which one is longer? thanx.
`57 POSI AXELS
hddude
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Below is a post from Dzauto who has a great deal of knowledge on this subject, I think this will be what you looking for. Hope it helps,
[B][/B]I've explained this multiple times before, and I'll do it again.
If you have a FACTORY 55-56-57 Chevy rear axle housing and axles (NON-posi axles), and you install a FACTORY style posi (from a 57-64 Chevy) into the 55-56-57 housing, the STOCK 55-56-57 NON-posi axles will be approximately 1/8in too long.
Thus, if you are installing a 57-64 FACTORY posi into your 55-56-57 axle housing, AND IT ORIGINALLY WAS A NON-POSI REAR, then your 57 axles will be about 1/8in too long and will interfere with the posi unit as well as place excessive side loading on the axle bearings which will cause premature failure of the bearings.
Sooooooooooooooo, if the above is your situation, you DO NOT need to measure anything (provided you are convinced that your 57 axles are the longer NON-posi axles). You can simply grind off about 1/8in from the splined end of the axles.
GRIND OFF AT LEAST 3/32IN, BUT THERE IS NO NEED TO GRIND OFF MORE THAN 1/8IN.
Then stick the axles back in and go. That's all there is to it!
It is true that there were TWO different length (R&L) axles for 1957 rears. And as you have understood correctly, the axles for 57 (ONLY) posi rears are shorter than the NON-posi axles.
The 55-56 cars DID NOT have posi and posi WAS NOT available for 55-56, thus, the axle length for 55-56 Chevys was not an issue. BUT, if someone acquired a 57-64 posi rear and wanted to stick it into their 55-56 housing, then axle length suddenly did become an issue. Therefore, when a FACTORY posi is stuck into a 55-6 housing, the 55-6 axles also have to have 1/8in removed from the splined end.
I keep emphasizing FACTORY posi, because axle length is ONLY and issue with a factory posi. If a 55-64 NON-posi rear is converted to posi by installing an aftermarket posi unit from Eaton, then axle length is NOT an issue because the longer axles do not interfere with the Eaton aftermarket posi unit (it's a somewhat different design than the original factory posi units).
Beginning with 1958 rears, axle length was no longer an issue (ALLLLLLLLLLLL axles were the same length). The reason is because the 1958-64 axle bearings were 1/8in thicker than the 55-57 bearings, which pulled the axles out away from the rear by 1/8in.
Hope this helps
[B][/B]I've explained this multiple times before, and I'll do it again.
If you have a FACTORY 55-56-57 Chevy rear axle housing and axles (NON-posi axles), and you install a FACTORY style posi (from a 57-64 Chevy) into the 55-56-57 housing, the STOCK 55-56-57 NON-posi axles will be approximately 1/8in too long.
Thus, if you are installing a 57-64 FACTORY posi into your 55-56-57 axle housing, AND IT ORIGINALLY WAS A NON-POSI REAR, then your 57 axles will be about 1/8in too long and will interfere with the posi unit as well as place excessive side loading on the axle bearings which will cause premature failure of the bearings.
Sooooooooooooooo, if the above is your situation, you DO NOT need to measure anything (provided you are convinced that your 57 axles are the longer NON-posi axles). You can simply grind off about 1/8in from the splined end of the axles.
GRIND OFF AT LEAST 3/32IN, BUT THERE IS NO NEED TO GRIND OFF MORE THAN 1/8IN.
Then stick the axles back in and go. That's all there is to it!
It is true that there were TWO different length (R&L) axles for 1957 rears. And as you have understood correctly, the axles for 57 (ONLY) posi rears are shorter than the NON-posi axles.
The 55-56 cars DID NOT have posi and posi WAS NOT available for 55-56, thus, the axle length for 55-56 Chevys was not an issue. BUT, if someone acquired a 57-64 posi rear and wanted to stick it into their 55-56 housing, then axle length suddenly did become an issue. Therefore, when a FACTORY posi is stuck into a 55-6 housing, the 55-6 axles also have to have 1/8in removed from the splined end.
I keep emphasizing FACTORY posi, because axle length is ONLY and issue with a factory posi. If a 55-64 NON-posi rear is converted to posi by installing an aftermarket posi unit from Eaton, then axle length is NOT an issue because the longer axles do not interfere with the Eaton aftermarket posi unit (it's a somewhat different design than the original factory posi units).
Beginning with 1958 rears, axle length was no longer an issue (ALLLLLLLLLLLL axles were the same length). The reason is because the 1958-64 axle bearings were 1/8in thicker than the 55-57 bearings, which pulled the axles out away from the rear by 1/8in.
Hope this helps
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279 Posts
Passenger side is longer in length.
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