1968 Ford F100 - Bumpside Build-Off

With stock parts, you'd normally use ECI's included spacer that takes the place of the backing plates on the drum brakes between the housing and the axle retainer, but Currie now has an all-inclusive spacer/axle retainer that does the job of both. Now the ECI primary bracket goes on over the retainer like you would with or without Currie's combo plate.

To coincide with the rearend revamp, I had to do something about the stock 9-inch. It was in need of a rebuild, and I was going to change the bolt pattern to 5 on 4 1/2 to match the front, which I chose mostly because it's easier to find wheels to fit. Plus, it had 28-spline axles and no posi, so I called Currie Enterprises to see what they could do. Being that my third member was of the '65-and-later gray iron variety and good to 450hp, a new rearend was built around that. Notice that I had them slide the Fatman four-link brackets on the housing before they welded the ends back on.

After they pressed the new bearings on the axles and greased everything up, they slid the axles into the housing. Currie uses heavy-duty roller bearings instead of the old ball-bearing type.

Currie wound up rebuilding my stock third member with a posi and the ability to accept their 31-spline axles, which are 43 percent stronger than the stock 28-spline axles.

To make sure everything was going to work together, Currie also installed ECI's 13-inch disc brakes. ECI's has rearend disc brake kits for most popular models, and they have a few rotor options as well. All the kits use OEM Cadillac Seville calipers with an integral parking brake system and standard GM pads so you don't have to find some oddball or special-order pads. If these brakes were good for these huge late-'70s Cadillacs, they'll stop my truck just fine!

Looking from the rear of the rearend's left side, the ECI primary bracket goes on with the hole for their secondary bracket to the rear. Install the machined spacers between the primary and secondary brackets.

Next, install the ECI secondary/caliper bracket. Make sure the secondary bracket doesn't hit the T-bolts that hold the rest of the brackets to the rearend-if they do, you'll have to trim the T-bolts to clear them.

With one side complete, Mario spins the pinion yoke to make sure it moves freely and there's nothing hanging up before finishing the other side-lookin' good, huh?

After lots of deliberation, I scribed my centerline in the frame. And once the bed was back off, I scribed it on all sides.