Hot Rods Modifications for 57 Chevy rear end ????

What can be done to a stock early Chevy (57) rear end to make it handle power and still live? Before you say "replace it with a 9 inch Ford or an early Pontiac or Olds"..........................I would prefer not to do that, but they ARE viable options. I'm just wondering if anyone makes any parts to strengthen the differential and stronger axles.

Thanks,
Rex

 

Not a lot you can do. The posi units are stronger. The spider gears are pretty weak in the open rears. I used a 9 inch rear from a 69 ford fairlane in my 55. its one inch narrower than the original rear. I also relocated my rear springs inline with the frame.

 

I have destroyed several 57 axles with ordinary driving. They seem weak

 

Don't put big tires on it, don't pop clutch, drive sanely. Other than that nothing really.

Pat

 

I have heard of someone making saddle straps and bigger bearing caps.
What did Chevy do to make them hold up behind the big 409s or z-11s

 

Bearing saddle straps are a must but than the next weakest part will break, spiders, axles, spiders and axle, axles & spiders, etc.......................................

 

http://www.bruneauperformance.ca/
You’ll have to explore the site but there are parts for chevy rear ends

 

They didn't hold up. Guys would blow up those weak pumpkins. get the spare out of the trunk and change them. the tires where small 14 inch back in the day. Serious racers used olds and Pontiac rear ends.

 

Locking spiders used to be in the Speedway catalog. Don't think they are available anymore.
You're pissin' up a rope trying to use one behind a warmed up small block. Big blocks will destroy one in about one day. Or less. There's a reason so many dudes say replace them. Because we have.
*Edit - except Johnny Gee

 

Don't include me in this!

 

A friend of mine blew up three of them in his SBC 57 without even trying. I would not put any money in one of those unless you just putt around or you like changing rear parts on a regular basis .

 

I blew up 2 posis behind a big block, and switched to a Dana.
Bob

 

LMAO

 

Me too, well, I kinda tried, would you expect anything less from a high school kid.
An axle on the way to school and spiders in the school parking lot on the original 3.08 on another occasion, all with a stock 283 and 4 speed.
It was worth it though, those 3.08's were replaced with 4.11's and that car came alive.

 

Rex, I suppose it depends on how much power you are talking about. If you are talking about big block or even big inch SBC power then a Ford 9” may be in order. I have an old drag car with a Dana 60 and another with an Olds/Pontiac and my avatar car with a BBC has a Ford 9”.

With my driver 62 Vette with a stock 327/365, I wanted to keep it somewhat stock or what it may have been back in the day so I went with a new Eaton posi and Moser axles. They are both an upgrade and reasonable in price. The Moser axles (right around $360 I seem to remember) are “hobby axles” but they are a bit larger diameter (but of course still have a weak area). I have beat on them a bit and they seem to be OK but then again the power is not that much, relatively so. I also realize they will not stand up to high RPM launches etc. They are nothing more than a little better than stock in reality. I am building another project and have another Pontiac housing for that as I may want to push it a bit harder. There is certainly no real “strong” upgrade that I am aware or that will take any serious power without switching to a Pontiac or Ford or Dana IMO. Hopefully someone will chime in with a solution with real world experience that may help you.

 

use mopar 8 3/4 side gears - that way you can go with stronger axles (often saw the co**** spline ones twist and fail - make sure your axles are "posi" length so they dont hit the crossbar and ruin the clutch pack - use the posi with the reverse thread bolts.....a common falure was the spiders climbing over when the two piece case loosened up.....keep the ratio reasonable - deep gears have a low tooth count small pinion - NEVER "punch it" if the car is not pointing straight - as mentioned straps or studs are a good idea......set it up correctly and they can last in a light car with a respectful driver....ive used them successfully - no dry hopps or 6k clutch dumps though

 

Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions. I am looking at new 30 spline side / spider gears and aftermarket 30 spline axles and using the bearing cap saddles. Actually this would be in a 57 Vette with 4.56 gear, M-22 close ratio trans, 370 inch small block (450-500 ponies) and uh...................................uh..............................7 inch M&H slicks. Just looking to build a strong hot rod...............maybe a couple p***es down the quarter just to relive some memories.

 

Didn't the NASCAR Black Widow 57 Chevy have a truck rear end?
May also have been to run the truck 8 ply tires.

 

6 lug wheels too....

 

You're asking for an awful lot. I'd advise you to only go this route if you can easily afford to do it all over again if(when) it fails. Slicks, 4 -speed, and 370" of torque and near 500 HP is a foolish wish with even the better parts, at that power level the cast centersection just becomes too weak and prone to fail regardless of how good of parts are added to it.

You know in your heart what you really need to do....if looking as close to stock as possible is important get a smooth back 9" housing. Might even consider a 8-3/4 Mopar.

Another thing to consider, if heading to the strip(even just once or twice) most are going to expect you to have a blowpfoof bellhousing on there also. I'm ***uming you value your feet?!

 

In my 56 Sedan Delivery, I have some aftermarket billet caps I bought off of a vendor on E-Bay (used, but in good condition, and they are't made anymore), new Yukon axles, Positraction, and 4.88 gears. Stay away from the 3.70, and 4.11 gears, the ring gears are very narrow and deflect easily. Positraction ups your spider gears to 4, over 2 in an open rear end. Traction bars to prevent wheel hop; without bars, the wheel hop really kills these rear ends. Don't go overboard with tires; 7 inch slicks should be fine. Bruneau caps are a little spendy for something so small, but they do work. My nephew made up 3 sets for me, reverse engineering them in his CNC aerospace machine shop. I still have 1 set, 1 set went to DZAUTO over on ChevyTalk.Org, and the remaining set went into the nephews 51 Bus Coupe (actually my car, now gone). I had a 57 Olds rear end I was planning on using, along with a 4.88 and a 5.38 Eaton Positractions, and an old set of Summers Brothers axles. I sold it all when I beefed up the stock rear end in the Delivery. It has a 300 HP 327 and Muncie 4 speed, but it's going to become a psuedo-Junior Stock with a 57, 265 block, and a built aluminum Powerglide. At one time, Bruneau made a spool for these rear ends, but no longer does. I sent him an e-mail to see if he had the blueprints I could use/copy, but he did't respond. I thought the nephew could crank 1 or 2 out in his shop.
I am Butch/56sedandelivery

 

I actually broke the housing in half at the spring mount pad, doing a burn out over a speed bump. Budweiser had a hand in it.

 

It can be done. Might I suggest getting a hold of one of the Jr stock guys. My friend's 57 150 cop car has lived for quite awhile with a low 12 sec 327, stick with 9 inch slicks.....but not without having been set up. Then while you are waiting for it to implode you can be building a pontiac posi to put in its place [emoji3]

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I hadn't realized that Butch/56sedandelivery had ready responded. Well there you go, what he said!

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Does anyone besides Bruneau make caps? Those are damn spendy. Instead of dropping $250 into some caps, it makes more sense to use that cash towards putting in a 9" Ford.

 

Yeah...................................that's the problem. LOL

Thanks for your comments.

 

my 2 sense....i had a 33 dodge with a 440 ..cam and two 4s...57 chevy rear street car only street tires no problem.....i now have a 59 austin healey with a 462 bb chevy and full manuel power glide ..street car no slicks....no problem....it has a 30 spline axel and my 59 ford has a 28 spline axel.....on the street ok on the drag strip with big hp and slicks not the way to go.....but thats just me......

 

The other thing that no one has mentioned is weld a nut on the outside over each saddle cap,dill a hole in the housing, and put about 25 lb. of pressure on each cap. This will surprise you how much it helps prevent broken caps

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Yes they ran a dana 44 6 lug rearend.

 

Lots of anectdotal replies, so I'll offer mine......"Goldfinger" Anglia ran my 4:56 posi running mid-9"s in mid-60's.
I ran a 5:38 in a much heavier car breaking driveshafts and T-10's but never any rear end issues. This was 50 years ago
when Goldfinger was running a small block w/ B&M and was compe***ive against the "Willys/hemis" and Anglia/BBC. Track prep, tires and launch rpm a bit different now.