So many hot rod shops don't install proper bump stops.  In this instance we had to rebuild the shocker mounts on the diff as the rear end was bottoming out on the shocker travel becasue it had no properly designed bump stops in place. So the shock absorber mounting bracket was absorbing every bump when the suspension bottomed out, easy to see why both mounts broke. While we were repairing the diff I made a simple yet effective progressive bump stop that is held in place via the U bolts that hold the diff to the leaf springs. It turned out a very successful set up. This is yet another example how Kustom Bitz can sort out problems on your custom car or hot rod, its what we do.

So by now you would have seen a wide variety of prices on Ford 9 inch diff components, housings and axles. So of the cheaper stuff who's is up to scratch, a good question and one which comes up alot in my workshop and I would like to address it here. Honnestly you will never really know until you break it, and there in lays the problem, are you prepared to spend less and end up with problems? If I supply a 9" diff for your hot rod or custom car I dont want issues with it, I will buy the best parts from reputable suppliers that support me and I trust that have good gear, I am not interested in making money on those components or being the cheapest supplier, I want to be known for good work and putting together an accurately built housing and link set up for your car.  I do buy the best axles and make no money on them, hence I recieve some flack around the traps as you would imagine. The usual statement I hear is "it's not a drag car ..... etc. etc."  Yeah so why did Ford put so many 9 inch diffs in un modified production passenger cars. You know it is a costly process to produce good metalurgy and it takes experience to repeat it time after time in production. Well produced parts last the distance, while other parts don't.  If you get a chance pick up and hold one of those cheap aftermarket 9" diff housings along side a regular Ford housing, they will be alot lighter and hence weaker, more suseptable to fatigue, bending etc. A Borg warner diff will have less flex than these cheap units.  The main concern when selecting parts for any road car is long term fatigue, you should know by now that cheaply produced metal fatigues real quick and can therefore break, it is no more complex than that.  For me it's a no brainer, don't skimp on parts. Rant over.

This 32 Ford chassis we used an Extreme 9 inch diff housing and one of their floater kits so we can run a 10 inch rim safely on the street.  We get the bare housing in and using our own develpoed diff welding jig we fit the floating axle kit, set up the brake caliper brackets, parrallel 4 bars and pan hard bars using Kustom bitz made parts which are all available here on our website.  This set up looks the ducks guts in any hot rod or custom car, the Extreme rear end is quite rigid and much stiffer and stronger than a conventional pressed steel type, OEM style, round back housing.

Hidden under this stock looking 49-50 Frod Mercury, Kustom Bitz has made up a 31 spline 9" diff with EL disc brakes and a tru track centre.  Custom extra capacity fuel tank was shaped to maximise the fuel capacity and in doing so gained an extra 40%, but it is all hidden within the body lines so you can't tell. Baffled with centre feed fuel well tank is powder coated black and lined.  Kustom Bitz 2.5" custom fitted stainless steel exhaust is fed by custom long tube try-y headers and runs four straight through mufflers and a pair of resonators with H pipe to keep the 351W high comp, big heads with roller cam engine under wraps while not restricting flow. You can find out more about this build by following our facebook page.

Kustom Bitz has developed a 4 link system that requires minimal chassis modifications.  The bottom bars use the original front spring hangers and the top bars have a bolt on double shear bracket.  This unit was installed on a daily driver of which travels home on a few dirt roads so nice paint underneath was not important but good engineering was very important. We make up our own rubber bushed 4 bars of which are lager and heavier construction than conventinal hot rod or drag car bars so they are well suited to the weight of the truck.  Kustom bitz can also perfrom the EA to AU falcon independant front end installation on these models. Each installation is externally engineered, and certificate provided. Call us for more details.