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Member
Posts: 12
| so I've only owned my 56 T&C wagon here for a whopping month and already I'm hating this tapered axle design. I've been messing with the rear drums for days trying to get them off with no luck (car sat for 30 years). and I can already tell from the one side that some previous owner had issues as the castlenut was replaced (with just a regular nut an no cotter pin )I'm in the process of converting to a front disc setup (AAJ) I know everybody mentions the 60's B-body axle and forgive my ignorance but doesn't that use a 5x4.5 lug pattern? given my front conversion is using a 5x5.5 pattern I'd rather not run 2 separate lug patterns. or is there a hub change for the b-body axle that is an easy swap to get it to the 5x5.5 pattern? Also are there any later model axles that would work (Dakota maybe?) just thinking of modern brakes and easier availability of parts. Thanks. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 888
Location: Peoples Republic of Oregon | You can use 'bolt-pattern-adapters' but, of course, they add to overall width so you will need to start with something shorter. I have a chart on my website listing various axles. |
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Expert
Posts: 2196
Location: Muskego, WI | You could look for Dodge truck 8 3/4" rear axles or Ford truck 9" rear axles. I put a later Mopar B body rear end in my '56 Imperial and had custom Dutchman axles made for it with the matching bolt pattern. |
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Veteran
Posts: 281
Location: WA/USA | If you do go with a 60's 8-3/4, the bolt pattern is 5x4-1/2, however an axle supplier can provide new axles that can match your front hub bolt pattern. Sorry, I can't give you any feedback on application of newer axles. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9681
Location: So. Cal | I recommend that you just swap to 5x4.5" bolt pattern when you do the front brakes. You obviously don't care much about originality so, why not? |
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Member
Posts: 12
| thanks for the suggestions guys! true I'm not worried about keeping this thing all original, but talking with Roger (AAJ) converting to the 5x4.5" gets tricky since it won't fit original hub size, and I already got all the parts for the 5x5.5 anyways. looking at a local yard it seems I can score a modern ram 1500 axle pretty cheap at my local yard and they grow on trees so I might just go that route and have the axle shortened.
Anybody know what the original gear ratio is? I couldn't find much information for 56. |
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Expert
Posts: 2196
Location: Muskego, WI | Check the factory service manual. For my imperial, 3.54 was the standard gear for a PowerFlite trans and 3.36 for the TorqueFlite. My Imperial had the TF with optional 3.08 (might not be the exact number) gears. Your wagon might have had shorter gears, but you'll find many of those Rams will have 3.55 gears. |
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