Will my rear end hold up??

Unknown

I want to put a 350 or 400 sbc in my 46 Hudson super six coupe......has anyone done this before and can tell me any possible problems?? The main question is will the stock rea end hold up? I dont plan on horsing it too much, just a ggod driver. I will probably put in a 350 trans as well. Thanks JR new guy

[Deleted User]

JR, there are a couple of us building modified Hudsons, so I'm sure there will be some good tips coming. In my opinion, if you are going to stomp on this at all, I'd change rear ends. I'm waiting for more info (a current thread on this forum) where some guys are trying to see if there is an upgrade kit for the Hudson Dana 44's. That way you could have a strong rear end that would take almost any abuse you would give it. And its a bolt-in!

I am building a daily driver as well, but I know that I will want to romp on it occasionally when I'm on the highway! I'm using a '95 Corvette (all alum.) LT1 and 4L60e combo in my '50 Pacemaker Coupe. Your's sounds like a good combo, but I would recommend an o/d tranny if you're going to do any long trips (400 or 700R4). Or maybe an overdrive unit, but I think they are still pretty pricey.

There're plenty of guys here who have installed (or are installing) a SBC or BB Chevy in their cars and can give you some things to watch out for, especially if you are keeping the stock front suspension (i.e. clearance issues, etc.) I am going with the Fatman Mustang II stub frame and suspension to upgrade to a modern frontend and get it very low.

Anyhow, welcome to the group and send some pics when you can. Where are you located? There's alot of good guys on this forum with years of experience and tips. I'm just returning to the hobby after 25 years (been building hawgs and rock crawlers over the years). And don't pay attention to those critics of the SBC! lol

Jay
"but its a dry heat!"

Unknown

Jr. I am the other of the couple of guys that Jay mentioned that has just built a Custom. You can try the old rear end, won't cost much to try, only modifing the drive line. I don't know how tough the old rear ends are, this would be a good test.

If you plan an up date, figure out the width, please don't set one up with the tires sticking out from under the fenders. Their is a formula for rear end ratio/ tire size/transmission/ and R.P.M. I've lost the formula ,but someone will have it. I would not want over 2,000 R.P.M. at 70 M.P.H. I had a 35 Dodge running a 350/350 with a 3:00 that ran 3,000 at 70 MPH, drove me nuts, and only got 15 miles to the gallon.

Good luck with your rod, Barry

Unknown

This is a picture of the beast in progress......