Budget floater options

[1BADBET]

Ok so I'm looking to go full floater on a budget, best bang for the buck so to speak. I'm not worried about a housing, I have my own fixture and can make or modify one. But where to I get a good set of hubs, axles and 3rd memeber? I've seen some circle track/ nascar take off stuff on eBay dirt cheap and am thinking about getting a complete rear end. Any problem with this? Are the hubs going to be strong enough? The guy from quick performance said their grand national/ circle track hubs wouldn't take the abuse..... Any other options, opinions, thoughts? Any advice and experience would be appreciated

thanks!

oh and if it matters car is 3800lbs without me 650hp and 5.14 gears

[Schwartz Performance]

What hubs do you want? Or wheels? Allstar has some inexpensive floater pieces for the wide-5 and such. What's your budget? Mosers hubs aren't too bad of price.

-Dale

[1BADBET]

I have c6 grand sport wheels for the car, I dont mind running adapters for the correct bolt pattern if it's cost effective. I just want nice usa made hubs and parts that's I won't have to worry about breaking. The GMR hubs are soooo nice but unless they wanna sponsor my car they're too pricy. I don't have a set budget, like I'm only going to pay X amount. I just want to make smart purchases that will get the job done with out breaking anything including my bank account lol

I've seen guys use the ZR1 hubs but are they the same spline as the nascar axles, can I get an axle that fits the 31 spline locker and those hubs? Or the allstar hubs? I assumed the allstar were similar hubs to the quick performance ones that I was told wouldn't be strong enough

[Schwartz Performance]

The cheapest route I see for you is going with Moser hubs. They're billet steel and come in a 5x4.75 pattern like the Vette wheel.
The ZR1 hubs are not the same spline as nascar axles.
Speedway Engineering has some floater hubs that are nice too but they're a little more expensive. For about a grand you can get moser hubs, axles, and the bare housing.
We've used that setup on many cars. Are you planning on drag racing? I assume so with that gear ratio. Which questions why you're looking for a circle track floater, lol.

-Dale

[srh3trinity]

Look at Speedway. The catalog race parts place, not speedway the floater company (more pricey). If you run one of their stock width floaters they are pretty cheap. Nine inch third members are a different story. Another option is looking on ebay. Some circle track and Nascar teams sell stuff in there.

[1BADBET]

I'm want a well rounded street car built around total performance, street, strip, autoX pretty much anything and everything. I don't want to be limited to what I can or can't do with the car. Want to go floater to avoid knock back with this big beast in a corner and the safety of not losing a wheel if I break an axle...I was told by quick performance that the circle track floaters won't take the abuse and all the speedway and other various circle track stuff looks the same so I would guess they wouldn't work either.... But maybe I'll call and ask to be sure. The moser stuff looks like a good route i would have to ask if their axles are 31 spline so I can run a nascar take out locker.

I'm wanna do it the most cost effective way. If I can get a nice set up for $1,000 bucks and never have to worry about it, why would I spend $1800 on nicer stuff but no benefit (hope that makes sense lol) but if what I need is a $2,000 empty housing then that's what I'm going to get. I'm building the car once and I don't want any problems. I meant budget as cost effective, not trying to be a cheapo and for sure don't want to buy marginal or questionable parts for the sake of saving $

Oh and I'm running a 5.14 because with the built 700r AND the gear vendors I have double overdrive. I'll be able to cruise the highway like I have a 3.0 gear and with the deep first gear in the 700 this big car is gonna straight MOVE! Looking at around 650 hp with a small block turning 7,800

[srh3trinity]

I bought a Moser through Ron Sutton. I thought it was pretty reasonable. I went with inner seals due to my intended use for the car. With Moser, the floater stuff is similarly priced to a standard 9 inch.

[Schwartz Performance]

We use moser floaters as STANDARD on all of our chassis systems and have been since 2005. Our 1300hp twin turbo 3700lb Trans Am never had issues. Dan Howe has been running his 84 Monte with our chassis and a moser floater for several years , been to optima events, etc. (Just to name a few examples)
There's really no reason why that won't suit your needs.
Floater axles are stronger than standard since they don't hold the cars weight, so 31 spline axles hold up great.
You definitely need the inner seals (installed before the third member) even if you're not racing, or it'll leak out the hub.

I'm curious what Quick's reasoning behind te floater not working for you.

-Dale

[1BADBET]

The guy from quick just told me they won't take the abuse of a PT car. It's looking like the cheapest way is going to be the moser hubs, axles and stub ends, a weld up fab 9 kit and a nasar take out locker that I'll swap out springs and check all the bearings. Moser says their not gun drilled 31 spline axles are guarenteed for life! Sounds good to me. Anyone hear of SAP ring gears? I tried to google them and find info but got nada. All these nascar drop outs have their gears, I want to be sure they're not like a soft pro gear and will last on the street.

[Schwartz Performance]

Hmm that's odd.
Yeah we've run them for many years. I wouldn't worry if I were you. One of the perks too is that if the wheel bearings get a little loose you can tighten them up a bit like front wheel bearings. Easily replaceable too.

-Dale

[TheJDMan]

I have over 8000 street miles on my Moser CT floater with not one single issue to date. I don't recommend bolting on big sticky slicks for drag racing but otherwise you should not have any issues with a floater on the street or auto-X.


You definitely need the inner seals (installed before the third member) even if you're not racing, or it'll leak out the hub.

Sorry Dale, but I have to respectfully disagree! For street use you do not need to run inboard axle oil seals. In point of fact the gear oil naturally flows out to the wheel bearings providing both lubrication and cooling and my wet hubs seal just fine thanks. If you have any doubt about this, every truck on the road today from 3/4ton up runs a floater rear with wet hubs and who knows how many millions of miles per year that adds up to. A leaking wet hub simply means the seal or O-ring is worn or damaged. The only time an inboard seal is really necessary is when you are driving in a constant high G turn such as what is encountered in circle track racing applications. Under those conditions an inboard oil seal will keep the oil from migrating out of the center gear area to the outboard wheel hub and potentially starving the ring&pinion.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/camaro13011220001-1.jpg

[Schwartz Performance]

Yeah I understand, just every one we've had on a car leaked. Glad to hear yours does not. Could be the design, I don't know. Just sharing experiences. :)

-Dale

[1BADBET]

Ok for anyone that is reading I think Ive got it worked out... Just got a 3rd member from eBay out of a used nascar rear $765 (including shipping) new springs for $70, moser floating hub kit $455, moser axles $180, stub ends $70, chassis engineering fab 9" center section $135, 3" x .125 DOM tube is $12 a foot at a steel place by me or $1.68lb if I can find what I need in the remnant bin (I should there rem section is huge) I'm making all my own brackets for the 3 link and the back brace... So about $1800 more or less depending on cost of steel not including brakes.... Not too bad!

As far as seals go, I'd rather have em and not need it than need em and not have it! Lol

[TheJDMan]

Jordan,
This might be a better solution for you. A complete bare Moser floater including housing, axles and hubs minus the center section all set up and ready for your suspension brackets to be welded on $879.

http://www.moserengineering.com/moser-9-full-floater-9.html

Don't pay too much attention to the picture I don't think it is correct.

[1BADBET]

I saw that and it's about the same price but my this way I get a fab 9 housing not just a normal ford housing. I'll be honest I think a fab 9 looks way bad a$$ and I know no one will probably ever see it with how low the car sits but it's still cool. Plus it's cheap insurance, it's a big big car, with lots of tire and power, I know I won't have to worry about bending anything up. Thanks tho! :)


Also the longest they list is 64" I don't know if they'll make longer for the same price but that's about a foot short!

[Schwartz Performance]

A foot short??? What kind of car is this? 76" wheel mount surface is wider than a new Z06 Corvette body, lol.

-Dale

[1BADBET]

The car in my sig, 67 lesabre (wildcat grill and chrome) with c6 grand sport wheels. I have to mock it up to be exact but the wheels have very little offset and the back of that car is WIDE lol

[Schwartz Performance]

Ahh yes those are quite big lol.

-Dale

[TheJDMan]

67 Buick LeSabre, man that brings back memories. That is the car I learned to drive in. My parents bought one of those new. I remember it as a huge car.

[iadr]

The car in my sig, 67 lesabre (wildcat grill and chrome) with c6 grand sport wheels. I have to mock it up to be exact but the wheels have very little offset and the back of that car is WIDE lol

You mean they have huge offset... up to 72mm in many cases.

[1BADBET]

Your right I get offset and backspace mixed up some times lol. They have a 59mm offset on a 19x12 wheel.