'Need help re rear differential/axle swap: 'Have a 70 Mav. w/ 4 lug setup. I've found a two door 78 Merc Monarch w/ a 5 lug setup in a junk yard (about 78k orig. miles). 'Would like to get underneath car to find info re axle raito but it's sitting low and many mean bees in vicinity...I did find a code "W" on the ID sticker tag on driver's side door jam under "Axle"...Is this indicate the ratio somehow? Also, should I acquire the Monarch's leaf springs and carry them over on the swap or use the original Mav's springs which look pretty flimsy to me? Any advice or help would be appreciated. Thanks folks.
The ratio will not be anything decent... but that doesn't really matter since it will bolt in and convert you to 5 lugs. Nothing stock that will bolt right in you car will have a good gear. Get the conversion done, then do what we all do, swap chunks for a better gear. That car could have an 8", 9", or integral carrier rear. Sorry I don't know the axle code. I have links to that sort of thing saved, but couldn't dig up the correct response. Dave Edit: I wouldn't bother with the springs. IIRC they are not interchangeable.
I took a browse through http://home.comcast.net/~petebre/maverick/FoMoCo_rear_ends.html this page which is hosted on another site in the webring. If it is correct it sounds like you found yourself a very nice 9" rear. I don't know how accurate it is though. Axle codes from data plates These codes are assembled for 70s Ford using the '78 shop manual, '75 light maintenance manual, and The Mustang Recognition guide. codes are fairly stable from 1969 to 1978, notes are made where needed. Please double check any codes not in the years 1969-1973, 1975, and 1978 since I can only assume the codes remained the same in the years my sources do not cover. STD.....Lock.....Ratio 1.............J.........2.50 2.............K.........2.75 3.............L.........2.79 4.............M.........3.18 ('78), 2.80 ('69-'72) 5.............N.........3.07 ('75-'78) 2.83 ('69-'70) 6.............O.........3.00 7.............P.........3.40 ('73-'78) 3.10 ('69-'70) 8.............Q.........2.73 ('78) 3.20 ('69-'70) 3.18 ('72) 9.............R.........3.25 A.............S.........3.50 B.............T.........2.47 ('78) 3.07 ('69-'72) C.............U.........3.55 ('72) 3.08 ('69-'70) D.............V.........3.91 E............W.......4.30 F.............X.........2.33 ('70) G.............X.........3.55 ('73-'78) H.......................3.78 ('72) Y.......................3.08 ('78) 4.11 lock ('72)
would your 70 maverick happen to be a 69.5 model? their shocks mount diffrently and that may be an issue youd have to address other then that sounds like you made a nice find. i think some of those monarchs may have disc break rears too. as for thesprings you may as well invest in a new set while your under there. not a bad idea for just over 100 bucks good luck
I was thinking the same thing. I'll take it even further... I can assure you that they never installed a 4.30 gear in ANY Monarch. Or Granada/Versillies either!
Reply to "NEWTOFORD" My Maverick, I believe, is a later model 1970 because it has the 250 c.i. six which was an offering later in the 1970 model year...yes? Re the discs, I didn't bother to check behind the wheels. I assumed they're drums. Thanks all so far for your inputs!
If it is a 9" rear, there is a very small chance it has discs. The other 2 rears didn't have that option. The 9" is most common with 2.50 gears, no matter the brakes. The 8" can be 3.00, but 2.79 seems most common. The only thing I know about the integral rear is that 2.47 was one of the ratios.
I checked my book,, no W for axle in 1978. W is for trans which means C4. The rearend code could be Y which is a conventional with 3.08 ratio. Dan
