VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Rear Axle Question

I've only had my 31 a few years and really haven't put a lot of miles on it. I am just wondering what the experience has been with rear axles breaking. I know later Chevy's had some issues but I don't think I have heard anything about the 30/31 models.

It is very common for 1929-1931 models to break axles. Ssomewhat cmmon for 1932 and less common for 1933 and up.

I have owned a large number of 1930-31 Chevrolets and driven many of them for thousands of miles. I have only had one broken axle and it was damaged in an accident. I am convinced that most of the broken axles in the distant past were the result of the condition of the roads. Washboard gravel or dirt roads put a hammering strain on the drive line and suspension. It is not surprising that some axles were broken. Today very few roads present those hazards. Besides most of us will not drive on those roads or creep along if it is necessary. So the potential is there but not very likely.

Thanks Chipper, I put several thousand miles on a 29 Pontiac and I figured the 31 Chevy would be similar but there isn't much written about the subject that I have found. I had a friend with a 35 Chevy who broke two and used to tour with a spare. His car could have been a fluke or maybe had something wrong that he didn't know about. Your comments are reassuring.

Are you guys talking about the axle housings breaking or the axle shafts ?

The discussion is about axle shafts.

I respectfully disagree with Chipper.

Thats all I heard when I was young that '29-'32 Chevrolets were axle breakers. My father broke any axle on our 1931.Taking my brother and me to Sunday school on a Sunday morning. I was only 6 or 7 at the time. He replaced the axle that afternoon so must have gone to the J&R store and bought a replacement. He was glad to step-up to a 1934 as they did not have that reputation.
There were a lot of afermarket axles available at that time and Chevrolet warned against using them due to poor quality (they must have been worse than the originals).
Twice while on 6 cylinder tours I saw owners replacing axles (they both had a spare along)

Now fast forward to 2019. The axles can be 90 years old, can be aftermarkets replaced 70 years ago. Seing both sides are the same may have bee switched from side to side causing possible breakage.
So common today they are being reproduced (with better quality steel.

I fI owned one of those models I would keep a spare under the rear seat.

I do often carry a spare. That way I will never need it. Maybe someone else but carrying a part is an insurance policy.

OK The next question is, if they are being reproduced who is making them? I didn't see them at the Filling Station or on the Wallace list.

http://www.billypossum.com/C&P_Catalog/C&P_Catalog_rev_031225.htm

Thank you, I didn't have that source.

As a dealer of Billy Possum parts, I believe (even though they show on the website) that they are currently out of stock of 1930-31 Chevy rear axle shaft. I have talked to Bill at C&P Automotive and he is having a hard time finding a machine shop to produce new axles for him at a reasonable price as I believe he lost his current machine shop that did them.

I would be interested to know of anyone that could supply spare 1929 Chevy axles at a good price. I only have used ones as spares.

Sorry to hear that as I was planning on ordering one.

Filling Station still have them listed.

The Filling Station's newest catalog (October, 2018) has the axle shafts listed as out of stock.

Thanks JD

You bet.