A rear end strength

[Hardhatz]

I know I about losing an "A" here, but you guys seem to be the smartest around, so hope you will bear with me.

As I convert Grandpa's AA dump into an A pickup, some changes are in order. I just bought a 30(?) frame & now I need to know:
How much power can an A rear end handle? A hot (150 HP) four?
With good shocks, upgraded steering, & everything fresh, would the suspension be safe to cruise at 70, or must I go to a modern solution?
I will have 16" tires, and the truck will be a couple inches lower than stock.
It has already been converted to juice brakes, so the thought of using the old axles occurs.

Boy, I will have a pile of parts to sell The chassis came with motor, trans, etc, plus I'll have the dump system. Maybe I will get that wide box in trade

[smilebigtt]

You need to add one more item to your to get list. A set of wheelie wheels.

[Brady]

One of our past members in the Doodlebug Club had a '28 A car/PU framed buggy with the only change being a 4 speed T-8 AA truck transmission. We had a "competitive pulls day" and set up a stone boat loaded with several railroad ties, for a distance of 150'. Each round, they would increase the weight by 5 cross ties. The little doodlebug with the car rear end pulled right along with the much bigger and more powerful rigs, up until the last round when (as I suspected he would on the first) it broke the ring gear. So, yes they're strong- but I wouldn't count on much clutch popping with a 350 SBC hooked up to it. Good luck, FB

[E.Moore]

Flat Head V8's have been a common addition throughout the years to an otherwise stock Model A Suspension. The rear ends in the 1932 & up Fords with the V8 100 hp & modified engines withstood the lead foot hot rodding.

The mating of the enclosed driveshaft torque tube to the transmission may be a challenge to a modern engine & trans, but you should have no trouble mechanically as long as the rear axle keyways & hubs are tight and the axle nuts are tight. Any slop in the rear hubs & the axle keyways will result in a guaranteed no go, when you stand on the gas.

The spider gears may not handle a huge amount of right rear wheel burn outs if there is a lot of excessive play between the axles and the center carrier unit on the 3 way spider, the spider gears or the spider gear thrusts. That's generally where the rear end comes apart.

If the rear end is in good condition, you should be able to stand on the throttle and show off with a nice spin & smoke show with the modern engine.

If one can cram a 2" wide rear spring up in the rear Model A crossmember, a rear end up to a 1948 with hydraulic brakes would work. The torque tube on the later Fords is longer than the Model A.