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58 American Relocating Rear Axle

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andyleonard View Drop Down
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    Posted: Jul/04/2017 at 4:05pm
OK, here's my result from relocating the rear axle on a 1958 American coupe.

 Clearly the rear axle is too far forward in the stock location (for whatever reason) and there's an inch rearward to be had for no money and an hour's work. Unless you do what I did first and buy a bunch of parts that don't fit and spend a few hours trying to make them work.

I bought Jeep axle relocator brackets for $35 from RuffStuff. They looked right online and are good parts (metal's so hard it rings like a bell) ... but they don't fit the 58 American springs or perches. To use them correctly you have to cut them much shorter so they make contact with the spring for their whole length and also correctly engage the locator bolt, then round the bottoms to match the spring arc and grind down the original pads welded to the axle to allow the new brackets to slip over and reach the axle tube. You get a 3/4"-1" drop doing this...and you'll probably need new longer U-bolts as it's really close assembly with the added perch height and the stock length U-bolts. 

After trying the above and not liking it (too low), I went back to all original parts, dropped the axle pad down next to the spring and redrilled new locator holes in the original pads  1" to the rear and reassembled everything. No issues with diff/tank clearance, rear rubber brake line is fine, U-bolts are fine, but emergency brake cable must be lengthened the correct amount. Slip splines at trans on driveshaft now show 1" of shiny metal and wheel location in wheel arches looks almost normal. Not quite. No I have not verified how much slip joint engagement is actually there. I'll do that when the trans comes out for cleaning and new mounts. Looks OK based on shaking.
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andyleonard View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote andyleonard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2017 at 4:10pm
After rereading above, you do not drill the original pads 1" to the rear, you drill them so the AXLE moves 1" to the rear, so you're actually redrilling them 1" FORWARD.
Sorry.

Is there an edit capability here?
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pacerman View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pacerman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/04/2017 at 6:12pm
Yes, go to your post and if it is your post, check post options and you will see the edit feature.  By the way a guy in our Rambler Club is doing the same thing, trying to make the look better to him.  Joe
Happiness is making something out of nothing.
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tomj View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/05/2017 at 1:36am
i agree it's puzzling they pushed it so far forward. "it was the fashion at the time". or maybe they just had those parts all in stock and that's how it came out.

i'd be very wary of not having enough spline on the trans yoke to pull it back more than half an inch. the yoke has VERY short engagement, and in my experience they are all sloppy and worn. i think due to the short engagement.

the yoke on my new T5 slides in 6" or so. the old T96 yoke slid on about 2" and you could "rattle" it. and it was the best of the bunch i had.


1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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farna View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/06/2017 at 7:14am
I'm having an issue with a high speed vibration in my car -- finally pulled the driveshaft and will have it lengthened an inch. AW4 with 2.75" inside trans, 2.25" out. Been driving that way a long time now. Thought mounting the Jag IRS on rubber instead of solid to the body would fix it, but that only took about 50% of vibration/noise away.

Part of the Rambler look in the late 50s/early 60s was the rear wheel tucked near the front. It's just the way Ramblers were made! I'm sure it was just a looks thing, but many seem to prefer the rear wheel a bit further back. Certainly doesn't hurt, but takes a little of the "Rambler look" away. I'm guilty too, I moved my axle back about an inch when I put the Jag IRS in. I wouldn't go far back though, wouldn't center the wheel... just doesn't look "Rambler" any more!! Part of the tucked forward look is to give the illusion of speed even when sitting still, BTW.
Frank Swygert
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