The decision to build a Ford 9-inch rearend is usually made for a number of good reasons, including the drop-in third member (making gear swaps a breeze); the huge aftermarket parts availability, including axles, brakes, and differentials; and the strength. When properly fortified, the 9-inch's inherent design strength makes it capable of handling the power of even the most brutal big-block. The Ford 9-inch rearend is the small-block Chevy of rearends in popularity, which made it a logical choice for our project Cheap Street Chevelle.
There is much confusion surrounding brake compatibility in the Ford 9-inch world and a plethora of variations were offered over the years on production rearends (see sidebar). Ford is famous for making inexplicable design changes, and the venerable 9-inch is no exception. When outfitting a car with a 9-inch differential, choosing the right brakes for the application is vital. This may seem obvious, but it's important because these minor variations can make later upgrades difficult or expensive.
Currie Enterprises has seized the opportunity to create an economical solution to the Ford 9-inch brake conundrum by promoting a universal standard based on readily available Ford Explorer disc brakes in order to make more choices available for brake upgrades. Currie has enlisted several aftermarket brake companies to join in the manufacture of "Currie standard" brakes. We decided that Explorer-style brakes would be the most logical route for our A-body buildup, so we dropped our 9-inch housing off at Currie Enterprises to have the new housing ends installed on one of the company's 9-Plus housings.
After the installation of the brackets for the Hotrods To Hell truck-arm rear suspension ("Ultimate Chevelle, Part 1," Feb. '02), Currie checked the housing for straightness. As expected, the tubes were not straight, which is common when any welding is done on a housing. | 
Currie straightened our housing on an axle press and rechecked for straightness. The axletubes were found to be within spec. |
Next the housing ends were tack-welded in place and then welded permanently. |  |
The finished product was powdercoated and ready for assembly and installation under Cheap Street. | 
Wilwood offers this "Explorer"-style disc brake kit (PN 140-6754) with an internal parking brake. The kit consists of the caliper mounting brackets, bearing retainers, rotors, Dyna-lite four-piston calipers, and all corresponding fasteners, and it will swap directly in place of the factory brakes. |