While Currie keeps a large...
While Currie keeps a large inventory of assembled rearend housings in stock, our unit will be custom-built to our specified flange-to-flange measurement.
Not long ago, well, OK, maybe it was long ago, finding a rear axle for your hot rod project involved a pickup truck, a tape measure, and a trip to your favorite junkyard. Of course, just the fact that we refer to the location as a junkyard tells you it was a long time ago, as today we have either salvage yards or automotive recyclers. I still prefer junkyards and all the associated mystique that goes with the term.
But that was then, and this is now, and like most aspects of street rodding, we have graduated to better things than a rear axlehousing with unknown miles and wear, to a brand-new housing filled with the perfect gear ratio, big axles, better bearings, and flanges designed for modern brakes. The new housings are just better in every way, but there are still sizeable amounts of street rodders who view the third member in the driveline as a mystery piece. For that reason we thought it would be interesting to follow along at Currie Enterprises and see just what goes into the building of a brand-new unit.
Axles are sized to match the...
Axles are sized to match the horsepower being put to the ground. While bigger is always better, the pros at Currie can help you choose the proper axle for your application.
There are plenty of options available and the professionals at Currie Enterprises will walk you through the benefits of everything from limited-slip differentials to the proper axle size, brake flanges, and available mounting brackets.
While we will be focusing mostly on the internals, don’t discount the cosmetic advantages of a new housing. Just think, no messy disassembly, no old brackets to cut off, no rusty, pitted housing to prepare for paint, and the best part, no surprise noises emanating from the third member. Even the Currie housing is a smooth shape that looks perfect under any hot rod. But before you get ready to paint that Currie rearend, let’s take a close look inside and see just what it takes to assemble a brand-new custom rearend.
Here are the main pieces for...
Here are the main pieces for building a custom width rearend housing. The new centersection with studs installed, two axle tubes, and two bearing flanges for the ends of the tubes.
That big, long, solid bar...
That big, long, solid bar is routed through the empty gear carrier and the axle tubes slide over the steel bar for proper alignment.
This metal spacer simulates...
This metal spacer simulates gasket thickness, ensuring the axles will line up perfectly later.
The steel bar is the same...
The steel bar is the same O.D. as the axle bearing, so the axle flanges will be held in perfect alignment to axle tubes and the centersection. A special fixture holds the axle flanges in place.
An empty carrier is bolted...
An empty carrier is bolted to the centersection to serve as an alignment for the axle tubes and to prevent any chance of warping during welding.
Before the axle flanges can...
Before the axle flanges can be welded in place, special care is taken to be certain the axle flange bolt pattern is properly aligned. This is important because the brakes bolt to this flange.