So I have a 32 Chevy that my dad built in the 70's and he used an I beam from a 66 Gvan. I've always hated how wide that axle is and have been exploring other axles to use. I looked on Sid's website and noticed that axles from 41-54 chevy trucks are the same width and have the same spring perch width as a factory 32 Chevy axle. I found one in Houston and Im probably gonna pick it up this afternoon. Has anyody ever done this? I would hate to do it and then this one is too wide also. Any info would be helpful. Thanks.
I do have a tape measure. Wasn't sure how much the hubs and wheels and all that would add. I was just wondering if anyone has done the same swap before and would have any helpful info.
It should be a better fit than the 66 van axle....how much I do not know. I do know that in stock form, the 6 lug pattern dates to the 30s. Not sure about 32 as Chevy had those disk wheels in that era. So if you have the old 6 lug pattern rear it may help there. Likely you have a later model rear axle. There are hub/disk conversions that can be done pretty easily on that axle, mainly to match the bolt pattern for the rear. If you are running stock stuff...drums, hopefully it's a 51 up with the modern Bendix Brakes. Are you running Chevy style leafs in the front...if so good for you. Lots of folks try to spring them like a Ford.
It has chevy style parallel leafs. I have the 5x4.75 bolt pattern front and rear right now. At least I think I do. The rear end is supposed to be out of a 57 chevy and I assumed that's what bolt pattern it used. If this front end works out I'll use 51-54 chevy car hubs and drums to match the bolt pattern. I see a lot of the dropped tube axles on speedway are "48 kp to kp centers and the chevy truck one is "50 1/2. That's an improvement over the "54 Van axle. It's cheap enough to try anyway. Thanks for the input.
It's a virtual bolt in, if you want 5 x 4.75 bolt pattern add '52 - '54 car brakes and hubs. This is a bolt on, you only need to add 2 spacers on 2 of the bolts that hold the backing plates. Chev's of the 40's can supply taper rollers bearings. I first saw Tex Smith do this in the 70's on his son's '32 Chev coupe called Fuji, he also did a write up in Rod Action. I've just done it again on a '29 using a '54 pickup axle and '52 hubs. Mounted my axle on top of reached '39 pickup springs. Use the pickup steering arms, they are more substantial
Awesome. That's exactly the kind of response I was looking for. I wonder if I can find that write up now. Thank you.
Just re reading what I wrote, when adapting the car brake backing plates the top 2 holes line up but the bottom 2 need to be redrilled, 7/16 I think, and that's where those spacers fit between the spindle mounts and the backing plates.
Krazee beat me too it, but if you read any of the magazines from the seventies and look at any Chevy features, they ALL ran the '47-'54 type axle and spindles, and passenger car brakes.
Sounds good. I got the old hubs and drums off the truck axle. They were rusted like crazy but the spindles are in good shape. Now I'm trying to rush my buddy with a 54 car to hurry up and swap to disc brakes so I can use all his old stuff. Ha.
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