VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 3:55 gears bought for my 47 Stylemaster

Bought a used 3:55 rear end out of a 53 Chev P/G car today, will be checking them out tomorrow, hope there in good shape.

Good for you. Today I also got a torque tube & carrier from a 51 power glide. All there except the pinion shaft lock screw. Person who took the unit out lost that. Of course that is sort of a special not too common item. Since Ill be out of town until next week I won't be able to pursue trying to find one. May have to grind down a portion of a 5/16" bolt.
Dick

Why don't you use one from your original rear end?

This is a fantastic idea that I actually pulled off in 1992 with my 4:11 to 1 geared 37 pickup. One of the best things I ever did to the truck. You wouldn't think that it would make that much difference, but it does! You can actually drive on the freeway and keep up with the traffic!!
Be aware of another problem created by doing this, however. You now have five lug wheels on the rear of your vehicle and six lug wheels on the front of your vehicle! Either you have to carry two spares, or you have to find some five lug brake drums to fit your spindles. You have two choices, find the correct drums or find new spindles that will adapt to your front end and accept five lug backing plates and drums. It's another project!!

You install the torque tube and center section on in the 1947 axle housing.
The 1949 and up have a narrower rear tread than a 1948 and prior so the wheels would be too far "in" and possibly rub on the inner wheel house under some conditions/

Joe,
I have a 1939 Master 85 front axle that has been converted to five lug 1953-54 backing plates, hubs and drums. Would this help with your conversion?

don3955chevy@sbcglobal.net

Pretty straight forward. Click and read.
torque tube and rear-end swap out

Well the ring and pinion appear to be in really nice shape, but the splined input in the swivel is rusted badly, I will have to change the long input shaft , but thats not too hard to accomplish . :)

You don't believe you could "clean up" the rusted areas, on the splines, without swapping anything ?
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/parts/1929_54/330a.htm

No, the splined portion is rusted very badly, looks like it was laying in mud for many years :(

Joe,
I have a 1939 Master 85 front axle that has been converted to five lug 1953-54 backing plates, hubs and drums. Would this help with your conversion?
don3955chevyaasbcglobalnt
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I have a 37 truck and I have converted it also. The straight axels are easy to convert, but some of the "other" axles, not so much.

I need to replace the enclosed driveshaft because of rust on the forward splines, there appears to be about a 1" difference between the 53 shaft and the 47 shaft on the rearward end. The end where the spring is positioned. I wonder if that may cause a problem? What does that coil spring do??

The coil spring was added in 1950 to cure what Chevrolet called "Boulevard clunk". In 1949 would could hear a clunking noise when driving over smooth but wavy pavement. Sounded like the floor was buckling. The spring cured the problem and when owners of a 1949 complained they (the dealer under warranty) would install the spring and the noise was gone. In 1950 the spring became standard equipment.
For some reason prior to 1949 the set-up was the smae but didn't make the noise.
The drive shafts were the same from 1941=1954. In 1951 the torque tube was made slightly larger to eleminat drive line vibation at high speeds.

Sorry to take so long to get back to you. Just got back from a 600 mile run with my 47 Aero. Ran good & got 19 MPG running 50/55 MPH a good bit of the time across Ohio flat land with 3.70 running gear.
To answer your question as to why I don't use the one from my 4:11 rear end. The one I just bought is really an extra in case I would need one later. I would like to keep all the pieces on this one together. I suppose I could put something in place of the correct item just to keep everything in place temporarily.