Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Late V8 (1954+)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-08-2020, 05:56 PM   #1
Old Redneck
Senior Member
 
Old Redneck's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Waynesburg,Pa.
Posts: 1,907
Send a message via AIM to Old Redneck Send a message via Yahoo to Old Redneck
Default My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

Its loud when you gas it on a pull. When I let up on the gas it goes away. What could it be? What years has the same rear end? I installed the Air vent cable on the left side today. The rear end is full of oil. I got a original 56 Ford T-Bird radio coming the end of the week. Still have not got the center map light working yet. I ordered a heavy doty fan blade for the car. I still got a lot to do to thiis junker as dad would call it. All my cars were Junker's. He always said I had more cars then the local junk yard had. He say look at this place dam dump. Then he laugh.
Old Redneck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2020, 06:55 PM   #2
Ole Don
Senior Member
 
Ole Don's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: St. Michael, Minnesota
Posts: 1,713
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

Noise on pull or coast is one side or the other on the pinion bearing. If it has been doing it for a while, it would also need a ring and pinion gear.
Ole Don is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 06-08-2020, 06:57 PM   #3
Marcus
Senior Member
 
Marcus's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Walnut Grove, Mississippi
Posts: 605
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

Ken, you seem to be having too much fun with that T-Bird junker: why don't I bring my '68 Mustang Convertible up and trade with you. This is an automatic so Barb can drive it to chase parts for the junky Split Window ....... Huge Grin!! Hope to see you two sometime this year, if the show season ever gets back under way! BTW : check the U-Joints and wheel bearings for the noise......
__________________
WARM REGARDS, MARCUS
Marcus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2020, 07:02 PM   #4
miker98038
Senior Member
 
miker98038's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Kent, WA. Tucson, AZ
Posts: 1,373
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

Deleted

Last edited by miker98038; 06-08-2020 at 07:28 PM.
miker98038 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2020, 08:21 PM   #5
paul2748
Senior Member
 
paul2748's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Midland Park, NJ
Posts: 3,965
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

double post
__________________
48 Ford Conv
56 Tbird
54 Ford Victoria
paul2748 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2020, 08:24 PM   #6
paul2748
Senior Member
 
paul2748's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Midland Park, NJ
Posts: 3,965
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
55 and 56 Birds used the same rear. The 55/56 station wagons used it, but the spring pads are slightly different (the bird rears had a deeper spring pad mount to lower the car - factory lowering blocks).


The automatic trans rear had a 3.31 ratio, the 3 speeds and 3 speed O/D were different



Not sure, but I think some of the earlier wagons used the same rear.
__________________
48 Ford Conv
56 Tbird
54 Ford Victoria
paul2748 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2020, 09:38 PM   #7
miker98038
Senior Member
 
miker98038's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Kent, WA. Tucson, AZ
Posts: 1,373
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

The trucks also used that rear end, but had larger axles and bearings. That's what I found under my 55 bird. I thought the lousy weld on the perches were just "Tuesday morning work after a 3 day weekend", but it was the bird perches on the truck axle tubes.

If you get into the rear end, the Jeep guys still do Dana 44 work. If there's no parts locally Randy's Worldwide is a good source. I've used them, they're local to me.

https://www.randysworldwide.com/prod...SAAEgKh1_D_BwE
miker98038 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2020, 06:49 AM   #8
Dobie Gillis
Senior Member
 
Dobie Gillis's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Middle TN
Posts: 1,060
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

Check the stamping on the pumpkin. It could be a Dana 45, not a 44. The 45s were used mainly under light trucks of the era, but some cars also had them. That's what's under my Merc and it is original. Parts are pretty much made of unobtainium but some 44 parts will interchange with some creative shimming.
__________________
Often wrong but never in doubt.
Dobie Gillis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2020, 11:05 AM   #9
dmsfrr
Senior Member
 
dmsfrr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Abq, NM
Posts: 3,598
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dobie Gillis View Post
Check the stamping on the pumpkin. It could be a Dana 45, not a 44. ...
An original '56 TBird rear axle doesn't have a 'pumpkin'.
The differential is built into the '44' axle housing and has a rear sheet metal cover.
The gear ratio is marked on a metal tag if it's still there.
Stock axle ratios for '56 are:

3.73:1 (standard/synchromesh)
4:10:1 (optional; standard synchromesh)
3.92:1 (standard/overdrive)
3.31:1 (Ford-O-Matic)

http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird/prod1956tbird.html
.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg rear axle housing.jpg (56.2 KB, 16 views)
File Type: jpg rear axle housing, closeup.jpg (87.8 KB, 17 views)
File Type: jpg rear axle tag.jpg (143.8 KB, 20 views)
dmsfrr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2020, 11:35 AM   #10
Dobie Gillis
Senior Member
 
Dobie Gillis's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Middle TN
Posts: 1,060
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

My mistake. There should be a model number stamped near the cover, usually to the right, 44 or 45.
__________________
Often wrong but never in doubt.
Dobie Gillis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2020, 12:34 PM   #11
wellcraft17
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Tampa fl
Posts: 130
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

My original 56 F100 rear axle is Marked 44 with a tag stamped 41/11 which is a 3:73.
wellcraft17 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2020, 12:41 PM   #12
Dobie Gillis
Senior Member
 
Dobie Gillis's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Middle TN
Posts: 1,060
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

One wonders why Ford felt it necessary to use the Dana 45 in some passenger car applications. It's much more diff than any y-block could use up, even the Lincoln version. Seems like an unneeded expense when a 44 would do just fine.
__________________
Often wrong but never in doubt.
Dobie Gillis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2020, 03:00 PM   #13
Old Redneck
Senior Member
 
Old Redneck's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Waynesburg,Pa.
Posts: 1,907
Send a message via AIM to Old Redneck Send a message via Yahoo to Old Redneck
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

I look under and its. 44-1. No other tag
Old Redneck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2020, 05:50 PM   #14
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,367
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

Dana/Spicer offered rear axles in several gross weight ranges depending on what a manufacturer felt was appropriate. The 1955/56 Mercury used the Dana 45. The Continental Mark II may have but I don't remember. The Lincolns used the larger Dana 53 which is similar but not the same.

The Dana 44 was used by a lot of manufacturers for heavier duty application. The spline count changed in the 50s but I don't know what year exactly. The early ones were 19-spline and the later ones were 30 spline. Parts are available for them but you have to make sure you have the right differential carrier if you want to swap ratios. Randy's Worldwide has parts. The Dana 45 is an odd ball but does use the same gears & bearings as the Dana 44 if I remember correctly but the Dana 53 bearing is used for the pinion with shims. It had 20 spline axles instead of 19.

Last edited by rotorwrench; 06-09-2020 at 05:58 PM.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2020, 09:09 PM   #15
Daves55Sedan
Senior Member
 
Daves55Sedan's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Granite City, Illinois
Posts: 3,008
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dmsfrr View Post
An original '56 TBird rear axle doesn't have a 'pumpkin'.
The differential is built into the '44' axle housing and has a rear sheet metal cover.
The Dana 44's & 45's used on T-Birds, wagon models and F-100 Trucks, (also Merc cars used them) are called "integral housing rearends".
The rear axle housings that have the removable "pumpkin" are called "Banjo housing rearends". There were used on all Ford sedan and hardtop models (but not wagons).
Daves55Sedan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2020, 09:26 PM   #16
Daves55Sedan
Senior Member
 
Daves55Sedan's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Granite City, Illinois
Posts: 3,008
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

If you hear a loud noise (known as gear "helling"), it could be that the ring to pinion adjustment is too far apart, which can be fixed with shims. But, you should be able to hear it just as well when you let off the gas, but the tone sounds different than when it is loaded with torgue.
Pinion tolerance backlash is specified to be between .003-.008 of an inch. Pinion bearing pre-load is specified to be between 10-30 inch/lbs torque.
The 90wt gear oil capacity is specified to be 3/4 of a quart. Don't overfill, or it will spit out of axle seals.
Daves55Sedan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2020, 08:57 AM   #17
Ole Don
Senior Member
 
Ole Don's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: St. Michael, Minnesota
Posts: 1,713
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dobie Gillis View Post
One wonders why Ford felt it necessary to use the Dana 45 in some passenger car applications. It's much more diff than any y-block could use up, even the Lincoln version. Seems like an unneeded expense when a 44 would do just fine.
This happened on the line if parts were short. We could aways upgrade a unit, we could never downgrade. If a unit was upgraded, it cost nothing compared to not building that unit waiting for parts.
Ole Don is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2020, 09:22 AM   #18
grumppyoldman
Senior Member
 
grumppyoldman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Texas Gulf Coast
Posts: 727
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

If the crush sleeve is shot, there are none out there, I used one for a chevy 12 bolt rear and machined it to fit. It's a little longer but fits over the pinion shaft good. Al
grumppyoldman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2020, 09:54 AM   #19
Dobie Gillis
Senior Member
 
Dobie Gillis's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Middle TN
Posts: 1,060
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ole Don View Post
This happened on the line if parts were short. We could always upgrade a unit, we could never downgrade. If a unit was upgraded, it cost nothing compared to not building that unit waiting for parts.
I get that, but for at least 2 years worth of Mercury production (55 & 56)? That's a long parts shortage.
__________________
Often wrong but never in doubt.
Dobie Gillis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-13-2020, 09:55 AM   #20
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,367
Default Re: My t-Bird had a noise in rear end?

The Mercury was changing over to the big Y-block so I'm sure that's the reason that they used the Dana 45. The Dana 44 was designed for a gross axle weight rating of 3,500 lbs and the Ford 9-inch has a GAWR of 3,600 so there isn't a lot of difference there. I'm not sure what the rating for the Dana 45 was but it is likely between 3,600 & 3,800 due to the heavier housing and larger pinion bearing plus the heavier 20-spline axle shafts. The Lincoln Dana 53 was rated at 4,500 lbs.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:44 AM.