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55 Buick Super - donor rear axles

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by motion guru, Nov 26, 2009.

  1. motion guru
    Joined: Oct 18, 2009
    Posts: 169

    motion guru
    Member
    from yacolt, wa

    I want to put an open driveline with OD automatic tranny behind the stock 322 in my 55 Riviera and am wondering what donor vehicles might be well suited to provide the new rearend.

    I know I am going to have to create the suspension from scratch - and I'd prefer to stick with the original 5 lug x 5in bolt pattern and run a 3.73 posi with something that is new enough to make getting parts easy.


    Anyone know if a 5-lug 1/2 ton chevy truck axle is anywhere near the right width? Any other suggestions?
     
  2. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    You can always go with the tried/true Pontiac/Olds of the late 50's/early 60's. Finding one with that gear ratio may be tough, but you can always change ring/pinion. Parts are easy to get from NAPA. If you want something newer, take a look at some 70's/80's Chevy Caprice/Buick LeSabre/etc. (you know, the Donks) type vehicles. They are 5x5. May not have the gears you desire. My guess is that the truck rears are going to be too wide. You may find that gear ratio in one of the early 90's Caprice based squad cars.
     
  3. DualQuad55
    Joined: Mar 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,382

    DualQuad55
    Member
    from NH

    I run a 57-64 olds/pont rear. The gears are available new again but pricey. the posi units are no longer available but I deal with John Gevo of Gevo's rears and gears. He buys, sells, rebuilds most open drive rears from the late 40s-up. He often has posi units for sale, again not cheap like 10 bolts or 9 inchers.
    A more cost effective option would be a rear from a mid 60s up Full size buick, olds, pont. parts still available and somewhat affordable. will have the 5 on 5 bolt pattern and you might be able to use the factory trailing arms from the donor car as well.
     
  4. nailheadroadster
    Joined: Jun 7, 2006
    Posts: 1,525

    nailheadroadster
    Member


  5. motion guru
    Joined: Oct 18, 2009
    Posts: 169

    motion guru
    Member
    from yacolt, wa

    nailheadroadster - thanks for the bibliography on this swap, I read every post.

    I am going to grab a tape measure and head to the wrecking yard - I want to keep the 5 on 5 bolt pattern and I like the trailing arm suspension ala chevy 60..72 trucks approach along the lines of what sloppy-seconds did -
    [​IMG]

    There are a ton of cars and trucks with 5on5 axles - I just need a 3.73 posi setup the right width. The truck trailing arm suspension looks fairly straight forward. I'll take lots of pics.
     
  6. Domino
    Joined: Jul 2, 2009
    Posts: 529

    Domino
    Member

    Don't forget the full size Lincolns from the 70s. Some of them have disk brakes as well. They have a 5 on 5 bolt pattern. Just a thought.
     
  7. I would think you could use a late 80s Chev pickup gearset (3.73 posi is fairly common) in a Camaro housing (also a 10-bolt) to get the width pretty close (61.5 inches) and then it's just a matter of axles with the right lug pattern on them.

    I say that because when I needed to put a new gasket on the rearend cover on my '91 Suburban I came pretty close to using parts from a '75 Camaro rear I had on hand - the cover would work, but I needed a gasket too, and it wound up being almost cheaper to buy the cover kit with the gasket than just find a gasket somewhere. Weird. As is usually the case with GM stuff, I had to about destroy the cover and the bolt heads to get it off, of course, but the cover was weak enough I thought I should replace it too.
     
  8. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    Interesting thread...........
     
  9. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    Mid 80's Caprice... Lot's of cop cars in salvage yards out there being parted out. Used one in my '59.
     
  10. donzzilla
    Joined: Oct 15, 2006
    Posts: 142

    donzzilla
    Member

    I put the rear out of a '79 ElCamino in my wife's '56 Buick Gasser. I used the stock coil over mounts and the pan hard bar mounts off of the Buick rear. I got a set of Lakewood ladder bars for a '57 Chevy. The width was only about 1/4" different from the Buick's to the ElCamino. It was a very easy swap.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 1, 2014
  11. motion guru
    Joined: Oct 18, 2009
    Posts: 169

    motion guru
    Member
    from yacolt, wa

    My 11 year old son got pretty muddy today helping measure rear axles in different vehicles at the junk yard :)

    My Super has a 61-5/8" width and after crawling around a bit at the wrecking yard, we came up with the following 5 on 5 options

    72 1/2 ton truck (with trailing arm suspension and 3.73) is 62-1/8" wide
    00 Astro is 65-3/4"
    85 Caddy Hearse - 61-3/8"
    92 Caddy Brougham Elegance - 59-1/2"
    89 1/2 ton Burb - 64"
    94 1/2 ton pickup 63-7/8"

    So it looks like the hearse needs further investigation - and a 72 1/2-ton pickup is also a good choice being only 1/2 inch wider.

    The goal is a 3.73 posi with a 700R4+adapter behind the stock 322 - so far this doesn't look too bad.
     
  12. In the process now of reframing my '55 Special using a '78 LeSabre frame stretched 6''.

    Track width seems fine, problems so far:

    Floor interference at rear frame due to shock position, will cut and rebox floor below package tray.

    Cut frame off at rear, will fabricate new crossmember to mount rear bumper as original crossmember is pretty ratty due to a old collision repair that left a rear frame rail kinked halfway between the rear axle and the crossmember (another reason why I wanted to replace the frame)

    Modifying front frame horns and fabricate a crossmember for front bumper mounting.

    Setting engine back 4-6" in engine compartment by fabricating frame mounts, again not a big deal.

    Mounting '78 steering column and changing brake pedal to suspended, reworking firewall.

    Mount body permanantly.

    At that point rebuild the brakes and suspension.

    My 55's frame was in pretty bad shape due to the damage at the rear. The Dynaflow leaks and has a loud whistle that seems to point to damaged vanes in the converter=big bucks.

    I've been unsuccessful in finding a decent nailhead, after a attemped screwing over by the seller on a 322, having a 401 stolen and looking at a junk 401 that the guy thought was worth gold, I gave up and went with a 455 that was almost a gift. Now I have disc brakes, power steering and soemwhat late model components that should be easier to obtain on the road if a breakdown occurs.

    Getting too old to sit for a week in a small town waiting for a specialty component to be air freighted in, and as a second issue this car needs to be able to pull a travel trailer behind it, the '55 without power brakes and power steering would be a real bear, and my wife would refuse to drive it. And on a more somber note, I have some health issues, so if we go anywhere it is important that she is able to drive if something happens to me.
     
  13. LMDGUY
    Joined: Feb 26, 2011
    Posts: 10

    LMDGUY
    Member
    from Phoenix

    great info, we are starting on my brothers 55 Super. We plan on swapping rearend and doin a overdrive trans behind the rebuilt 322 ( which is done already) Also gonna install airbags when we swap the rearend.. who do you guys recommend we purchase the trans adaptor from?

    Joe
     
  14. DualQuad55
    Joined: Mar 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,382

    DualQuad55
    Member
    from NH

  15. LMDGUY
    Joined: Feb 26, 2011
    Posts: 10

    LMDGUY
    Member
    from Phoenix

    trans adaptor is on order, we have also tracked down a 200r4. Have a friend converting his 97 Camaro to a drag car and is pulling the stock rear axle hopefully it will be close enough width.
     

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