When it comes to building a classic pickup, there’s not an awful lot of what we’d consider “standard” parts used in the mix. Sure all those small-block Chevys and trannys are pretty much the same, but try and swap a 9-inch rearend out of any old truck or passenger car into an old pickup. Whether it fits perfectly or not is gonna be a crapshoot at best. It’s for this reason that Currie Enterprises has served the hobby well by providing a vast array of rearend housings, assemblies, and components in nearly endless configurations.
The 9-Plus division has become a favorite source for hot rodders looking to purchase custom-width rearend housings for special applications. They’ll not only build to suit, but sell the center sections, axle tubes, flanges, axles, and third-members as individual components so we can then assemble a rearend ourselves to our own specs. It’s a great concept and one that’s utilized more and more often these days.
However, there was still one slight fly in the ointment, so to speak. Once any of us gathered up all the parts and sewed together the perfect rearend housing and brake assemblies for our particular project truck, we still had to order the appropriate axles to fit those housings – at least another couple of weeks added to the assembly time. Well, recently the good folks at Currie/9-Plus have solved that problem by developing a new axle called the CTF. CTF stands for Cut-To-Fit and they’re the final piece to the perfect rearend puzzle.
As the name implies, these new 31-spline forged axles were designed so that the end user has the ability to adjust their length so they’ll be usable in a myriad of applications. So in nearly all but the most extreme situations you’ll now be able to order your axles at the same time you order your rearend housing components. This way you build the rearend, install the third-member, and trim the axles to fit – no more waiting for specially ordered axles to fit the housing you just assembled. Check out the accompanying images for a better idea – one whose time has come. CT
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Since 1959, Currie Enterprises has been fabricating, assembling, and supplying rearends fo
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From a home garage workshop to one of the country’s premier suppliers of performance diffe
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As classic truckers become more hands-on, rearend kits have become much more popular, espe
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The Cut-To-Fit axle kit’s main component is constructed of high-performance induction heat
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Each axle kit comes with a component package that contains a heavy-duty axle retainer plat
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The Cut-To-Fit axles are pre-drilled for both 5 on 4 1/2 Ford and 5 on 4 3/4-inch Chevy wh
All CTF axles use standardized shank Currie Enterprises wheel studs in 12mm, 7⁄16, 1/2, and 1/2x3-inch competition sizes.
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The heart of the CTF axle design is its 4-inch splined ends. Up to 3 inches can be trimmed
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The CTF axle’s 4-inch spline length allows a full 3 inches (or less if need be) to be trim
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Here you can see a Currie/9-Plus axle (above) next to a standard OEM-style axle. OEM-style