Rearend rebuild?

[Chrisk]

Looking for a reputable company to rebuild my 67 rearend? What needs to be replaced? What should I be asking? Any suggestions would be great.

[Joe L.]

Re: Rearend rebuild?

Chrisk-----

Reputable and experienced Corvette differential rebuilders:

1) Carter's Corvette, Livermore, CA (corvettesvc@earthlink.net)

2) Bair's Corvette, Linesville, PA (www.bairs.com)

3) Charlie's Speedshop, Champaign, IL

4) Van Steel Corvette, Clearwater, FL (www.vansteel.com)

Differential assemblies are heavy and expensive to ship, so you might want to select the shop that's closest to you.

Any of the above will know what parts need to be replaced, but usually all of the following will be replaced as a matter of routine:

1) all small parts, including shims, crush sleeve, etc.

2) all bearings, including pinion, side and stub axle (total of 6)

3) posi clutch pack

The following are likely to require replacement:

1) stub (yoke) axles

The following parts MAY need to be replaced depending upon state of wear:

1) ring and pinion gears

2) differential ("spider") gears

3) posi case

[Duke W.]

Re: Rearend rebuild?

My experience with positration Corvette axles is that it's generally best to replace the whole posi case assembly, so about the only parts you keep are the ring and pinion ,if it is okay, and the carrier. The clutch pack itself wears and the case is subject to cracking at the loading window. Magnaflux inspection is recommended. By the time you add up all the parts and labor, it's usually a better alternative to just buy a complete posi case assembly and install it.

With a new posi case and good yokes, the yoke end play should be about five thou. Getting it right may require the case to be removed and disassembled to replace internal shims if the original fit is not quite right.

Rebuilding a Corvette axle is pretty labor intensive, but if it's done right is should last virtually forever.

I think GM still offers the original clutch type positraction case assembly and I believe Auburn also offers a cone type posi case which is probably a bit less expensive.

Duke

[Douglas H.]

Re: Rearend rebuild?

Chrisk -

I am just wrapping up an entire rear end restoration, and sent my rear end (and trailing arms while I was at it) to Bair's in PA.

Not sure where you're located. I am in Southern California and it cost me ~ $130 to ship just the rear end both ways (out and back). You can call Bair's and they have custom shipping boxes they will send you. All you have to do is drain the oil, place it in the box, and go ship it via UPS ground.

Bair's does excellent work, quick turnaround, and the pieces look absolutely beautiful. They did find problems with my rear end, but called first to discuss the repair options. I believe Duke and Joe have already mentioned the potential problems that may be found once the shop digs into the rear end.

- Good luck!

[Larry Gawron]

Re: Rearend rebuild?

Chrisk,

I had mine rebuilt by VanSteel about three years ago.
Art is a great guy to work with and did an excellent job. He also rebuilt both of the trailing arms. I lived in Texas at the time and I dropped it off in person, took the family to DisneyWorld and picked it up a week later.

[Craig S.]

Re: Rearend rebuild?

Duke - except for the 4 series case....Craig