Hangin' Yer Rear And Ladder Bar Install

There’s more than one way to figure out where a Ford 9-inch rear and will hang in a chassis but, for this story, the method started from the rear and worked forward. That’s because when the project began, the forward mounting point for the ladder bars was unknown because all the required parts weren’t available at build time.

- Eric Geisert

But the stock Ford rear Cross member in the original '34 frame was still in its factory location and, since the car this chassis will be going under will have a semi-traditional appearance, the frame and rear crossmember were not going to be altered. Adhering to that concept created some problems getting things to fit, but those stumbling blocks were addressed, modified, and all is well now.

An indispensable tool in doing any chassis work (from adding boxing plates or a dropped I-beam) is the chassis blueprint offered for free by Wescott’s Auto on their website that shows all the correct measurements (and location of body mount holes). It was used throughout this build and, since we’re using ladder bars from Pete & Jakes, we used their particular set of installation instructions, which have their own set of measurements to follow. Hot Rods & Custom Stuff in Escondido, California (a well-known parts and build shop that can do everything from blasting a body and chassis assembly to painting, wiring, and even upholstery), signed on to show how to properly hang a Ford 9-inch rear end.

Parts and pieces from several manufacturers were used in the build, from Pete & Jakes (ladder bars, ladder bar mount, and small assembly pieces) to Eaton Detroit Spring (for a custom side-bend transverse spring) to SO-CAL Speed Shop (rear spring U-bolt kit) to Walden Speed Shop (spring/shock brackets), as well as RideTech (for a pair of their tuned aluminum shocks).