LET'S CALL IT AN AXLE

Greetings!

I've been fretting over the choice of rear axles for Gary's '51 Chevy for a couple of weeks. I had a few options:

• a vintage Camaro 10-bolt with disc brakes, posi-traction & 3.73:1 gearing.

• a more common GM 10-bolt with drum brakes & 2.73:1 gearing.

• a number of Ford 9" axles with a variety of un-inspiring gear ratios.

• I go on a mission to TeePee Auto Wrecking.

I decided on the last option. So, you're wondering why I didn't select the vintage rear disc, posi rear end? I agree its a totally cool unit. Gary would benefit from the rear disc brakes and have posi-traction for those unruly lapses in self control. But, I would have been obligated to charge him for the rare early Camaro component and I just don't think he would consider it justified for the intent of his project. 

Why not the more common 10-bolt rear end? The gearing was too high to get him going off the line and he would have been disappointed in the overall performance. The cost to change the gearing would be higher than pulling a unit from the wrecking yard.

Why not the cool, super strong Ford 9"? They're certainly the hot setup and I happen to have some new, low ratio, ring & pinion sets laying around, but the Ford unit has a different lug bolt pattern and his cool, custom wheels wouldn't fit on the axle unless I had it redrilled to match the Chevy bolt pattern. I'll stick with Chevy this time. It's the Cost vs Benefit again.

I went with the latter option and spent less than 2 hours at TeePee Saturday afternoon and came home with a 1996 Chevy S-10 axle with 4.10:1 gears! I would have been happier with 3.73:1 but the lower gearing is really going to get the little coupe rolling and make it a source of excitement driving around town. The down side is that he's going to be turning about 3,000 rpm at 70 mph. I personally think the trade off is acceptable and I'm excited to take a test drive when it's ready. 

I was so excited about my axle acquisition that I couldn't wait to share the information with somebody. When I got home I immediately told my wife about it. Her response was a "hmm!" with feigned enthusiasm. I needed to share it with someone else. My chance came today when I went to church. I spotted a friend who drives a nice 3rd generation Camaro and as I approached him I pulled out my phone and said, "Merry Christmas. Hey! Want to see my rear end?" He wasn't the only one standing in the church lobby at that moment and it took me a heartbeat or two to realize what my invitation may have implied to the others. As I was showing him the pictures on my iPhone I was thinking I'd refer to it as a rear axle from now on. At least at church.

The axle is 4 inches narrower than the stock unit so I ordered a couple of wheel spacers to compensate. I use the spacers that are made with a set of holes that allow them to fit just like the wheels would and they use the stock lug nuts to hold them in place. They have another set of wheel lugs that allow the wheels to bolt securely to them. You can see the spacers here: http://www.uswheeladapters.com/shop/1-25-5x135-5x135-wheel-spacer/#

Getting the replacement axle into place under Gary's coupe will allow me to get the car off the jack stands, but I'm going to have to replace the leaf spring bushings before that. As I was taking the springs out to clean and paint them, I noticed that there was no support at all in the very rear bushings. That would mean that the car would feel unstable and have a squeaking noise. It could also affect the tracking and handling of the car. I'll try to find a size in the Energy Suspension inventory that will fit.

In the meantime, I've been busy painting the suspension components and putting things together up front. The caliper brackets are still on their way from Speedway Motors so I can't mount the wheels yet, but by the time I get the rear end (I mean the axle) installed with new brakes, paint and chrome, the brackets should be here and I can lower the entire car down to the ground. Once the car is on it's own suspension, I can place the engine and transmission into place and weld up the motor mounts and see what I'll need for a transmission mount.

My lovely wife probably thinks I put the rugs on the floor so I can nap in the shop to avoid doing housework or babysitting, but in reality the rugs under foot help a great deal in keeping my feet warm. The cold seems to transmit from the concrete floor and through my deck shoes if I'm not on a rug. When I lay on the floor to get access to something, I pull a carpet remnant or rug underneath me. It isn't always that I can fit under the chassis with MY muscular shoulders and chest.

I used POR15 black paint for the chassis. It's the most permanent coating I know of next to anodizing or powder coating. POR15 isn't cheap, but it works well over rusty metal & I can apply it myself in the shop and it's always available for big or tiny pieces. I recommend it. 

WARNING: if you spill some into the trough at the top of the metal can and later replace the lid without wiping it clean, the lid will permanently stick to the can and you'll have to drill a hole or cut the metal away to get at the remaining paint in the can. You can get it at many places including The Eastwood Company:  http://www.eastwood.com/por-15-black-rust-paint.html 

I plan to cover the firewall with a clean sheet of metal that I cut to fit. I asked my beautiful and unmarried daughter Haley (a paralegal who drives a decent, late-model Mustang to her swanky Mesa, Arizona office every day) to help me hold it while I drilled a pair of 1/8" holes through the sheet metal and into the firewall so I could insert a Cleco fastener. The Cleco fastener allows me to put the panel in place and take it off as many times as I need before welding it in place. Then, after I finish the clutch/brake pedal fabricating under the dash and I'm ready to weld the panel into place, it will hold it securely for me as I tack weld the piece. Very handy. You can get these at The Eastwood Company also. Here's the link to the Cleco products: http://www.eastwood.com/panel-holding-system.html. There are a few videos on YouTube illustrating the technique of using Clecos. I think they're great.

I must add one more thought before I close this post. Readers may have become aware that I really and honestly enjoy the challenge that this work presents to me. I look forward to going into the shop every day. At night I lay in bed and go over the tasks that I'll be doing the next day and try to think of the easiest and most appropriate method of accomplishing it. 

I'm not a restorer of old cars. I met a man in Twin Falls, Idaho who restores Pontiacs. His name is Jim Mott (Jim Mott Restorations. (208) 731-6476) and while driving through his neighborhood one day I noticed a couple of collectible cars outside his house and stopped in to say hi. He courteously showed me through his shop, even though he and a couple of his minions were frantic to complete somebody's car before a deadline. Everything he works on ends up looking like it just rolled off the showroom floor. It's just as Detroit made it - maybe better. He's a dedicated craftsman. 

That's not quite the same as what I do. My work doesn't have so many rules and absolutes. His job is much harder; he can only use the parts that the car sold with originally. On the other hand, I can pound a cow bell into a hood ornament if I think it would look cool. But similar to Jim's craft, I like the creativity that my work allows. It's like a big puzzle, and my job is to make the pieces fit, AND make it look exciting and perform safely when I'm done. I'm so fortunate that I can do my hobby for a livelihood. It's like being a professional surfer or European tour guide. And as an added benefit, if I get hungry I can walk a few feet into the house and get a bowl of soup and a hug from my Favorite Female, or play with my tiny grandsons for awhile. If I can make this work profitable, I'll be one lucky gear head. Amen.

Doug