I have a 47 Chevy Stylemaster with stock rear and front axles, running a 235 with twin carbs and split pipes. I have acquired a T5 transmission, so I guess I will be looking to change to open drive (unless anyone knows of a conversion kit to torque tube). Bearing in mind that I am in the UK and rear axles don't exactly grow on trees, what is the best choice of rear axle, as regards ideal width and ideal ratio? I already have a pair of 50 Chevy 5 stud wheels ready to throw on the back.
I used a mid-80's IROC rear end in mine. Fit perfectly and it had Disc brakes. You will have to off set the Springs to the pads.
I put a 57 in my 48. Worked great. You will need to relocate the dowel and hole the locates the rear end. That's the only fab or aftermarket help you'll need. 55-57 are the all the same width, 57 has bigger bearings and a drain plug. Also the 57 will tend to have lower (numerically) gears because they went to 14 inch wheels and tires, while the 55-56 had 15s.
Both the 55-57 Chevy and the Camaro/ Nova 10 bolts are about 60 inches wide wheel stud flange to wheel stud flange. After 1957 gm went to coil springs and I believe the rear ends are wider. I have used the 10 bolts under a number of late 30's to 48 gms and have used 7' rims and 70's series tires with no issues, so your 5 inch rims should clear no problem. You will have to relocate the spring center pin on the spring perches to center the axle in the wheel opening. The rear ends out of late 70's to mid 80's Malibu's, Monte Carlo's Cutlass's ect. are about 57 inches and might require a wheel spacer depending on you back spacing. You would have to remove all the brackets for the coil spring suspension. but they maybe easier for you to find. The earlier stuff is getting hard to find even here. Good luck Larry
I used a 10 bolt late sixtys nova in my 47 ford. I would think a chevy would be close to the same width.
Hi. Just installed a 57 Chevy pickup rear end in my 46 Style master coupe. It has the 6 lug hubs so original wheels will still fit. As mentioned above had to move the pad holes to center it in wheel opening. Also mounted it above original springs and installed tube shocks. This rear end has a 307 ratio. Transmission swap from 3 on the tree to a T 350 starts today. We checked for an adapter for torque tube everywhere we could think of and did not find any for the Chevies, just fords. Jimmie
Over there you may want to look at a Volvo rear. May be easier to find in the U.K. and has rear discs. Unfortunately they are Ford bolt pattern.
southcross's post got me thinking about more current possibilities that might be more available to you in the UK . For instance I happen to have the rear end out of a late 90,s Toyota 4x4 pickup out back and I measured it and it is 60 inches wide stud flange to stud flange like the Camaros and tri 5's as well . it has 6 bolt axles and I do not know if they would match your stock wheels or not. Depending where you measure the bolt pattern these are 4.75 or 5.5 from center to center on apposeing studs. A trip to your local recycling yard with a tape measure may reveal some interesting options. You maybe looking at 3.30 to 3.70 gear ratios , but that would still be better than the stock 47. Again good luck Larry
didn't think about Japanese 6 lug guys here use gm 6 lug wheels on their Japanese trucks a lot is the car 6 bolt the same as the truck 6 bolt?
This is testing my memory, but the car and the truck 6 bolt pattern are the same. The wheels interchange with no problem. The difference between the Toyota and the GM, is that the center is larger on the Toyota wheel. I mounted a set of Toyota wheels on the Cameo, and they were centered. A nice looking wide steel wheel for this, would be the 6 bolt Ralley rim from a mid 70s Blazer or 1/2 ton. Bob
Many thanks for your input guys. Plenty of food for thought there. Toyota had occurred to me but I didn't realize the width was spot on. The local yards are full of them, so if I can't find a Chevy one I may well go with that.
I am doing the same thing on my '47, and our choices here would be like yours in the U.K. 99% of the Jap 6 stud pick-up (ute) rear ends have the same stud pattern as the original Chev rims. I think the 5 stud Chevy rims are the early (larger) stud pattern, unlike the later ones which had the same stud pattern as a Jag. The Toyota ute rear ends are available in various ratios, and from the homework I have done, will interchange.
Hi. In original 46 rear end I previously changed from a 4.11 to a 3.55. They checked this replacement rear end twice and told me it is a 3.07 as I had told them I did not want anything with higher number than the 355. Basically told them anything with 355 or lower number for better hwy ratio would be ok. I sure do not want a 370. I was told they ran the numbers & counted the teeth when they checked. It will be hell to pay with that bunch if it is a 370. I googled some time ago & it shows a 307 was avalible for that year. Jimmie
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