best sheetmetal rear end housing?

ok guys....i broke the housing in my car last night. we ran a modified truck housing (9" ford) with the floater ends and a back brace. it lasted 13 years, so i guess that i can't complain. i want to go to a fab sheet metal housing, crome moly of course. there are alot of them out there, but most are 1/8" thick....which you would have to brace when you got it. who makes the thicker housings that i can put my ends on? i sure hope that Bob or Kurt, or some of the chassis builders will chime in on this one. thanks in advance
Darren

 

You can buy a tim mcamis fabricated for about 850 then buy long spindles from strange and turn them down .015 press them on and weld everything , for under $ 1000 you can have a really strong unit.

 

Here is the best !!!!!

http://scribnerwelding.com/

The guy is amazing !

 

i'd definitely suggest looking at the new M9 housing from moser... it's pretty bad ass

john dunn is running one in his nitro funny car... tough as nails

 

Scribner has some great referals...I do like my 9 1/2 toploader, someone on here had one cheap..Dave

 

You have a number of options, there are allot of people making Fab Rears (some Good, some Bad). And some you would really want to stay away from, especially in a floater application! How is is this rear mounted in the car? How wide is it? All the Mfg's have a little different way of doing their housings. All the Floater-Fab housings I use, I make myself (normally in a narrow dragster rear). Also the Face Plate thickness is something to consider. When you get into the wider rears (in high HP applications) there tends to be allot of issues with them. This is why I would "NEVER" use one in today's Funny Car applications. A "floater-2 separate axles" and a "live axle-1 solid axle" are two different things, and the live axle adds significantly more strength to the housing-rear. The weakest link is the spindle (believe it or not). It is actually "HOW" the Spindle is attached to the housing is what I am talking about. The most common rear failure is at the spindle attachment, and once this happens it is very difficult to repair properly.
I would be more than happy to help-recommend the "proper" rear for your application. Pictures of what and how the rear mounts in the car, width, etc.
Also are you going to try and use your Center Section, Axles and Brakes over again?
Feel free to call 908-479-4098 or email kurtfleischmann@yahoo.com
Kurt-Prostart Race Cars

 

Spitzer makes some really nice stuff, check them out at www.gospitzer.com

Brandon Booher
NHRA TAD #323

 

I have a Chrisman 9.5" Fab Modular "Live" axle in my NFC, and it has taken the heat we toss at it. I would never use anything different. Robert Reehl has several of them I believe.

Pics of that I have can been seen in the FC Chassis add that Sweeney posted. I have the same rear in my FC.

Justin

 

i just wanted to say thanks for all the responses from everyone. this thing broke right where they always do, where the spindle is welded to the tube. i have to say that the big fella upstairs was on my side that day. the 1st run of the day, the car left and hiked the front wheels up about a foot. it went right into shake as it was climbing the bar, and had 3 wheels off the ground within the 1st 30 feet. i got out of it, and idled down track. we thought we looked everything over, and went up about 2 hours later for another hit. this time at the hit the car moved about 10 feet and blazed the tires, couldn't figure out why. we got home and noticed the rear end was leaking, thought it was a seal or something simple. the only thing holding on the spindle was an extra brace which was 1" wide x 2" long 1/4" thick.....about the size of a book of matches. if the car wouldn't have blazed the tires on that 2nd pass it would have broke for sure and sent me who knows where.
i just feel compelled to come on here and tell my story, maybe a few of you will check out things on your car a little closer before the next lap that you make. don't take anything for granted, please everyone take a look at your cars....everywhere. thanks for listening to my rant
Darren

 

Glad to hear you are OK, most people do not realize how serious a situation like this is. I do not know of "ANY" Fab rears in a "HARD" running car that has not had a problem at some point. A certain person was really lucky earlier this year due to a rear end failure. This is why I do not recommend them for certain cars, one being an Alcohol F/C and up. There are plenty of other things that can happen, safety should always be number ONE.

Kurt

 

Darren is right! Check everything! Had our last outing for the year at a hot rod reunion in Temple, Texas last Saturday.

Get to the start up area and get the starter mounted, prime it and turn it over. Engine fires and immediately goes to 7800 RPM. Can't pull it down with the toe loop because it has never fit right for my foot and I have never worried about it because the throttle has ALWAYS snapped shut solidly when I lift. Not this time. Shut it off -Check the throttle several times and it seems to be okay- Restart with no problem- Roll up to do the burn out and ease the throttle open as I normally do-It immediately goes to 7800 RPM and I'm off on the longest burnout Temple has seen in awhile. Finally just kill the fuel and coast to a stop at the 1/4 mile mark. Fans give a big applause, but I'm still waiting for a tow.

Fix the throttle by adjusting the cable out 3 turns at the hat- Works fine.

Get her to the line to make another pass. Does a good burn out and I get it stopped about the 1/8th mile mark. Go for the reverser lever and it ain't where it's supposed to be. I'm strapped in so tight that I can't see my crotch to see the lever anyway, I just know I can't find it! My crew chief finally makes it up to me and I motion to the reverser and he reaches down to the foot boards and lifts the lever out of the car. Retainer bolt and washer that threads into the hex shaft on the Lenco is missing and the allen clamp screw must have been loose also, because the handle has fallen off- Our day is done!

Now we have added two more items to our pre-race check list.

The only thing that worked last week was the gapper I bought from Darren!

 

call Mitler bros. in mo... ask for ray sauer....they built my full floater fab rear end...... 4130, .375 face plate and inner bulk heads... absolutly beautifull!!!! Mike Taylor

 

i have 2 mittler rears. they are awesome.