VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1916-1922 - Model 490 Rear End No Movement

Yesterday I returned from a ride and stopped the car. I then put it in gear and shifted and no movement of the car.
Years ago, I had the same problem and the cause was a broken keyway.. I put a keyway on one side and it was fixed.
Today I checked both keyways on the outside of the axle and both were intact. So the problem becomes bigger. IF it is a broken key
on the Drive Pinion how difficult is this?
Should I remove the rear end and take it out of the car? How difficult is this?

I agree, if the keys for the rear wheels are in good shape then the next thing to look at would be the drive shaft pinion key. I have seen some drive shafts damaged probably from too much jerking when starting in motion. A grabby clutch will cause this.

If I were going to make repairs, the task would be easier to accomplish if you remove both the rear axle and drive shaft together. When making the repairs, this would be a good time to inspect the internal parts of both for damage or excessive wear on parts like thrust washers and bearings. Also, you may replace the felt washers. Give it a good overall inspection while it's removed. The removal is not too difficult but it helps if you have an extra hand to do the job. When I made repairs on my car, I first built a cradle to support the rear of the car while the axle was removed. With the rear of the car resting in the cradle, disconnect the brake rods and remove the supporting hardware for the drive shaft and rear axle. Make sure to provide some support to protect the outer brake band mounts on the bottom of the axle housing. Good luck with your repairs.

My Procedure on removing rear end. 1) Mount jackstands on concrete blocks after jacking up rear end. (This must be done very carefully 2) Disconnet brakes and tie up. 2) Disconnect 4 bolts around universal joint and use wire to hold up propeller shaft 3) Disconnect rear end from springs while having a hydralic jack under it. 4)Remove the four pinion shaft housing bolts and tie up the housing 5) Tap the propeller shaft housing from the rear end 6) The rear end will then swing down and deposit the oil on the floor. 7) The rear end will then rest on saw horses protecting the brakes.