rearend cradle

**jniolon** · Apr 3, 2012, 07:17 AM

No... it's not a recliner...

the problem... install a 9" ford rear end under a '53 f-100 by yourself.. as usual I work alone on my truck. I've made a plywood 'shelf' for my floor jack. A piece of plywood about 12 x 18 with a plate bolted to it with a 1" leg in the center that fits the hole in my floor jack when I remove the jack's cradle. It does a lot of helping...but, it wouldn't give me what I needed to get a rear end hung from ladder bars under the truck. The rearend was nose heavy and almost impossible to balance on the jack. I also didn't want to damage the new paint. So the rearend cradle was born. I used schedule 40 pipe that slipped together (1.5" and 1" I think) and some other odds and ends. I made it adjustable both side to side to allow for different spring saddles and added an adjustable arm that suppported the nose so it could be raised level and plumb and the suspension fitted to it. T-bolts were fabbed to tighten things in place when I got it adjusted for the rear end. Padding was added to the two saddles to protect the paint..

pictures follow

jniolon.classicpickup.com/rearend cradle/rearend1.jpg

jniolon.classicpickup.com/rearend cradle/DSC03190a.jpg
jniolon.classicpickup.com/rearend cradle/painted.jpg
jniolon.classicpickup.com/rearend cradle/as is2.jpg