Rono, Not sure if you are addressing me or someone else. My '57 Ranchero is stick, OD with the 4.11 gears. Thrash supplied all parts to build the new driveshaft.

StillOutThere;
Yes, I was responding to your last post. I thought you had the original 3.56 ring and pinion and was wondering if the original pinion gear had/has a longer shaft or something because the original pinion yoke is shorter than the newer "short" Ford 9" pinion yokes. This is why I can't use a new "short" pinion yoke on the old, stock 3.56 pinion shaft. The new pinion yokes contact the crush sleeve before being all the way down on the splines. The 4.11 ring and pinion you have is a newer set-up even if it is in the original 57 center section. Maybe that's why the newer "short" pinion yoke fits on your pinion shaft. Hope this makes sense

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

easey way to insure 9in is the lower capscrew holding the pot in can only be removed with a boxend (socket wont work.
my 57 ranchero has rear ujoint that is threaded,4 5/16 capscrews hold it to flange. tho it uses the smaller seal in the pot,so suspect a chang,also it is 3.25 ratio. tha cause of the leak was yoke not going on far enough.i solved by useing a 1/8 thick washer,trimed on the lath. worked great. also years ago i had a 57 merc it had the same yoke, but the gen 1 large seal.
some 1 may know when the small seal went into service. this Old stuff is a never ending learning curve,great fun

Please pardon the grubby, greasy diff yet this is my 55' Tbird diff. I think it is a 57 dana?

Thunderbird HQ list it as a 57'Yet I got a uni to match from Tee Bird products inc.
The caps are about 1" dia. in the shaft.

If any one can confirm that this diff is a Dana that would be great as I'd like to source a Posi.
And before you suggest a 9" I started out my time fabricating 9" diffs for just about every thing and they are heavy,
especially when you start putting 31 spline gear in them. The pinion support make for simple adjustment though.
These do break too.
I have seen the Dana advertised as 11 and 19 spline. Can any one enlighten this????

CK, the Dana 44 in my '56 pickup has a 44 cast into the back side of the axle housing near the pumpkin. Google Dana 44 images. They are fairly distinictive looking.

Mark

1956 Mercury M100
1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan
Delta, British Columbia

Checked it yet only found a T inside a shape like a superman diamond?There is a casting on the other side which is a C and a 1 together, I fgure this means it was cast in Cleveland.
Could this be a Dana 8.9" as it looks the same as the Dana 44 8" yet it is a banjo housing and not a salsbury?