Ford 9 Inch U-bolt Question

[carguy47]

Hello, So I went through all of the conversations for this year and didn't see anything on this topic.
I am in the process of rebuilding my 9 inch rear since it leaks terribly.
I wanted to install some traction bars so I was going to replace the original U-bolts with something slightly longer.
Aside for stock 71-73 bolts, I came across 8" bolts for 3" housings and 6.5" bolts for 2.75" housings?
When I went to measure my car and the housing is 2.8"????
So the conundrum is which ones are they, or were they specific to one-off size for these cars?

 

[giantpune]

Your 2.80 is only 0.05" different than 2.75. 5 hundredths of an inch. That could realistically be the thickness of the paint on the axle.

I have had good results with some 2.75" u-bolts and hardware I got from uboltsdirect.com on my 9" axle tube. They let you order custom sizes and thread pitches that you wont find at auto parts stores.