In a previous life, I had more than enough experience with Dana tapered axles. The 19 spline Dana 44 (4.55 ratio) with tapered axles was gone before I got it up on stands. It's now resting against the back wall until I can take it over to Russ's place and throw it in the dumpster. Nobody wants it enough to come and get it.
The Ford Ranger 8.8 is a well rated axle assembly for up to 350 HP and is the same width and bolt pattern as the Stude. I was fortunate to find an 8.8 axle with 3.08 gears and only 6k miles on the clock.
A nice assembly with the brakes cannibalized during shipping but they paid for that problem.
The 3.08 gear set will be fine for the street. The car will probably weigh in at about 2900lbs and a nice small block with a turbo 350 will move it just fine.
The spring leaves were polished, rebushed and restripped with plastic.
Yep 2" lowering blocks too!
I'll fab a set of traction bars when I get it clean enough to go in my shop.
The only thing stressful about these old Jewels is that they are filthy. One has to have a vision........ and a putty knife/wire brush supply.
This is one vision::
Very nice!!
The past few weeks I have been cleaning and scrubbing the underside of the Stude. As a plus, they never missed a lube job, nothing was dry and worn out after 62 years. In the minus column, the grease and dirt was 1/4" to 1/2" thick from the front to the back of the doors. I wanted to get the car steam cleaned, but that doesn't happen around here any more.
Add to this that a thin coat of tar was sprayed on the frame only prior to assembly. This coating has blended with the oil/grease and needs to be scrubbed off after the dirt is removed. A scrub brush and gallons of mineral
spirits with a coarse rag supply.
I am now intimately knowledgeable of the stick welds and spot welds that hold my Jewel together.
Many days and black epoxy engine paint............
Click on an image for a better view.
I also cleaned, rebushed and resealed the entire front end prior to painting.
Yep, I cut the front coils at the same time. Of the hundreds of coils I have cut in my life, this is the first time ever on the ground. What a Pain in the tail.
All back together now and getting ready to prep the engine compartment for a mock up with a small block
I want to give you the straight scoop. At age 17, (1962!!!) I was driving Dad's 54' Commander back and forth to work in East L.A. whenever the Model A needed another transmission (12 times!).
You had to shift it about 100 times to get to work. O.D, no O.D, free wheeling??? About as thrilling as as his Henry J but it had glasspacks.
Dick and I coerced Dad into picking up a 283 and a Powerglide on Ford Blvd. We trashed the 232/3spd and what a nice driving car now!
On Monday, Chuck came by to help me get the hood off the Stude. I just don't see removing this by myself.
We hung it in the garage next to the driver quality front seat (actually pretty nice).
The hood won't be back on for at least a year so this is a very safe place to store it.
I was ready with the 232 and transmission completely disconnected so in about 15 minutes about 700lbs of Studebaker gold was out, wrapped in plastic and an old sheet. Sixty-two years of dirt/grease from the heads back.
I have cleaned, re-bushed, and painted the rear springs and installed a 93' Ranger 8.8 rear axle assembly to replace the tapered axle Dana 44. I found a 3.08 ratio axle assembly with only 6k miles on it-like new. Should be a decent driver ratio with a Turbo 350.
Now comes the nasty part, scraping 62 years of crud off the under carriage back to the rear of the doors.
Interesting... under all those mounds of dirty grease are zircs. Some items have 2 and the steering knuckles have 6 on each side. No apparent wear other than the control arm bushings!
Disgusting work ahead...
We left at 0dark thirty Sunday to pick up a rust free '53 Commander with a fresh Title and an original vin tag. My trailer is frozen in a snowbank up north so Russ offered to loan me his as long as he could go along. 660 miles in one day, very few stops since we had roasted almonds and Girl Scout peanut butter cookies with Orange Gator Aid for lunch.
Bob and his partner were the best people to buy from. They made sure I had everything that went with the car, and threw in extra goodies that I might need. Good people and they take cash without I.D.
I had to stay in the right lane of deteriorating freeways doing 69mph in a 55mph zone while the rest of the world went by at 80mph in a 65mph limit. The trailer was throwing concrete and asphalt at chuckholes.
We loaded that afternoon a got the hell out of Dodge. This was Bob's recommendation in order that we miss the Monday morning traffic.
After 100 miles we got a room and dinner and crashed.
Leaving again in the dark, another 150 miles and a pit stop to watch the sun come up in the San Joaquin valley where they are doing agricultural stuff!!
Heading South in the dark on I-5 doing 66mph in the forever 55mph zone, I was passed slowly by the California Highway Patrol. I almost dropped my Egg McMuffin!!
Home safe and sound by 3:30 pm. A long 2 days!!
