Pain in the rear fixed

Willowbilly3 · May 29, 2009

I had bought an early 9 inch. The narrow one from a 57-58 ish car. Paid a lot for it, packed it around for a couple years before installing it and then discovered it had nothing inside the brake drums and one axle was bent. I mentioned it to a guy the other day and he tells me to go pick up an 8.8 Disc brake rear end from a Continental or Versailles for free. It will take another day to get it all set in and the tabs welded on, not quite old school like the 57 smoothie but simplifies things a lot.

HOT40ROD · May 29, 2009

If you want to keep the old school look. measure the width and Dia. of the drum. A parts store can get you every thing you need. The wheel cylinders brakes and hardware was used for a lot of years. I have already used 70's and early 80's parts in the rears.

The axle if it a small bearing 28 spline. There are other axles that will fit. The 8 inch axles are the same if you can find the length.

I hope that helps you out.

Willowbilly3 · May 30, 2009

I have never seen the spreader bars or parking brake levers in any parts stores.

HOT40ROD · May 31, 2009

Willowbilly3 said:
I have never seen the spreader bars or parking brake levers in any parts stores.

If you can not find those parts at a parts store.Go to the junk yard. All you need to know is the dia. of the drum. They are the same up into the 80's maybe even newer.

Willowbilly3 · May 31, 2009

Ahh.well, nothing is easy. I went and got the disc 8.8 and it is wider than I want plus it has the hokey parking brakes on the calipers, not the separate little drum parking brakes, and it has been in the dirt with the calipers down (of course)
I will continue to watch for a rear end that has everything I need. I planned on shoes and hardware. Didn't want to waste a day junkyard scrounging. I can switch the rear to discs easy (cheap) enough but I want parking brakes.

HOT40ROD · May 31, 2009

If that rear is a big bearing rear. Speedway motors have the hole set up including backing plate and drums for under $400.00. They are 11 X 2 1/4 drums

Willowbilly3 · Jun 1, 2009

I can put discs on it for about $50 in junkyard parts and those $28 dirt track weld on caliper brackets that use GM calipers. I found some wildwood parking brake calipers for $59 but first I am going to try and make a driveline brake with Subaru parts. This build started all old school and I'd like to keep with the 50s spirit that you use what you can find at a junkyard and modify it to fit.