Since I don't have my car available to reference at the moment, just trying to figure out if '55-57 Chevy rear ends have the same width between spring perches as '53-54s (or '49-54 actually)? If there's a difference, then I can go ahead and buzz the pads off the rear before I get my car back; if not, then I don't gotta do a thing. Thanks.
drill a 1/2 hole 1 3/4-2" to the front on the pad for stock springs or use a set of posies. it will also raise the rear up a bit, since you lose the pivot. i have a 55 under my 53. brake parts also interchange, mostly. e-brake cable does not.
51 and up brake parts interchange, 50 and older are different. I measured about 1/2" difference in the perch spacing, which you could easily take up by the play in the spring bushings/shackles.
Just mainly concerned about the perch locations. I've already got a '56 rear under the car now, but I didn't install it. Besides that, the car's out for upholstery for another couple weeks. I got my hands on a completely rebuilt (R&P to brakes) rear end from a '57 Bel Air that I'm gonna swap out as soon as I get the '53 back. Thanks for the info--now I don't have to dust the plaz off.
I don't know whether or not they are what you want but for what it's worth 70-81 Firebird and Camaro rears fall right on the perches but they are about 1 in. wider.Just trying to help
I just happen to have a 57 and a 49 here in the shop. between the springs measurement on the 49 is 43 3/8", between the springs on the 57 is 44". that's inside of the spring to inside of the spring. be sure to check the pinion angle. I think that's how my previous 49 ended up with the pinion 4 degerees DOWN.. the rear came out of another car with pads already on it. right width, wrong angle. I didn't put it together that way. bought it as a runner and had to redo almost everything the previous owner had done.
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