53 Buick Driveline Swap/Rear Widths ?

Okay so heres the story I planed to build my Buick as a slamed custom with a straight 8, The the plan became a slammed custom with a junkyard 305 adapted to the Buick series 40 3spd.

Then all of a sudden.....

I'm in the midst of throwing together a built 283, the car is seriously lightened and it's a sleeper/early g***er... and just like that, the transmission, and in turn the whole tourque tube/coil spring system is useless.

So then DJ (flatdog) offers me an '89 Chevy 1/2 ton van with a 3spd overdrive transmission, a 10 bolt rear, and 30,000 on the odometer. The plan would be to do away with the buick suspension and build leaf spring brackets on the frame of the Buick, and use the entire van driveline rear of the engine. Today his son Zach and I went to his shop and measured the rear in the van and got 61" from backing plate to backing plate, but we had to go around the differential and I really don't trust the measurement.

Then I measured the rear of my Buick and got 51" inches fron backing plate to backing plate, I was bummed and puzzled that the rear in my Buick, a car that is overall as wide if not wider than the van, was a whole 10" shorter than the 10 bolt in the van. Then I noticed that the Buick backing plates are alot deeper than the chevy backing plates, and maybe I should have taken measurements from the axle flanges? but once again this seems very diffcult to measure accurately with the differential in the way.

So basically, does anyone know the widths, from flange to flange of a 53 Buick Special Rear? An 89 chevy 1/2 Ton Van 10 bolt? Has anyone done this before and know of a 10 bolt that will work? Is mounting parallel leaf springs under a '53 Buick really as easy as it seems?

I'm pretty confused, and I know that there are plenty of sharp minds on here that may be able to help. Thanks

-Tim
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My friend used a monte carlo rear under his 53 special, I think it was early 80's.

 

Check out this site:
http://www.hot-rod.com.au/builder/techsuspension.html

 

Ding, Ding,Ding ... we have a winner here ...

That's why most knowledgeable rodders use this method ...



The width of brake drums vary ... even from one model to another ... much less different manufacturers ... so the only accurate way is from Wheel mounting flange to wheel mounting flange. Most sites that list rear end widths also use this method ...

 

I'm pretty sure my Buick has a 58" axle, but I still don't know what the van really is know from flange to flange. I'm still looking, maybe someone knows.

Can anyone comment on the leaf spring swap? It seems easier than it should be.

 

Bttt

 

All my book says about it is that the rear thread is 59" but i guess that is at the center of the tires!
When i had my -53 45R and looked at the frame i always thougt that it looked weak rear of the crossmember, so if i were to put paralell leafs on it i would brace it alot!
I would prefer fourlink, should be about the same amount of work but better result!

 

I'm doing a swap in my "41"
Buick, and i'm useing a 70-81 camaro rearend
which is perfect for the "41". As far as the suspension in the rear goes i'm going with a trailing-arm type suspension, (60-73 Chev pickup style), as i'v had really good luck with them. I'm not sure but i think i'v seen that the frames are similar between 41-53, if not the same.

 

Check out the rear axle install story here:
http://www.hotrodsbyglen.com/

It's under a '48 but the info is golden and your measurements should be real close. It uses a later-model Camaro axle and suspension, and shows you how to get it all under your Buick. It uses bags- which you could duplicate or simply use coil springs in their place. It's as good a swap as there is for the early Buick guys.

I'm planning to do the same under my '50.

~Scotch~

 

Thats neat stuff,If I was building a custom I'd go 4 link in a second, but I sort of like the simplicity of the leaf springs, it would be pretty easy to brace up the frame if it appeared too weak to support the springs. I think the Buick guys can understand, I just want to have something normal under my car

I'm going to make a measurement on the van from the center of the tires, the way I see it, the axle could be longer, but the chevy wheels might have deeper backspacing, so regardless of other measurments (although i recognize thier importance) if the tire to tire width is the same on both cars, the rear is interchangeable.

 

does anyone know if anything ever came of this?

 

What axle was used in the end?
Just took mine off and measured it at 57.5" and looking for something practical (and available in the UK).

 

I found a 10 bolt out of a wrecked '98 S10 Blazer, fits perfect. I don't know if thats something that would be available over there.