Thread: Rear end ID

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Help...
Our family recently acquired an 80's era street rod that had been in storage for 20+ years. It's a 47 Chev, 2dr business coupe with a sb 283, 350TH, mustang II front end. We now have it running and are going through the brake system. Front end brakes are done, no problem. We are stuck on the rear brakes....we can't identify what the rear end/brakes are from. Here is what we know:
1) the rear end was definitely changed out
2) Rear drums are 11" and shoes are 11"x 1.75" (a really unusual size)
3) Wheel cylinders are 1" bore
4) We thought rear end might be mopar (69-72 Dart) because we found replacement wheel cylinders, that fit, that are for a 69-72 Dart. However, we have searched all chrysler products from 65 to 76 and can't find any with 11" x 1.75" size brake shoes.

So, here's the question, and I realize there may not be an answer: are there any sure fire ways to determine if the rear end is GM, Mopar, or Ford??

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. And, yes, I will post pictures just as soon as I can.

Thanks!
Mike W

since you have the cylinder kits you may just have to send the shoes out to be re covered. A picture of the rearend would realy help. You can clean up the backing plates there may be a manufactures name on there??

Thanks, Charlie.

Yes, I have considered just having the shoes "re-soled". I will definitely clean up the backing plates and look for some kind of ID mark...as well as the rear end.

Again, thanks for the respnse

Mike

Also look on the center section casting for a part number, but as Charles says, post a pic, someone would probably recognize it right away.

Thanks, Bob. I will get some photos posted asap.

Mike

Does the center chunk come out from the front? Or does it have a rear cover to access the gears? Start with the wheel bolt pattern. I assume it's a 5-bolt pattern. If the chunk (hog's head; 3rd member; whichever you are accustomed to calling it) comes out the front and it has a 4 3/4" wheel bolt circle, it is a '55 to '64 Chevy rear. If the chunk comes out the front and it has a 4 1/2" wheel bolt circle, it could be either a Ford or Chrysler. If the chunk comes out the front and it has a 5" bolt pattern, it could be early Olds or Pontiac or 9" Ford. If it has a rear cover and 5" pattern, it could be Ford or GM; 4 3/4" pattern, it's intermediate or metric GM, 4 1/2" bolt pattern, it could be Ford or Chrysler. This is the tip of the iceberg; there are infinite possibilities. Post a pic; that will help...

One last thing - in the early 80's, the '55 - '57 Chevy and '67 & up Camaro rear ends were popular swaps because they had leaf-spring pads on them and were almost a bolt-in swap.

Meangreen,

Problem solved! I cannot thank you enough. Your last comment about back in 80's...... I did the search for brake shoes for a 55-57 chevy and Bingo! There they were, 11"x 1.75". Wheel cylinders match up as well. And the 3rd member comes out the front, no rear plate.

A little more about the car. It was my daughter in law father's car. He was killed by a drunk driver when she was 4 years old, in 1982. Her mother put the car in storage and it was never touched until last summer, 27 years later. Needless to say, we have our hands full but sure are having a kick getting it back on the road.

Thanks, again. This is my 1st post but won't be my last.

Regards,

Mike W

55-57 Chevy rear is a pretty good fit in there.........had a couple in cars myself. Not the strongest rear in the world, but not the weakest either. You figure, they used the same rear until 64 and there were a lot of 327's and even 409's doing their best to break em. Ratios are pretty plentiful also..........I even had one car with the same rear with 5:13's in it.

For a street rod these were the hot setup until 8 and 9 inch Fords made the scene.


Don