ok here is my dilema , i am building a chromed and polished out 27 t coupe drag car (60's style but running a tunnel ram so maybe an early 60's build with late 60's early 70's updates ) and i have some parts that i am absolutely married to the idea of using (one of them being the 2x4 tunnel that moves the car to a later aera) , some at ridiculously higher costs than better newer parts . it will have a SBC but not your run of the mill one it is a 327 with 12.5:1 comp .060 over .600 solid roller cam , double hump heads worked to the max, with a (later than early 60's) offenhauser two four tunnel with cast slingshot adapters to run 8 stromberg 97's early cast nicson SBC timing cover with motor mounts on it (marine) any way enough about that irrelevant piece of info . the rear end is my dilema . i know the rear end of choice would not have been a 57 chevy rear but they were available and were used and i just bought a CHROMED and narrowed 57 chevy rear end housing set up for buggy spring and split bones . no third member and no axles , i've read that dana 44 spider gears work and you can make different caps etc etc. i've read that there are aftermarket posi third members and much stronger aftermarket axles for stock replacement etc. etc. i'm not afraid to spend money on the set up , and i am for some reason not even interested in putting one of the already set up 9" rears i have in it . i want to build as strong a 57 chevy rear end as i possibly can without much modifying to the housing . i have never built a rear end myself so i will need to be talked to like an idiot here. if any one has done something like this please let me know!!! jp
The trick is to replace the stock 17-spline spider gears with Chrysler 8 3/4 spider gears (30-spline) inside the stock Chevrolet Positraction carrier so you can then utilize the stronger Chrysler 30-spline axles. This was a very common race modification back in the late-'60's and several magazine had Tech stories on the exact process. After that is taken care of though, the carrier caps become the next "weak link" along with the smallish 8.2 ring & pinion.
And, just a thought, it's a T-Coupe, not too heavy, and will probably hook up like it's in a car wash.........................................The above not intended to discourage ya' or anything.
Yup--what Saint Lou said. Mopar or Dana 44 spider gears were put in the original posi difs, and that allows the use of 30 spline axles. I am not sure if that modification will work with the new Eaton posi units. The next fix is the main bearing caps. There was an aftermarket billet steel main cap available back in the day. This will require having the case re-machined just like if you put new main caps on an engine block. Another fix is to put make a strap or reinforcement cap to put on top of the stock cap. I've also heard that a Ford 9-inch spool can be used with just a little machine work. -Brad
Not that I've found. There used to be one back in the day--I believe it was made by Henry's Machine, or Henry's Axles. -Brad
X2! Plus those 8 obsolete carbs on a motor with only 3 1/4 stroke probly won't be making much rear end killing torque
Contact Aubrey Bruneau at www.bruneauperformance.ca as he has the parts needed to beefup 55-64 Chevy rear ends including super duty differential carrier caps. Aubrey is on the HAMB but I don't recall his username.
He also makes a spool and the MOPAR swap parts, BUT the housing has to use the 58-64 axle bearings. Butch/56sedandelivery
you said the rear is narrowed. will it fit your build i think the those rears are already pretty narrow at 55 1/2 backing plate?and yes the axles are very weak been through two this summer with a 327 in an a-coupe with slicks the axles are a must and if your rear is narrowed youll already be doing custom axles anyway and the link above have the best parts for performance 8.2s
Not even remotely discouraged .......it is gonna hook as good as a t coupe would have hooked in 63 on old tech tires with a SBC and a buggy sprung split bone rear . thats all i care about
so a very strong and well built 327 with 8 fresh built strombergs built by a very knowledged stromberg carb guy and set up with the proper linkage doesn't stand a chance of getting down the track in a respectable manor??? not that it matters to me really, everyone slams markys PURPLE PEOPLE EATER and i LOVE it so i'm a little different than everyone here i guess!! not comapring the two for any reason other than it is a source of inspiration ....... i'm not looking to lay down any record times , just looking to have alot of fun , and i will. if i can make times that were even relatively respectful in the early 60's i'll be happy . jp
I got some parts from a friend when he finally busted the early 60s chevy rear in his t bucket. Blown big block mopar, bigass huge by wide MT steamroller tires. The housing split....cracked it open, the first symptom was oil dripping out. He had aftermarket 17 spline axles, and a stock non-posi center section in it. I put the axles in my 61 belair, although I haven't got it on the road yet.
yeah it was under a model A so it should be wide enough for my T and i am planning on getting everything i need to make this rear end last behind 400 HP that will only hook up as good as a buggy sprung 10" slick light car can hook . my buddy has a 31 vicky hot rod with a built 390 FE motor and hurst 8" cheaters ,buggy sprung and a 4spd that ran 12.00 the first time he took it out after building it . it hooks pretty hard for what it is . thats all i'm really after. !! if i was trying to scare the bejeezes out of my self i'd build a FED similar to my buddies blown nitro 392 powered 69 woody gilmore car !
HOLLYWOOD... did you ever do this build? I'm in a similar dilemma right now and did a google search and brought me to this thread. Just curious how everything worked out
I would not worry about much with your set up, the early Chevy rear ends get a lot of negative press because they are not as strong as a 9" or early Olds which is true, but the reality is your engine might make 375 hp -400 hp at the flywheel and with old tire technology that allows slippage so the rear end will likely live. You gotta rememeber this same rear axle came in 425hp 409 Impalas and Corvettes in the early '60's. I have early chevy rear axle with a 4:11 posi-unit in my much heavier '55 chevy with a 4spd and 350hp SBC and it launches hard yet the rear end lives???
Wheel hop is the enemy. As soon as I put the cheater slicks on and banged second, the axle wrapped up(even with slapper bars). BOOM! No more spider gears. 327/ L79, muncie m20. I drive it a bit easier now
Also, radical engine work like you describe will tend to kill low end torque and move power range upstairs, where it is much less dangerous to the axle. Unless, of course, you do stuff like dropping the clutch at 7,000...
30 spline Mopar spiders, bearing cap kits, shorter after market axles, as you said it is narrowed, sounds pretty strong to me, just watch the super high rpm launches, also fix it so it doesn't wheel hop. Remember they all break it just a matter of time and the right type of hook up, they will break but if you do all of that work your going to have a pretty strong rearend. Right after I got out of high school I had a BBC Chevelle with a 12 bolt posi and went to race a guy one night, BOOM, broke the axle tube out of the third member because I had a worn control arm bushing so there can be anything that could cause one to break you can make them as strong as you think but Shit break, why do you think the pro go to the race with extra parts. Build it like you want and have fun.
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