When I got my 41 I didn't know any history on it. It had a 5 lug torque tube rear end, how can I tell what year my rear end is, I'm not sure if it has been changed internally or externally. Thank Ed.
those are 1950 or older brakes. Altough the drums look like 51-newer. Interesting. pics of the center part of the rearend? and the rear cover?
I was also told that the spring perch were not the same 41-48 vs 49-52 . Is there any other enclosed rear end that is a direct fit and is there any numbers to look for to identify the year?
Ok I see what the previous owner did, he use the 5 lug rear end and shaved the leaf spring bushings so that the springs would scoot over to fit the smaller width.
There should be a casting date on the center section, a letter followed by 2 or 3 numbers, the last number is the last digit of the year. "A 13 9" is Jan 13 1949
....and if that fails, the ring gear usually has a date code stamped in it along with the part number and ratio numbers. It's a simpler code, like 3 51 for March 1951.
When you say the center section, are you meaning the rear cover or the housing above it, or the enclose section that bolts up on to the rear section it self. There is a lot of heavy old gunk all over it and im not trying to get into that till I get it back from the body man.
Looking at the 3rd member (Front of the rear differential..) mine had a the date code listed on the 2 oclock position, and then the gear code listed at the 7 oclock position. Mine was dirty also, nothing a wire brush couldn't take care of.
The Jalopy Journal
