'33 rear end issue

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PhoenixFear

Senior Member
I'm debating going to an open drive on my '33. I believe the rear end is a '33 rear end, 10 spline. The thickness of the banjo is 3.5". I borrowed a Hot Rod Works kit from a '36 rear end with 10 spline and it seemed to fit fine. I e-mailed them and asked what the difference was since they offer different kits. The guy said the '36 kit wouldn't work because the pinion bearing housing wouldn't work with the '33 pinion and the yoke wouldn't mount with the housing in place. However I managed to mount this kit just fine. Could it be possible I have a later pinion in this truck? It has 4.11 gears if that helps. Thanks.
 
D'ya suppose it may have something to do with the FACT that the early 32 type torque tube gasket is pt # B-4507-R , late 32-34 is 18-4507 and 35 is 48-4507 ? Info from a June 1935 parts book . The 35 gasket fits 36 and I'm pretty sure later stuff than that but I don't mess with that newer stuff:D . Also I know exactly nothing about " open drive conversions " and that will be staying that way .
PhoenixFear said:
I'm debating going to an open drive on my '33. I believe the rear end is a '33 rear end, 10 spline. The thickness of the banjo is 3.5". I borrowed a Hot Rod Works kit from a '36 rear end with 10 spline and it seemed to fit fine. I e-mailed them and asked what the difference was since they offer different kits. The guy said the '36 kit wouldn't work because the pinion bearing housing wouldn't work with the '33 pinion and the yoke wouldn't mount with the housing in place. However I managed to mount this kit just fine. Could it be possible I have a later pinion in this truck? It has 4.11 gears if that helps. Thanks.
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It appears that you have the OEM 32 thru 34 V8 type axle. They were 3.5" wide on the center section width dimension. The ring & pinions were different between the 32 to 34 V8 axles and the 35 to 38 axles even though they were both 10-spline pinion types. The pinion bearing cups & cones are different too. The diameters are different I believe. This would affect the fit of an open drive conversion kit for a later type rear axle. If they don't make one for the earlier axle, a person would have to change the whole axle to the later 35 through 41 type depending on what you can scrounge up.

The only major draw back to going open drive is the amount of time and effort to do the job well with good suspension flex characteristics and plenty of beef to allow the rear axle to safely push the vehicle forward. When using the transverse single rear leaf spring, it's hard to replace that nice big tube that the rear axle has to push against to propel the forward motion into the drive train, frame, & body. A change to dual fore & aft leaf springs is a big change. Adding heavier struts or radius rods or a combination of struts and a torque arm is also a big change.
 
I actually know better than to do this but ! My point was that whatever bolts to the front of the banjo when you do this is not going to interchange between 33 & 36 as the torque tube gasket is way smaller on 33 than 36 .
 
It appears the pinion races are different sizes. The housing for the open drive will still bolt up but over time the pinion will push out of the front because the housing does not retain the pinion anymore, from what I was told. Hot Rod Works makes the earlier kit so I will probably play it safe and just buy the correct kit. I'm planning on addressing the torque arm issue by using a torque arm mount from Hot Rod Works as well, and either lengthen my torque rods or get new ones. I really do not want to put dual rear springs in this truck if I have to, the frame has been hacked up enough.
 
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