then was the alum tubing, 6061, used in the 3 1/2" shaft needs to be cut much shorter to get out of the "welded heat zone" at the end cut off.

When Denny got my order form for my shaft he called me right away and said, "You measured wrong, I have never made a G-body shaft that short.""nope, you have never made a driveshaft for my aftermarket T56 in a G body with an 8 1/2" to boot." i was perfect length when it arrived.
And it has the manufactures decal still stuck on it. Ya know, if ya remove the decal it voids the warranty.
Bob