AMSPerformance’s Hearse Build – Update 1

The first thing we are addressing on the Hearse is the rear differential. The stock 10 bolt rear end would not hold up to the torque of the new power plant combined with the weight of the Hearse no matter what components we could throw in it. To avoid the expense and hassle of putting in a fancy 4 link suspension I opted to go with a bolt-in Ford 9 inch assembly from Moser Engineering.

I contacted Matt Combs at Moser and explained my situation. He set me up with a bolt-in assembly meant for an Impala SS since my Hearse shares the same chassis. We stuffed it with a Wavetrac Posi and 35 spline axles to avoid the chance of breaking parts in the future. I topped it off with a set of Wilwood disc brakes to replace the pathetic drum set-up that came stock.

The Ford 9″ rear end has a removable third member which will allow for much quicker gear ratio changes between drag racing and road racing.

Because the factory wheels use an odd 5×5″ bolt pattern I took this opportunity to change to the more common 5×4.75″ pattern that most Chevys use. Since I am changing the axles this was the perfect time to do it. This will open up more options for wheel size and offset as I try to stuff the most tire up under the factory Hearse wheel wells that I can.

While we are swapping the differential I decided to add a set of Hotchkis control arms to minimize wheel hop and improve cornering and stability. For the rest of the suspension I am going to stick with stock springs and drag shocks and see how things go at the dragstrip the first time out.