Getting a '73 Swinger Back on the Road
I came across a member only an hour from here selling an A-Body 8-1/4 rear axle for a fair price, and I was able to get it before anyone else grabbed it. Here’s bringing it home
He did tell me that there was some pitting on the ring and pinion, apparently because he had it stored in an uninsulated shed, so in the winter months it would get cold overnight, then on a clear sunny day the shed would warm up and the parts not submerged in gear oil would get condensation. So yeah, it was a little rusty. This is one of the backing plates, which I didn’t’ use
The inside wasn’t a whole lot better, so I went ahead and changed out the outer bearings and put in new seals. I found there was also some pitting on the axles where the seals would ride, so I used something called a Speedi-Sleeve to cover up that area.
I removed the original 7-1/4 and swapped over all the brake hardware, which bolted up perfectly
Here it is all cleaned up, painted and with new brake lines
And installed in the car (this pic was taken later, after I replaced the gas tank, which I'll get to soon)
I removed the rusty spots on the ring and pinion as best I could with some emory cloth, but it is a little noisier than I hoped. In hindsight I should have spent the time to learn how to install new gears, set the backlash and pre-load and all of that, but I really wanted to get it in the car to see how much better it is having a Sure Grip and also to go from the 2.76 ratio to 3.21 and yes, it’s way better.
I came across a member only an hour from here selling an A-Body 8-1/4 rear axle for a fair price, and I was able to get it before anyone else grabbed it. Here’s bringing it home
He did tell me that there was some pitting on the ring and pinion, apparently because he had it stored in an uninsulated shed, so in the winter months it would get cold overnight, then on a clear sunny day the shed would warm up and the parts not submerged in gear oil would get condensation. So yeah, it was a little rusty. This is one of the backing plates, which I didn’t’ use
The inside wasn’t a whole lot better, so I went ahead and changed out the outer bearings and put in new seals. I found there was also some pitting on the axles where the seals would ride, so I used something called a Speedi-Sleeve to cover up that area.
I removed the original 7-1/4 and swapped over all the brake hardware, which bolted up perfectly
Here it is all cleaned up, painted and with new brake lines
And installed in the car (this pic was taken later, after I replaced the gas tank, which I'll get to soon)
I removed the rusty spots on the ring and pinion as best I could with some emory cloth, but it is a little noisier than I hoped. In hindsight I should have spent the time to learn how to install new gears, set the backlash and pre-load and all of that, but I really wanted to get it in the car to see how much better it is having a Sure Grip and also to go from the 2.76 ratio to 3.21 and yes, it’s way better.
