Re: rear axle swap

Posted by Ross On 2011/10/27 20:01:34

The 55 Clipper rear is an odd duck in that it has the large pumpkin of the 53-54 cars, yet used the small axles and wheel bearings of the pre-53 cars. Thus it will bolt into your car if you use your backing plates and drums. You might need to shorten the driveshaft a bit, and you will need the hard-to-find stickshift yoke to install on the pumpkin.

Your car pulls the equivalent of 2.95 axle when in overdrive so I am flumoxed as to why you want to change the rear. All your performance gains will be as nothing and the car will be bothersome to launch if you use a 3.23 rear. The ratio in overdrive will be 2.32 which will require frequent kickdown.

I built a replica of Cecil Hayes AAA sanctioned stock car for a dear friend some years ago. (53 Clipper Deluxe club sedan, now in Warren) The engine was pretty much as you described and we ran the stock 4.10 with overdrive. The old girl would break loose in first gear even after she was already rolling if stepped upon. I hardly ever drove it over 90 but the engine didn't seem taxed by the revs.