C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

[Bill B.]

I am ready to give up on locating 57 posi banjo axle retainers. This has been a multi-year, multi-source and multi-referral effort. Yes, I have tried Grossmueller (sp), Randy's rack & pinion, and many, many, many more that I cannot even remember. Can these things be fabricated and what specs would be needed? I really don't want to move the banjo flanges inward so that "passenger" retainers can be used OR maybe that would be easiest way out? Any resolving advice appreciated. To me, this is the most difficult C1 item obtain.

[Gary C.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

Check Paragon, they used to have a stock pile of used C1 parts. Gary....

[Terry D.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

Bill

If I understand you right you are looking for the bearing retainers that slid on the axle between the bearing and the flange. I'm also assuming the 57 posi ones are deeper than the non posi and passenger ones. Don't understand how you would move the banjo flanges.

I've found them on E-Bay or try Gary at 315-472-1984, hope this helps
Terry

[Don Y.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

Bill,
Could you post a picture of the part you are looking for? I know the early carrier parts are hard to find but I am not sure what differences there are in the housings, if any. I believe there were some internal brackets in the posi housings. I am in the process of restoration on my '57 and would like to help.

[Bill B.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

Gary, this is the banjo that I got from you and I have tried Paragon Vintage, Mary Jo and many classic chevy parts/suspension places to include indivual restorers. Just no schools of fish out there.

Terry, my understanding is that the deep retainers (3/4" deep) are passenger series/corvette nonposi? I have a set of deep retainers which I removed from a passenger setup originally on my 58. Regarding the flange, the banjo retainer bolt flange on this setup is inward offset about a 1/4" back. To me, this would mean that the shallow retainers should only be about 1/4" deep too. I don't really know because I have never seen real one. Anyway, if I reconstructed the banjo flanges and moved them another approx 1/2" inward, the deep retainers could be made to fit? That make sense to you? I am going to Waco Regional this Friday and this is something I will check out there.

Don, wish I could send picture but digital camera got left on driveway so that my wife could practice speed-driving on it. Following are some differences that I came up with between passenger series and corvette: over-all width of banjos is the same, the banjo flange inward offset is different; on the passenger series the banjo flange bolt pattern is also rotated to different degree setting making the brake cylinders set at wrong position when the backing plates are mounted (functional but not corvette correct); and; probably most importantly, the passenger banjo perches are mounted at different angle and I think are spaced wider apart (if you used a passenger setup your springs would tend to spread outward and the driveshaft angle would be wrong). Believe me here, if you can help in any way I need it. Thanks

[Don Y.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

Bill,
Sounds like you have a housing that you are trying to modify to fit your application. Have you tried the obvious and looked for a C-1 housing? You may wind up with more time, money and headaches by attempting a retro-fit.
Don Yesacavage

[Roy B.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

I cant find my artical I wrote lately , some times I throw them away. But the Posi banjo end (bearing retainer) is deeper then a non-Posi retainer also the bearing cover is deeper were the non- is shallow. Car and Corvette is the same , you can use the Car banjo but the spring pads need to be relocated inward about 1inc. Is this what your asking ??

You don't remove the banjo ends . That's crazy , you wont a Posi banjo look for a Corvette Posi banjo or car and move the spring pads, the Posi has plate inside to keep the oil from splashing around

[Bill B.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

This is suppose to be a 57 corvette banjo? Bought it from a very, very reputable NCRS member. Going to check back with him.

[Bill B.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

Gary, this is the banjo I bought from you couple years back. Is the info I am getting tracking with what you know about these assemblies? I am about ready to put a C4 setup under this 58--not really, just frustration coming out.

[Bill B.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

Roy, always good to hear from you. The whole reason I started this effort is that I had a nonposi assembly in this 58 when I bought it. The previous tried to get it in but as you wrote the springs were bowed out and the wheel cylinders were at the wrong position. It was a basket case then (might still be?) and had never been put back on street. The retainer brackets were the deep ones which I kept.

Now, I bought my current banjo from Gary who stated it was 57 corvette posi unit and would be just like 58. The perches and wheel cylinder position are for corvette vs passenger. That makes it corvette and between 56 to 58 to me. Problem is that only a shallow retainer will fit due to the small setback of the banjo's welded retainer bolt hole plate. The setback is only about 1/4" vs about the required 3/4" for the units you described. So, are you telling me that I don't have "a corvette" shallow retainer banjo? I don't think it has any baffles either. Also, it isn't 59 or later as no brackets for stabilzer. I need to figure something out or this expensive banjo purchase a couple years back is going to become a grinding motor stand! By the way, wouldn't passenger series also have rubber bumper welded to top side? Going for BEER early.

[Roy B.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

By the way, wouldn't passenger series also have rubber bumper welded to top side?= YES Corvette NO

I don't think it has any baffles either=then it's non-posi but again I've heard "early" 57 dint.

Problem is that only a shallow retainer will fit=then you have a banjo that takes that one.

[Ted S.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

Bill, My '58 has an original posi in it and it does have the splasher at the top of the housing and the baffles at the entrance to the axle tubes that Roy refers to. With that said, I bought a second 58 posi housing to replace mine because the perches had been bent slightly and the locating holes were oblong. We ended up removing the perches off of the one I purchased and placed them on mine. A couple of things, I do have a '58 posi housing with the correct retainers for my car. I'll see if I can get some pics of the retainers this weekend (the car is at a restoration shop). Also I do have a spare 58 corvette posi housing that has the splasher and baffles. The perches that came off of mine may be able to be repaired or the shop where mine is at could remove the perches off of one of your housings and place them on the spare I have if your interested. I may have a source for the retainers but I'll have to check. Ted

[Bill B.]

Re: C1 Rear Axle Retainer Brackets

Ted, as always you are genuinely a fine fellow and helpful too. Right now I am at the point that I am willing to do anything that will just get an assembly in my 58. I wouldn't have any problem removing my perches and I happen to have two of the deeper style retainers. If the retainer thing is not clear, figure that a mounted backing plate wll seat nearly flush for a shallow retainer and it would be set back approx 5/8" to 3/4" for the deep retainers. If your assembly requires the shallow type retainers too, I would still have the same problem--finding two of them. If yours used the deep ones, I have them. Maybe you can email me off board or my cell 254-368-2991 any hour. Regards and glad to hear your progress on your 58. I am sure it will be BLACK!