Ford 9" rear: reverse thread lugs?: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

March 19, 2009 10:09 p.m. alex Reader

Long story short: did any Ford 9" rear ends have reverse lugs on the left side? This would be an older unit, likely late '60s at the newest.

Short story long: When I was last struggling with my Model A, months ago, trying to get it into my car hauler to be stored out of sight/out of mind, I was trying to get the rear wheels off to be replaced with something that would hold air. The lugs are rusty as all hell, naturally, since the whole car is, and they took a looong cheater pipe and plenty of PB Blaster before they'd come loose. I got the right side removed, but couldn't get the left side broken loose - they seemed to be spinning. It didn't occur to me until now, months later (I haven't even seen the thing in months): could it be that the left side lugs are reverse thread?

Fun twist: I'm not entirely sure this is a 9" rear, or even a Ford, for that matter. I should take some pics next time I'm underneath it.
March 19, 2009 11:17 p.m. nickleone New Reader

Some Ford wagons had reverse thread rears. Sometimes the studs will be marked with an "R" on the reverse thread side. Nick
March 19, 2009 11:41 p.m. ReverendDexter Reader

I didn't think Ford's did that, but I know Mopar did.
March 19, 2009 11:46 p.m. Strizzo Dork

story i heard was that they all did at one time, just mopar was the last one to switch to the "normal" way
March 20, 2009 12:29 a.m. djsilver New Reader

My last was a '65 International Harvester pickup truck. I remember trying to rotate the tires and nearly breaking my back pulling on that lugwrench! I worked up a mighty sweat before it occurred to me what might be the problem
March 20, 2009 12:40 a.m. curtis73 Reader

Yup, some of the older ones did have reverse threads.
March 20, 2009 8:07 a.m. HappyAndy Reader

Well, I have never heard of reverse thread studs on a ford, but definitly on some mopars. To be fair though, I never worked on any fords older than early sixties. A ford 9" rear is pretty hard to confuse for any other common rear execpt possibly an 8" (ford)rear, but some fords and mopars, and maybee even jeeps share the 5x4 1/4 bolt pattern, so it could be a ford rim mounted in a mopar axel.
March 20, 2009 9:36 a.m. oldopelguy HalfDork

Chrysler 8.75" looks a lot like a Ford 9", could certainly be under the car.

As to the markings, R was for right hand threads and L was for left, never seen a levt hand thread with an R on the end.

I was in a hurry one time and had a Sears in CT balance and rotate the tires on my 3/4 ton '66 crew cab. Made sure "watch for left hand lug nuts" was all over the work order. They broke 5 left hand lug studs between the front and rear wheel, three all next to each other on the rear, and didn't think to tell me. I of course checked and went back in to complain. They ended-up buying me 16 new right hand studs and nuts since no-one makes left hand ones anymore.