anyone ever narrow a 55-64 chevy rear?

okay this is mostly brainstorming, but im considering narrowing one of the two 55 chevy rears i have kicking around

ive searched for axles but no one seems to be offering them, so i looked into resplining, no dice, i did happen to find a place that converts these rears to 30 spline dana 44 axles, which im sure moser would make me any length i need, its just that this conversion "kit" costs roughly $1300-$1600

and damn thats not worth it... anyone else ever sucessfully pulled this off?

 

Need confirmation an this, I think the Corvette rear that uses the same pumkin is narrower.

 

62- 64 Chevy II is 57.75 and 55 passenger is 60.00 dont know about corvette width.

The above kit uses inside guts of a mid 60s 8 3/4 dana posi unit to mount custom axles with the 30 splines on them. The rebuild kit is cheap to get if you wanted to do it yourself instead of getting the expensive kit thats found out there. The kicker to this is that it only works on the factory 57-64 gm posi units.

Another option.
I havent looked into doing this since I dont have mopar parts laying around but as a thought -looking into just using the mini spool of an 8 3/4 inside an open 57- 64 gm carrier and using custom axles from Moser. I called them and it wouldnt cost anymore to build than to buy any of the off the shelf axles they already stock. They can even set up the outer to run Ford 9 inch bearings but that would mean modding the axle housing ends too.

If anybody would like to compare this I have part numbers to give out.

 

Totally forgot about those haveing the same 3rd member.

 

If you only want to lose a few inches, you can shorten the long side to fit a short axle.

 

^^^^^ these are not ford 9"s if thats what your refering to. You used the term long side.

 

don't know why you would bother. they are weak i was breaking them with a 261 iline 6.

57-62 buick axels are what to use to make new axels. they do not have a taper. we used them when narrowing 8 3/4 rears.

 

I am with bob308 they are weak as they come spider gears go,if your going to cut a rear end do a 9incher

 

A lot of the old FED, Jr. Fueler type dragsters used the 55-64 rear ends. Course at the time, more was available to set them up. There was even a Mickey Thompson magnesium third member available. I would check out BruneausPerformance.Ca (a Canadian site) to see what's out there to beef them up now. And by the way, I have FOUR 4.88 geared Positraction third members for the rears. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

as has been said, it's a lot of work and expense, for not a lot of benefit.

The rear ends ARE weak; the course-spline axle shafts break, and the main bearing caps also break. MOROSO used to offer an aftermarket billet steel main cap... I think it's the driver's side.
A lot of guys make their own straps to bolt over the main caps to reinforce them, using longer bolts or studs.

The Dana 44 spider gears are an option, and that gets you 30-spline axles. You'll need to have Moser make some axles for it.

If it was going under a light car with not a lot of engine in front of it, I'd absolutely put one in.

I wouldn't narrow one to stick under anything "just because you've got a couple around."
Hell, the stock axle bearings alone are very expensive.

If you need a narrowed rear, Ford 9 or Mopar 8 3/4.

-Brad

 

Talk to lowrider dudes. Its common in that world to narrow them one inch on each side to run a reversed wheel and a skirt. And yes there is a long side and a short side.

 

this is exactly what i am looking to do. the lowrider dudes ive talked to have all told me to get a 9 inch! because the weight of 14 batteries and 4 pumps in the back of an impala will snap the end off one of these axles if you hit a bump

but im not building a juiced impala!

i appreciate everyones input, the nova rear is the ticket, but it just sucks cause that means i wont be using either of my rears... so i might as well go with a ford 9 or 8 if im shopping for a whole new rear

thanks again though, this has been educational.

 

If your just looking to get something narrow have you looked into the 93 -2004 S-10 28 spline rear ends? 54.25 and you can bolt in a gm posi and gears from a camaro depending on what year you use. I understand 96 up are 8.5 but havent seen one.

Theres also the mid 90s explorer 8.8 and you could do the same with mustang posi and gears.

 

Idid it on my 1962 Impala not to hard but not sure its worth it with all the nine inch stuff out there

 

Housing yes, axles no. Axles are same length as i recall.

 

just go with a 9". I have close to the same money in my 64 housing posi that I would have had in a 9". Narrow it, have it narrowed when you order it etc. Lots of options. The 8.2 dropout Chevy rears get real pricey when you add in the Eaton carrier, bearings, axles, bearing cap girdles etc etc

 

how did you do it?! whered you find the axles?

 

Nope you have a short and a long axle.I have the stock rearend in my 62 Belair with a stroked 409 (474) and have never broken an axle or rearend. we won't talk abou the center support bearing on the driveshaft though.

 

Ok now I see the issue. Its like apples and oranges. Im speaking of 55-57 and you and dude are talking later yrs. All is good. If you read in the beginning there are two spare Tri Five rears to play with.

 

Moser made a set of 17 spline axels for my '56

 

oh nice, care to share what they ran for price?

 

OK let me make myself clear 55-57 also have a long and a short axle.
I just mentioned my 62 because everyone was saying how weak the 55-64 axles and diffs were

 

okay so if theres a long and short, then im asuming you just cut down the tube on the long side to fit a second short side axle, now how much did that narrow the housing and obviously this would offset the pinion in the car half that distance, right?

 

I agree with Herdex. Just get an S-10 rear end, they are plentiful and reliable.You will have posi and disc brakes as well if you haven't already converted.

 

Noted in my lil brain now. I never stood my axles side by side to have ever noticed. I looked at it like the 57 Olds/Pont. that I collected parts for and assembled.

 

I would never spend any money, on the original 55-64s. Any money wasted on that should be applied to a 9". Curries has set ups for 9" fords, that are just a bit narrower than the original you are replacing. With the brackets already on, for a lot of popular cars. Curries doesn't "recommend" using a "used" short side axle on the long side. Something about it turning the one way, then torqueing it the other. Fatique might be the issue.

 

Yep we used to paint a stripe down our axles... You would be amazed how much a stock axle will twist. I have several (6) 55-64 rear diffs all posi and have had very good luck out of them. BUT I would not drag race on them or use a real sticky street tire if you do it WILL break

 

just having my 59 chevy rear rebuilt now. new axles were around $300 for the pair. i can check if your interested to see who made them forgot if it was moser or someone else

 

Just dont Back lash it like I did when I was 15 in my old 61 flat top chevy,put 3 rear ends in it for I was old enough to drive.BUT I did learn how to change a rear end with a bumper jack,concrete block,adustable wrench and a log chain

 

I don't believe 63 and 64 Chevy II or Novas use a removable carrier type rear end. IIRC they are integral type rears, 62 is removable though. I did break the spider case in half with a built Olds 371 and dual range hydro in my 62 Nova. I would probably go with the 9" Furd or the S10 rear.