OE Truck rear axle width or replacement suggestion

faustmb
faustmb Senior Contributor
edited January 2011 in HUDSON
A quick seach of the forum didn't turn up the answer, but could someone tell me the outside drum to drum measurement of an OE truck rear axle for 46/47?

My truck has a GM rear axle that I would like to replace at some point, I'm leaning toward Ford 9" or 8.8. The GM axle measures 61".

Also, what are any of you running aside from the OE axle?

Thanks,
Matt

Comments

  • Hey Matt, Happy New Year.....I have seen it mentioned that some are using Chevrolet S-10 rear ends. I don't have any personal experience just something I heard.
    Bob
  • faustmb
    faustmb Senior Contributor
    Happy New Year!

    I should have mentioned, one thing I'd like is the ability to use stock wheels (ie bolt pattern). That's one thing
    that bothers me about the rear I have.
  • junkcarfann
    junkcarfann Expert Adviser
    edited January 2011
    I have a Ford Explorer rear axle from about 2004 in a 1936 car. (The car with the piano motor in my avatar.) It is 1/2 inch narrower, so that is only 1/4" on each side. Your truck is probably wider.

    Using the right yoke, the Hudson driveshaft and U-joint fit like stock. (I don't know which yoke, I went to a driveline shop and the guy knew).

    The only modifications necessary were to cut the Explorer coil spring and control arm brackets off, and make up new pads to fit the Hudson springs. Be careful there, you must angle the yoke forward to match the angle of the transmission downward slant or it will vibrate. You can read about that on any website about rear axle swaps.

    I used a universal e-brake kit from the hot-rod supplier Lokar, and connected the kits cable yokes to the Hudson e-brake thing in the middle of the car.

    It was an easy swap, and Ford wheels have the same bolt pattern (but no little stud sticking out to help put on the wheels, no big deal). I left the Ford brakes as is, and it works fine. Even the Tee fitting for the brake hoses bolted up using the Hudson fitting to the Ford housing

    By the way, ignore the old but often recycled information on these forums about using a 1960's MoPar unit...those may have been fine 20 years ago, but they now are antique and classic units, hard to find, expensive usually, and need restoring/rebuilding to use. The Ford unit was late-model, cost me $150, super plentiful in junkyards, and being almost new, needed no repairs. Mine came from a vehicle with under 15K miles...brakes and everything almost new.

    I strongly suggest you find a "driveline shop" ... they specialize in these things, yokes, shortening/lengthening driveshafts, etc. They will have info to help you. When I showed my old driveshaft to the guy at the driveline shop, he identified the 1936 U-joint by part number just by glancing at it.
  • Ol racer
    Ol racer Senior Contributor
    FYI

    I use a GM 8.5 Posi Rear out of a 80's Firebird in one Truck and a '53 Hudson rear in another Truck (with Spacers on each drum).The stock U joint fit right up to the Yokes. Need to cut the spring perches and rotate pinion Angle. Couple degrees 'up' best for Street Use. Emergency Brakes hooked right up to both rears.
  • faustmb
    faustmb Senior Contributor
    I have a Ford Explorer rear axle from about 2004 in a 1936 car. (The car with the piano motor in my avatar.) It is 1/2 inch narrower, so that is only 1/4" on each side. Your truck is probably wider.

    This is what I had in mind. I prefer to use something newer that already has new (good) brakes etc. The Lokar factory is only about 2 miles from my house :)

    Still looking for OE width, anyone willing to measure theirs for me?
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