shortening rear axle

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bigjune62

Member
i tried the search function with no luck, so i thought i'd post here. i want to have the rear axle shortened 1" on each side and i would like to know if the axle spline are long enough to do this, i know i'd have to machine an inch off each one, i'm not worried about the housing, because i can get that done locally at a reasonable price. i'd appreciate any information posted. thank you in advance!:dunno
junior
 
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highlander61

Member
Easy to figure out. Look at the splines. There'll be a lil bit of wear or "bright" splines on the end of the axle. You need the cut length of splines "behind" where it's been engaged. Make sense? You also want an extra 1/8 maybe for side loads. So it's like this. 2 1/2" of sline existing on the end of the axle, you want to cut off 1" and re-install if the depth of the used spline area doesn't exceed 1" or once an inch is deducted there's still enough to engage the carrier. If you're good and careful with a chopsaw you don't need any machining. All of this is based on enough spline left to match the existing engagement. With help from someone to spin the axle for you the mild taper at the end can also be ground in with a 50grit disc. I've done this many times with success but I've not pulled my axles from my 61 yet to tell the exact dimensions. Hope this was helpful.
 
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bigjune62

Member
Thank you and you're right, I pulled the rear axle out of the car this morning and the splines are approx. 1/2" short , but there is enough material (raised) to lengthen (make sense?) the splines and with a lathe, machine an inch off each axle end. Hopefully I will be able to find a local machine shop to cut the splines.

Junior
 
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highlander61

Member
It sounds like the axles are a bit larger in diameter after the splines, correct? You'd be ahead of the game to send em to Moser, or an equivalent service, and have em re-splined. At that point you're surely in the clear and perhaps way less than a machine shop setting up to do something "unusual" for them. I recently narrowed a GTO rear axle 1" on each side but had enough spline left to simply cut off the excess and add a minor taper at the lead-in of the axle. Big HP car and zero problems so far. Did that one in march of last year. You're out west I see...Moser is in Ill. You may want to call em and get an idea for round-trip shipping. I can't add any exact info about western based axle suppliers, but there was a recent article in CAR CRAFT about a shop that does nothing but in southern CA. Sorry I don't have the issue here...maybe at the shop...but it was back about 4-6months. Good luck with it. Sounds like a nice subtle change.
 
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482STROKER

Well Known Member
dq409 said:
Just look in your local yellow pages and find a shop that does axles.
I`d bet you would have many choices in SoCal.
And it is fairly inexpensive to have then done right.

Dutchman here in Portland charges $90

http://www.dutchmanms.com/pricesheet.html#Anchor-65143
Click to expand...

I had dutchman narrow a 9 inch for my 64 impala, thats the first and last time that shop will ever get any business from me, had to pay Denny Aldridge to fix dutchmans second rate workmanship
 
dq409

dq409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
482STROKER said:
I had dutchman narrow a 9 inch for my 64 impala, thats the first and last time that shop will ever get any business from me, had to pay Denny Aldridge to fix dutchmans second rate workmanship
Click to expand...


Really??? What problems did you have?
 
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bigjune62

Member
Well, I ended taking the housing to a local shop and it is in the process of being shortened, I also ended up ordering both rear axles. So the rear end should be in great condition with new ring / pinion, carrier and pinion bearings/ seals and new axle bearings. I'm having the rear housing and trailing arms powder coated and installing all new bushings, brake shoes, wheel cylinders and s/s rear brake lines. These little things do start adding up pretty quickly..............:eek:
 
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