Hogs Head Cradle For Solo Install

I am sure I am not the first one to think of this, actually I know I am not as you can buy something like this in the form of floor jack trans jack/ pan adapter from TCI. I may be the first to document it though.

I was already PO’ed from my bud gooning up my rear-end set up, and having to pull the axles and hogs head after installing the whole rear-end. So right there, I am not in a patient state of mind and I tend to be a bit stubborn and do things the hard way. I am not 25 anymore, and though I still crank out push ups like I was still in Dive School, the thought of hoisting a hogs head into the car by myself, those days are long over. I am also very impatient, and I don’t like to bore arse my neighbors who are just as busy with their projects at home as I am.

Not wanting to infringe on others nor spend nearly a 100 bucks on a jack adapter, and wanting to get this hogs head in the car NOW, I looked around my shop for a solution. I had a couple of floor jacks, lots of stands, but those alone wouldn’t do it. I needed a base to balance the hogs head on while I jacked it up, just like the TCI adapter. Did I mention I didn’t want to spend the 100 bucks and wait for it to get shipped.

I spied in the corner, the compressor motor I burnt up on my father in laws compressor. I looked at it, saw some potential, rummaged around under the bench, found a piece of 1/8”x 4” flat bar, then found an old pipe nipple. Hmmmm plan started coming together.
I took the base off the compressor, it looked like it had the right shape. I cut out the end or bearing carrier circles to form half notches, then spread it open at bit.


Then I welded the nipple to the bottom of the flat bar, dead in the middle, I eyeballed the drop from the lower differential housing to the bottom of the hogs head, and bent the flat bar to form a shelf or tray to slide under the differential housing, the other end I bent up opposite and 90 degrees to support the pinion yoke.






I then welded the flat bar 90 degrees to the compressor mount.


Finally I measured the depth of my jack pad stud, and cut the nipple off with a cut off wheel to equal that (better to do this before you weld the nipple on, but I was on a roll).


I put this piece of crap on the jack, it sat level and sturdy.


I put the hogs head on the cradle, perfect fit – my little half circle ears cupped the upper flanges perfectly where a 9 inch has those bulges at the 3 and 9 o clock studs. I gave it some good shakes on the floor, thinking if it was loose I could bungee it onto the cradle. It was rock solid. I jacked it up empty to test fit the clearance of the cradle, perfect.




Now would it all work. I eased it under the car, centered it and started jacking slowly until the hogs head started coming even with the differential. I got under the car with it, I slide the hogs head back into the housing a bit, and the carrier bearings hit. I jacked it a little with my foot, it slid in some more, repeated this process until it was aligned with the studs, and pushed it home. Success! Solo install in a matter of minutes. Ran the nuts down, torqued em the rest is history. Of course I put on gasket sealer and gaskets before I started the install.


















This is my favorite part of the hobby, figuring how to make good crap out of old bad crap that is useful, and cheap. I am sure it could be prettier, have a couple of wiz bang functions added or maybe a strategic notch or two, but this literally was a scrap heap project knocked out in frustration in about 15 minutes with a welder, vice, hammer, and cut off wheel.
Don’t bore arse you neighbors, or put your wife at risk, just make a cradle.
Gydyup
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