Technical Olds Rear End?

Traded into a chopped five window Ford coupe body, frame & rear end. I was told the rear was rebuilt to put behind a blown big block, and lengthened on both sides so that wheels & tires would not rub the body. Can anyone tell me if this is an Olds rear? And if so approximate vintage?
Thanks,
Zane.

 

The axles are Olds, look at the ones on my 50. The center section, with the flat u-joint flange doesn't look familiar to me.

 

Looks like a 3 rib Olds or Pontiac but I never have heard of anyone widening one. They were usually wider than rodders wanted in the first place and the same basic unit was available up though 64.
The flange makes me think the rear came out from under a car that had a constant velocity rear U joint setup from the factory probably making at least the center section a 60 something unit.
A bit of a search shows that the flange was used on 63 Olds 98's and probably on some other 58/64 models.
Here is a link to an old thread on Olds rears. Scroll way down and there are some photos that might help.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/olds-rear-end.312909/page-2

 

has way too many nuts holding the center to the housing, to be an Olds, eh?

 

that looks like the rear out of a toyota land cruiser. and they used that flange on the later ones

 

What year land cruiser had that many studs holding the center to the housing?

 

i was just looking and they don't. I think i'm just fixed on that flange. I even tried to reference the third member numbers and couldn't find a match. No clue, and i with draw my land rover thought.

 

Maybe a Buick or Cadillac rear end from the '59-64 era?

 

That flange was common on FoMoCo products. But the chuck just doesn't look right.

 

You can get a little information off of the wheel bolt pattern measurement. Of course it could of been change, but you should be able to see that if someone move the studs.

 

If Buick, Cad, Pont, or Olds the pattern is 5 on 5".

 

Looks Cadillac ..

 

I happen to be under my 1960 Cadillac at this very moment, rolling around on my CREEPER, trying for the 20th time to get my ****** pan to seal.



So I'll snap a pic of the rear end. Very very similar, but there are a couple differences in the casting. Close enough to say GM, maybe Cad, within a couple years?

Can't speak for the weird flange tho.

 

Here's some better pics from p***enger side

 

looks a lot closer than anything else.

 

That weird flange for the U joint is not a 58-64 Olds.
Looks like a Pathfinder or early Toyota truck.


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I think it's mid 60s cadillac.

 

I'm with Squirrel and say 1960's Cadillac. Those rear backing plates have a big offset similar to Cadillac and isn't that CV joint a Caddy thing as well more so than Olds? That casting number on the carrier should identify its origins. Here's a Caddy drum to show offset.

 

This is from a video of a '66 Cad undercarriage. It has the flange thingy dingy.





Looks like if you can zero in on the year, you may be able to use a stock rear Cad Uni joint to get to your driveshaft.

 

I think we have a winnah! Looks like the 1966 Cadillac to me. I wonder what kind of gears are available for that rear end?

 

All the Cads & big Buicks had 3 of those cast CV joints & a midship bearing. They didn't pay very good flat rate and were no fun at all to replace.

 

Whatever is in that rearend is what you get. Cadillac rearends did not get the aftermarket support and are unique to Cadillac far as I know. So not a good choice for a performance rearend. Gear ratio is probably high 2's or low 3's.

 

Maybe he wants to go for top speed.
But it is funny they had to widen it.

 

This is so simple....if it's a 5 on 5" wheel bolt pattern it's a caddy. [definetely NOT a Pontiac/Olds] and if it's a 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern, it's a Toyota pickup.

 

I have to agree with 38Chevy454 on that one. There may be a lower gear ratio for the ambulance he**** ch***is but the standard issue Cad is going to have very low numerically gears.
That rear is a bit of a novelty but in the long run probably not something a guy wants under a hot rod he plans to do some serious driving in these days. You could probably come up with parts to fix a Ford Banjo rear if you were stuck somewhere quicker than parts for that one.

 

Rocky, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick all had 5 on 5" bolt patterns on the big body cars.

 

Thank you guys for all your input, especially Clunker for his diligence. This coupe is currently on a custom bobbed frame, set up for this rear axle. I will be making this 33 into a period comp coupe, so will probably take my 37 banjo, add a QC, and use my old original 34 frame. If the rear would have been 50's vintage, I would have probably used it, out of convenience & period correctness. Again thanks!
Zane.

 

Even from the mid 70's on, the BIG Chevrolet cars also had a 5" on 5 pattern. Since that rear end is "out" of the car, I'd suggest leaving it out, in favor of something "better". JMO.
I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Chevy full size cars and trucks went to the 5" bolt circle in 1971. Then some time after the lightweight cars came out in 77, they switched back...on some, but not on all of them.