Full floater rear end

[subcom]

Been kicking around the idea of narrowing one of these NASCAR type 9" full floaters for my car. I spoke to a guy who sales them and he says they are more than strong enough to hold up in drag racing at my power level. Anybody have any experience with them? The 2nd hand market is full of cheap housing, axels, brakes, etc from NASCAR/circle track cars.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Good idea, now you can swap out the pumpkins without taking off the wheels.
And check out the 200 mph brakes!

Since we are not in the Racer's Forum, I assume this is for street, I which case I strongly poo-poo the idea.
Firstly those brakes are waaay to big. and waaay too heavy and your car will bang hard over every bump.
And secondly, Just how valuable is not taking off the wheels to remove the pumpkin to you; as in how many times a summer are you thinking of doing this? And then of course, is the added weight of the floating system, again affecting the ride quality.
And finally, what's it gonna take to install it? I don't see calipers or caliper brackets. Nor a pumpkin. Nor spring perches. And how far are the wheels gonna stick out? Can you set your own pinion angle?
I bet those missing calipers and brackets weigh a ton too.......

 

[subcom]

Good idea, now you can swap out the pumpkins without taking off the wheels.
And check out the 200 mph brakes!

Since we are not in the Racer's Forum, I assume this is for street, I which case I strongly poo-poo the idea.
Firstly those brakes are waaay to big. and waaay too heavy and your car will bang hard over every bump.
And secondly, Just how valuable is not taking off the wheels to remove the pumpkin to you; as in how many times a summer are you thinking of doing this? And then of course, is the added weight of the floating system, again affecting the ride quality.
And finally, what's it gonna take to install it? I don't see calipers or caliper brackets. Nor a pumpkin. Nor spring perches. And how far are the wheels gonna stick out? Can you set your own pinion angle?
I bet those missing calipers and brackets weigh a ton too.......

You bring up some good points on the weight. Are the brakes, hubs, floating system THAT heavy? Heavier then my current 11" Drums, 35 spline axels? Have you worked on or installed one of these before? I'm not talking about a full floater from a big F-250 pickup.

Regarding install, the pic I posted is simply a reference so people know what I'm talking about. I'm mini tubbing and will build a narrowed version of this full floater and may do a tri 4 link. Third member is standard 9" Ford stuff, and brake options are abundant, though I'm not sure how expensive. Apparently these are popular with the pro touring crowd also. Thanks

 

[3406pk]

If the used ones are from NASCAR, you can bet they are not very heavy. They spend millions to knock off a pound. I'll bet brakes are no heavier than stock stuff.

 

[subcom]

Good article on a new floater kit from Strange. Pardon the chevy link please.
Full Floater Rearend - Camaro Performers Magazine

AJ might be on to something about the weight, at least with those snouts/spindles on the axel ends. They are definitely heavy/heavy-duty pieces.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Why are you running 11s now?
We're not in the Racer's Forum, so I assumed this was for street. 11s are waaaay overkill for street and factory tubs, somewhat overkill for anything else still on the street.
I'm not into drag racing, so I can't speak to that. And if I was, I'd stay in the low 12s/hi 11s. That's fast enough for this cowboy.
If you need big brakes or just want them, then the Nascar stuff is about as good as it gets.
But by the time you get 15x15s and 31s under there, it might ride like a truck,on the street,lol.
Is weight a big deal? On the street I have to say yes, Nay; emphatically-YES.
The lighter stuff is back there, the less shock damping you can run, and that sweetens the ride. I find 15x10 steel wheels and 11" brakes, with the shocks to control them, all ridiculously hard-riding. I swapped to lightweight aluminum wheels which were half the weight, and 10x2 brakes, and then a shock adjustment, and the ride now is firm but controlled, and no longer does it pound on my internal organs. I run my 10s with zero proportioning and 15/16 cylinders, with a 15/16 master.

 

[subcom]

Why are you running 11s now?

11" drums simply because they were easier to come by. And yes, I do like the added stopping power after a 100mph+ run.

The appeal to me on these floaters is the abundance of lite and strong housings avail 2nd hand and cheap as well as third members w/ lockers, vast gear selections, up to 35 spline axels though 31 would probably allow for more posi type options...(I need to get educated on the 9" Ford stuff) a pretty good selection of brake hardware (used and Wilwood type off-the-shelf stuff) and the ability to move wheel spacing in or out on the hubs to accomodate diff wheel widths/offsets. Stress on the full floater axels is minimized also. Wheel selection it seems may be somewhat limited. That is one down-side. The NASCAR stuff is all 5x5" though there are after market hubs that can take a Chevy pattern.

Anywho...just kicking around the idea and was curious what others had to say. Thanks!

 

[AJ/FormS]

Now that street work is on the back-burner,I like your thinking

 

[subcom]

Now that street work is on the back-burner,I like your thinking

Yeah. Most of my street driving is on the way to the track and coming back.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Since my car is not that fast, 10x2s, running full line pressure cannot lock up 325DRs, so I'm ok.
But they sure haul the car down with 295s.