The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Rear Axle Widths 101

I ended up getting a 1990 1/2 ton 4x4 Suburban rearend for my 51 burb. It is 63-3/4 inches outer drum surface to drum surface, this is 1-5/8 inches wider than stock AD @ 62.125 inches. That will put each wheel ~13/16" out further than stock. Not too bad. While I was investigating, I found several 60..66 rear ends that measured up at 62-3/4" - these would work even better but they were all pretty beat so I went for the 90 burb rearend. I was told that the 2wd rearends were identical to the 4wd rears except for axles . . . can anybody comment on that?

i have been told that the 2whl and 4 whl axles are not interchangable , different spline count.If you look at a 4 whl drive late model Chevy, the wheels have different offset than the 2whl drive.Perhaps the rear axle is wider??? I pulled the following info off the web. I don't know how accurate it is.


Original Vehicles
Rear Suspension Width (Flange to Flange) Year Classic Vehicles Width
26-39 Plymouth-Dodge car/pick up 56-58"
40-52 Plymouth-Dodge car 60-62"
26-39 Chrysler/DeSoto Car 60"
Most Early Mopar's 56-62"
25-39 Chevy Car 56-58"
26-46 Chevy Truck 56-58"
40-48 Chevy Car 58-60"
49-54 Chevy Car 58-60"
47-54 & 55 1st Series Chevy Truck 60-62"
Most Early Buick,Olds, Pontiac 58-61"
28-31 **** Car/Pickup 57 1/2"
32 & 33-34 **** Car/Pickup 56 1/2"
35-48 **** Car 57-60"
35-41 **** Pickup 56-60"
49-58 **** Car 57-58"
49-56 Mercury 57-58"
49-51 Mercury 61"
64 Falcon 58"
67 Cougar 60"
55-59 Chevy Pickup 62"



Donor Vehicles Front and Rear
Suspension Width (Flange to Flange) Year Classic Vehicles Width Front Width Rear
74-79 **** Mustang II/Pinto & Mercury Capri/Bobcat 55 ½" 55 ½"
71-77 **** Maverick with 8" axle 56 ½"
75-80 **** Granada with 8" axle 57 ½"
64-66 Mustang 57"
67-71 Mustang 59"
72-73 Mustang 60"
67-69 , & 60" Camaro 60"
64-67 Chevelle 60"
55-64 Chevy car 60"
65-67 Nova 58"
68-72 Nova 60" 60"
78 & up Monte Carlo, Regal, etc. with 10 bolt axle 58" 58"
68-72 Chevelle with 10 bolt axle 61 ½"
89 Trans AM (Disc brake) 62"
76-80 Camaro/Firebird 61 ½" 60 ½"
68-83 Corvette 58 ½" 59 ½"
84-95 Corvette 59 ½" 60 ½"
Early 70's "A" body (Dart/Duster) with V8&3/4 axle 58"
"E" Body (Cuda) with V8&3/4 axle 58"
Dodge Dart 59" 55 ½"
Plymouth Volare & Dodge Aspen 61" 60 ½"
71 Blazer (6 lug) 63 ¾"
75-78 Granada 9" (43" perch to perch) 52 ¼"
75-78 Maverick 9" (43" perch to perch) 56 ¼"
81-87 Olds Cutlass 58 ½"

Th An early 80's 1/2 ton 4x4 axle, 15x7 wheel, 1 inch back spacing, 225/70 tires. The tire fits inside the fender by about an inch, no one seems to notice that the rear is a little wider than the front.I am not sure if a burb fender are the same width as a pu.

Based on the fact that the burb running board / fender interface is identical to the pickup interface and that the running board mounts / parts are interchangeable between burbs and pickups . . . I would say they are identical. I am going to use the either stock 15x5 rims or 16x5 rims . . . so I should have a little more clearance than your picture shows. The comments on the axles came from wrecking yard guys. There is a yard in the closest town that has racks of axles, next weekend I am going to run up there and do some comparing.

Ken, where would that yard be located? All of the yards around here (Shelton) have the axles still in the vehicles, which makes it really tough to compare anything. It would be worth a bit of a drive to find some easy to measure ones.

The yard is located in Battleground - about 2 hrs southeast of Shelton. The 90 burb rearend I got from U-Pull-it is junk, I am trading it for another due to chips in ring gear and too much lash. I am taking the next one apart on site before hauling it home! If you take a tape measure to the wrecking yard, take a couple of vise grips and short pieces of angle iron, vise grip the angle to the axle or housing and then it is way easier to measure.

Ken, Thanks for the info on the salvage yard; it shouldn't be too hard too find. I'll be sure too follow your tip on measuring too. Should save a lot of grief.

Ken, do you happen to know if they have any 235's?

The yard in Battleground has no inline sixes, but American Classics in Vancouver has quite a few 235's for $150 each as cores, higher if it runs, they get $500 for 302 GMCs and 261's / 270's as cores . . . they are a little crazy on prices. e-mail me if you just need parts or need a runner, I have a couple I could get rid of.

Ken, I sent you email.

Anyone know the flange to flange rear axle width on a 79 Caddillac Broughm de Elegance?
It has a 10-bolt and rear disc brakes.

:confused: I'm confused by some terminology here. Would appreciate some clarification / confirmation.

When we refer to "flange to flange" for axle width - as in the chart that Tony has copied for us - is the "flange" in this case the backing plate that the Brakes / Brake drums mount to ? OR is it the surface of the Brake Drum that the wheels mount to? :confused:

Thanks

The flange that the brake drum and wheel mount to.

Some great info on rear-end swaps....

http://50chevy.freeservers.com/Suspension_Widths.html#Suspension

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