55-64 Chevy rear end questions.

So, the truck I bought appears to have a 55-64 chevy rear end in it.





Some info I have found on these is that from 57 on had the drain plug. Is this correct?

EDIT - also, what is the bracket on top of the rear on the p***enger side for?

Corvette used them till 62 and the corvette ones are a good source for posi units. Being that the name corvette is attached to it and people buy up vette stuff i ***ume it would be expensive.

Are these good rear ends to use? Is there much of an aftermarket supply for these rear ends?

Any other information that you might have on these rear ends would be much appreciated.

thanks,

 

there's some aftermarket support, but they're not known for being strong rearends...what is the planned engine/trans for the truck?

the upper bracket means it's from a 59-64 car, that is for the upper control arm

 

turbo 350 with a slight stall and shift kit.
383 sbc. I do not race or drive hard but will get on it sometimes.

 

It might hold up ok, although you'd be wise to completely go thru the pumpkin, either replace the ring and pinion or at the very least magnaflux the pinion gear, the teeth like to break off when they get old.

 

my '60 and '61 chevy cars have a drain plug. the bracket is for the upper torque arm, these where coil spring swing arm cars. the corvettes didn't have the upper arm.
http://faculty.delhi.edu/purdysd/62VettePhotos/Rear%20Axle 2.JPG

but the center section i believe is the same, i've never had any problems, but i've heard they don't handle serious power......maybe pm groucho.

damn i type slow.............

 

The axles are the weakest link, my old 61 wagon candycained a couple. If you start hooking up they will snap...

 

What's wrapped around your drums?

 

those are vibration damper springs.

 

Yank it, and stick in a 9" or 10 bolt ( depending on the bolt pattern you want)..........

 

use it utill you can prove you have enough power to break it.

 

I still have a ford 8.8 limited slip rear with 3.73 gears that I can use too.

 

Got a 57 chevy rear end in my 37 coupe--been in the car sinse 82--it's all I had at the time,and has been a good axle. Rebuilt it about 3 years ago cause it had a little noise and was leaking--no more noise but still leaks some--friend of mine is really into these cars(55-57's) and says the axle bearing go out a lot--and getting hard to find/expensive.

 

The spider gears in those are known to be weak.

Hot rod willie is also correct. I bought a set of those bearings and they were nearly impossible to find.

Atlantic Auto Parts in East L.A. (at Olympic and Atlantic) got mine for me. They are great at tracking down hard to find / oddball parts. Mom and pops type of place. Really cool people. I don't have their number readily handy.

 

not a very strong rearend at all. if your not worried about wheel bolt pattern try a toyota truck 2wd rearend, they have axles BIGGER than a 9", they are narrow, 5on 4.5" bc.,and they are narrow. never could blow one up with a small block chevy or ford.

 

I agree with the above.....in my experience with my 55, they do allright until you get it to hook up, then you start breaking ****!! Since you have a pick up, you won't normally have much weight in the rear, so you might be OK. I put a 57 Pontiac rear in mine back in 79. Now-a-days you'd be better off with the 9 inch Ford...........just my .02.

 

the rear he has in his truck is 59-64, those wheel bearings are not hard to find, your friendly local auto parts store can get them, they just cost a lot.

55-56 bearings might be a bit more scarcer.

 

not mine i just pulled the pics off the internet. but it looks to be springs, i've seen some factory one with those on there, i think either for vibration or chatter.

again i'm slow

 

They don't hold up too well to abuse........good little hot rod rearends for a driver though.

 

59 thru 64 bearings were ball by factory but they make taper ones for them now.

58 is the ugly ******* child.