HELP!! Need to identify wheel cylinder/drum brakes

I have a 1953 Bel Air, and I am assuming that rear end is not the stock rear end because I ordered some new wheel cylinders for the stock application and they didn't match up. The brake line fitting are different sizes, and the current wheel cylinder has an inverted flare, while the new wheel cylinder used a brass washer to seal the fitting. Here is what I know so far:

The old Wheel cylinder says Delco Moraine Pro on one side, and on the other side it has the numbers 5450 and 404. I have attached images of the brake assembly, and the wheel cylinder. Is it possible to identify what year this wheel cylinder is from? If not, where could I locate a serial number on the rear end? I did notice it's a 10 bolt rear end. I purchased this car from another guy so no telling what rear end is actually under the car. Any help is appreciated.

 

Sorry this time with pics.

 

I believe the driveline if stock has a torque tube,does this car?

 

You said brass washers, have parts house touble check what they gave you. Sounds like you got a set for the front.

 

I don't believe so. Attached images of rear end.

 

That is also where I am confused. On the rear wheel cylinder I thought the hydraulic line fitting was 90 degrees from the piston arm, and as you can see in the pictures above, the cylinder that come out of the rear has an angled fitting location. Another thing that makes me feel like this isn't a stock setup.

 

old/pontiac rear....early to mid 50s...is my guess

damn sure is not the original rearend

 

Yes, that is not the stock rearend.

 

looks like 55-7 to me

 

not 55-57 chevy, look at the shape of the housing, it's round, not oval, etc.

 

Pontiac Chieftan maybe? This front wheel cylinder from autozone kinda looks like mine.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ca...nt&store=1495&searchText=&brandName=Brakeware

 

yep, it's an Olds/Pont rear

 

Come to think of it the engine is a '57 235 ci straight 6. Quite possible the whole drive train is as well.

 

Wheel bolt pattern 5x5" - Olds or Pontiac rear. Be nice to see the back cover of it too, might help the ID on it. But since it's on leafs the newest it can be is '57, assuming there are no signs of it having coil/trailing arm mounts lopped off.

Funny, when I click on the link to look at the enlarged photo, I see a U-joint and open driveshaft, which no '54 Chevy car came stock with.

 

I had a 53', so in 54' they went to a open driveshaft?

 

I accidently deleted my post, So to answer your question Johnny, no 54 's were still in closed drive. what I believe is that is a 55-62 truck center installed in the orignal banjo. This set uses the 54 car axles so it retains the 5 on 4 3/4 bolt pattern

 

Thanks for info.

 

Attached image of other side of rear end cover.

 

Show a picture of the spring perches

 

it's not a 55-62 chevy truck pumpkin. No way. not enough bolts hold it onto the housing.

 

Notice it has bolts not nuts?

 

I guess I am wrong since all the chevy truck and car rear ends the back cover was Bolted on. If it is olds or pontiac it has 5 on 5 bolt pattern. The center exchange info I posted is correct though.

 

Spring setup on rear axle

Disregard the block location is was a screw up that was fixed. HA HA HA

 

perches were moved out a bit, a long time ago....

Still looking like early-mid 50s olds/pont

 

I have a '59 Pontiac shop manual right here on the shelf and it looks just like the center in that. But to fit in your car it pretty much has to be a '57 or older, not just because the '57 and back have leaf springs, but the width is also an issue. '58-up get wider. Pontiac used the same body shell as Chevrolet, so the '57 back fit pretty easily. Pontiac rearends change in '57, but you need to be pretty intimate with them or have photos to compare to to really tell apart a 49-56 from a '57.

If it is a '57 Pontiac rearend it's worth a few bucks, enough you could swap it for say an S10 or second-gen Camaro and come out ahead after selling it.

 

Yes that is true....so it is not a chevy rear end. I don't think it's the case here but I have seen the studs changed for Bolts. The wheel bolt pattern will help answer the question.

 

I am starting to think Pontiac because I think olds was using coils instead of leafs. looks like a factory pad and as Squirrel said they were moved some time back

 

Well we all agree its to the stock rearend. I have had a better time useing parts houses like Napa, Car Quest that still use paper catalogs and a parts person that doesn't use that dam computer and knows a part when you show them it without saying what its for. Just return cly. and exchange or go else where, those cly. are not that hard of a find.

 

Why not rebuild the ones you have? kits are only a couple bucks. Brake cylinder hones are inexpensive too. Sorry no pun to the computer guys but I agree with Johnny an oldtime guy can find parts a computer can't.

 

OK, i use that term about computers to fast. I forgot i'm useing one.