Old School Trike Building

If you follow my blog you know I am building myself a trike.  Currently the motorcycle I bought myself at Christmas is over at my friend Roxi's place as my driveway is not good at the best of times and there is no way the motorcycle could be taken up that hill in winter time. Now, with most of the snow melted away, I am getting excited to get to work on my conversion.  As I start to do the actual work, I will be taking and sharing photographs and videos all the way through the conversion process.  So far I have been doing research and have found I need to get a rear end with a rear ratio of 3.3:1.... or close to that though it does not need to be exact.

This is the 1991 Venture Royale, 1300cc that I am converting into a trike. 

I will share a better photo of it when I get it out of Roxi's garage.

Here is the information I have come up with on vehicles that MIGHT have the right geared rear end.... though the fellow at the local auto wrecker said the only way I can find out what the gear ratio is, is to find the little metal tag that was on one of the bolts, and if the car is very old that tag will likely be broken off so the rear end will have to be opened up to be able to find where the gear ratio is stamped into the ring gear.  Knowing the gear ratio required, I then needed to find out what vehicles could have this.  I phoned Dodge dealership to see if a '78 Aspen had this since a friend of mine is willing to give me the rear end out of his father's old car if it's the right one.  The man at the dealership said it would depend on what rear end was ordered from the factory, it could have the right one or not, several different ones to choose from.  

Summary of Vehicles Recommended on Facebook

*1970-74 240Z

*10 or 12 bolt Chevy had 3.3.1, 65 Chevelle . A lot of boss hoss trikes use 10 bolt.

*Ford rear end 8or 9 inch series 3.31-1

*Mustang GT's 3.31:1

*69 Camaro has a 12 bolt with 3.31

*Ford F150's in the early 90s had 331's so did late 80s broncos not sure what year but a Nissan frontier has a 3.3:1

 

Two people gave me a link to a place that specializes in rear ends in Burnaby, B.C.  They give lists of vehicles along with a list of the possible rear ends that they might have.  In the list below I have included the ones starting around 1980 and newer as I figure older than that is going to be a challenge to get ahold of, though I would be open to an older one if it was the right one.  I want the axle to be approximately 52" wide (long?) from outside brake to outside brake... and I want disc brakes rather than drum breaks.


 

Summary of I.W.E. Rear Ends

1980 and newer

(3.31:1 ratio)

FORD:

Dana 30 Rear:
85-89.5 Ford Aerostar minivan

Dana 44 Front, Beam & TTB:

59-79 Ford F100, F150, F250 4x4

71-79 Bronco U-100, U150
80-97 Broncos (TTB, coil spring)
80-96 F150 (TTB, coil spring)
80-86 F250 (TTB, leaf spring)

Dana 60 Rear:
55-85 F250
74-85 F350
68 E300 van

Dana 61 Rear:

74-87 F250 Ford 2x4
80-85 F350 Ford 2x4
75.5-87 E250, E350 Ford Va

Dana 80 Rear:

88-current F350 & F450 Super Duty

Ford 9.75 Rear:

97-up F150 w/5.4L or High GVW

98-02 Expedition 4x4 beam type
03-up Expedition IRS

JEEP:

 AMC-20 Rear:
76-83 rear CJ-5
76-86 rear CJ-7
81-85 rear CJ-8
79-86 Wagoneer, Cherokee SJ, half-ton PU

Dana 35/AMC-15 Rear:
84-01 Cherokee XJ (mixed apps. w/D44 & 8.25)
87-96 Wrangler YJ
93-98 Grand Cherokee z
97-up Wrangler TJ (4cyl and many 6 cyl)
99-04 Grand Cherokee WJ (Super 35)

Dana 35/AMC-15 Rear:
80-85 Eagle AWD

Dana 44 Rear:
86 CJ7
63-91 Wagoneer/ Grand Wagoneer SJ
74-83 Cherokee SJ
87 Cherokee XJ
96-98 Grand Cherokee ZJ V8 (C Clip aluminum D44)
97-up Wrangler TJ (optional, Std. on Rubicon)

Dana 44 Front, Beam & TTB:

63-87 J series trucks

74-91 Wagoneer
74-83 Cherokee SJ
01-up Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

(CHEVY:)

Dana 36 ICA Rear:
84-96 C4 Corvette (auto trans only exc. 84)

Dana 44 Rear:
84-85 F Car Camaro, Firebird
92 F Car Camaro, Firebird

Dana 44 ICA Rear:
80-83 C3 Corvette
85-96 C4 Corvette (aluminum, manual trans)

DANA 44 FRONT, BEAM & TTB:

67-80 GM K series

(3.27:1 ratio)

Ford 7.5 Rear: 74-78 Mustang II 75-80 Mercury Bobcat 79-86 Mercury Capri V8 78-83 Fairmont 80-97 Thunderbird 79-current Mustang V6 79-00 Many RWD cars 90-95 Aerostar 84-90 Bronco II 84-up Ranger 4 cyl or small V6 Ford 8.8 Solid Axle: 86-up many Ford fullsized RWD cars w/V8 86-current Mustang V8 87-88 Thunderbird V8 05-up Mustang V8 (31 spline) 83-96 Bronco (mixed apps w/ 9” to 86) 83-96 F150 (mixed apps w/9” to 86) 97-up F150 w/ V6 or 4.6L V8 86-90 Ranger chassis cabs 90-up Ranger w/ 4.0L V6 (some 3.0L also Supercab) 90-01 Explorer/Mountaineer/Navajo SUV 98-02 Expedition/Navigator 4.6L V8

(3.25:1 ratio)

Ford 9" Rear:

78-86 Bronco (82-86 mixed apps with 8.8)

57-86 Ford F100, F150 4x2 & 4x4 trucks (82-86 mixed apps with 8.8)

(3.23:1 ratio)

GM 7.5 Rear: 85-89 Astro/Safari 82-84 Camaro V6 91-93 Caprice (5.0L V8) 76-87 El Camino 78-87 Malibu 75-93 Misc. V6 fullsized RWD 75-80 Monza 83-93 S10 trucks & SUVs (four and small V6 after 88) 78-81 Century 78-88 Cutlass 82-84 DeVille, Fleetwood Brougham 82-86 Firebird V6 78-81 LeMans 77-79 Phoenix 78-87 Regal 90 Roadmaster 75-80 Skyhawk 78-87 Skylark 75-80 Starfire

GM 7.625 Rear: 90-98 Astro/Safari Vans 90-01 Camaro V6 90-00 Firebird V6 91/92 Caprice 88-04 S10 trucks & SUVs (4.3L V6) 88-90 Cadillac RWD (w/o towing package) 91-02 Bravada V6 91/92 Roadmaster (5.0L V8) 98-02 Isuzu Amigo 4x2 96-99 Isuzu Hombre 91-current Rodeo (4 cyl & 4x2)

(3.21:1 ratio)

Chrysler 7.25 Rear:
7.25 Rear
63-89 Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth rear drive cars, mostly with six-cylinder engines.
87-98 Rear of 2x4 Dodge Dakota trucks with four-cylinders and some V6 engines.

Chrysler 8.25/8.375 Rear: 70-89 Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth full and midsized cars 86-up W100,W150 (depends on engine) 66-97 B-100, 150, 200,250 Vans 87-up Dakota V6 01-up Jeep Liberty KJ

Chrysler 9.25 Rear: 74-85 Large Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth cars 69-up Dodge B series vans 69-up Dodge D and W series trucks 74-93 Dodge Ramcharger 74-81 Plymouth Trail Duster 98-up Dakota rear V8's 98-up Durango rear V8's

For some reason, Blogger won't let me post lists into here without a great deal of work to re-do things and I could not get it to put these straight, so here you go, its all staggered.... though maybe it will make the lists easier to sort through without confusion.