My Superbirds rear axle - junk the old springs?

[70Sbird]

Happy winter everyone! Since it's almost March I thought I'd better get going on my "winter" projects.
Since I'll be again driving the Bird to Talladega this year and the 50 year old rear axle is the only part of the car that I haven't gone through, I decided to give it a bit of a freshening up and new bearings/seals. I know that this rear isn't original to my Superbird but I'd like to know for sure what it is out of as I'm parts shopping. It's (obviously) a Dana 60 from a B body car. It does have 11" x 2.5" non self adjusting drum brakes, 3.54 Sure Grip and a drain plug at the bottom of the housing. I though drain plugs weren't present on the 68 and later cars, but I could be wrong.
I did find the codes stamped into the axle tube. My understanding after some quick internet research is that they are date codes and part numbers. my two stampings are (pic below as well) 9 29 7A1  and 602957 2. If I'm reading these correctly it is out of a 68 -69 B body with an assembly date of 9/29/1967? so my guess is that this is an early 1968 axle? Next are the brake drums. they are non finned smooth 11 x 2 1/2" and are near their max diameter. I'm going to put new brakes on while it's out and want to replace the drums. will any 11 x 2.5" Mopar rear drum work, or are these somehow specific to this early 68 rear?

Mods, if this topic needs moved please feel free to adjust accordingly.

Thanks for looking!
Scott

[hemi68charger]

Wouldn't the rear brakes still be 10" non-finned since the front is disc? It is my understanding that the only cars with the 11" rear drums are XHD 4-wheel drum cars and AAR/TAs..

T

[62 Max]

Wouldn't the rear brakes still be 10" non-finned since the front is disc? It is my understanding that the only cars with the 11" rear drums are XHD 4-wheel drum cars and AAR/TAs..

T

You understand correctly!   

[70Sbird]

Wouldn't the rear brakes still be 10" non-finned since the front is disc? It is my understanding that the only cars with the 11" rear drums are XHD 4-wheel drum cars and AAR/TAs..

T

Troy,
Yes, the Bird should have 10" x 2.5" brakes on the rear. These are simply what my car has had on it for at least the last 30 years or more. I'm not planning on changing them, just replacing the drums and brake shoes/hardware. It looks like there were 11" HD rear drums available on the 69 Charger but I'm not sure of the total combination. I'm just trying to figure out what drums to buy. I guess another option (less favorable) would be to scrap everything and find a set of 10" backing plates and start over.

Scott

[chargervert]

That red brake drum looks like a 10 inch drum. The 11 rear brake drums are much larger and have cooling fins on them.

[hemi68charger]

That red brake drum looks like a 10 inch drum. The 11 rear brake drums are much larger and have cooling fins on them.

I thought only the front drums have the harmonic spring installed.... Not rears of any diameter....

Unless you're looking to compete at Carlise or the Nat's or you're one who likes it the exact proper way, I would keep what you have...... It worked fine before, no?

[70Sbird]

That red brake drum looks like a 10 inch drum. The 11 rear brake drums are much larger and have cooling fins on them.

The red brake drum I'm holding is an 11" drum I took off the car.

[aerolith]

Dana 60's were all the rage back in the day!
Peeps gave a small fortune for them and even a limb to get one.
Now its all 9 inch Ford so they ain't so desirable!

But when I got my four onda floor 69-500 with a factory Dana, I was as happy as Larry. (whoever he is)?
Also had one in my 69 1/2 Superbee which needed it with all the abuse it got in the 80's and 90's.

Now if your car don't need it or shouldn't have one, toss it out as they are heavy as LEAD!!!
8 3/4's are just coolio, easy to work on and common as muck too.

Gear selected differentials, one for every day of the week.
2.76 to go to Talledega, 3.23 for everyday use and 4.10 for the occasional track day.

[70Sbird]

That red brake drum looks like a 10 inch drum. The 11 rear brake drums are much larger and have cooling fins on them.

I thought only the front drums have the harmonic spring installed.... Not rears of any diameter....

Unless you're looking to compete at Carlise or the Nat's or you're one who likes it the exact proper way, I would keep what you have...... It worked fine before, no?

Troy,
you know me....I'm not concourse anything and since the brakes worked well I'm not planning on changing them. My current dilemma though is simply buying new brake drums. my current ones are close to maximum diameter and I'd like to replace them when I do the brakes. As Chargervert mentioned above most of the ones I'm seeing online are the finned variety. I have no problem running those as long as they fit and function on this application. For me the first step here is to verify what I have and what parts will fit so I can buy what I need and not get a bunch of parts that don't work.

[70Sbird]

Here are the ones I'm finding:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=3871896&cc=1078961&jsn=456

[hemi68charger]

Here are the ones I'm finding:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=3871896&cc=1078961&jsn=456

If you really have 11" brakes on that Dana because it was swapped out, then they look appropriate...... The only problem with RockAuto is returns and finding someone to talk to. Those look like the ones I had on my former Hemi 68 Charger R/T ( power drum car ) and my former 69 Charger 500, 4speed with manual drums with the Dana...

[6bblgt]

your ID is correct - early 1968 model year b-body w/3.54s

there is a '67 b-body DANA 60 running around here in Las Vegas that has those same 11" drums with the spring  thought it was all mismatched when I saw it - now I'm not sure

I'll have to check the BOM & dates, hopefully next week  do '67s have the BOM stampings?

[Mytur Binsdirti]

your ID is correct - early 1968 model year b-body w/3.54s

There goes 10 grand off the value. 

[odcics2]

That red brake drum looks like a 10 inch drum. The 11 rear brake drums are much larger and have cooling fins on them.

I thought only the front drums have the harmonic spring installed.... Not rears of any diameter....

Rears also had the springs.

I have an NOS 11" rear drum that came with the spring on it.
I remember when the cars were new, it only took a few Michigan winters with road salt for the spring to rust and fall off.

[Moparpoolman]

your ID is correct - early 1968 model year b-body w/3.54s

there is a '67 b-body DANA 60 running around here in Las Vegas that has those same 11" drums with the spring  thought it was all mismatched when I saw it - now I'm not sure

I'll have to check the BOM & dates, hopefully next week  do '67s have the BOM stampings?

Does the 7A1 designate the year?

[70Sbird]

your ID is correct - early 1968 model year b-body w/3.54s

there is a '67 b-body DANA 60 running around here in Las Vegas that has those same 11" drums with the spring  thought it was all mismatched when I saw it - now I'm not sure

I'll have to check the BOM & dates, hopefully next week  do '67s have the BOM stampings?

Does the 7A1 designate the year?

it's my understanding the the 7A1 means 1967  and 1st shift?

[maxwellwedge]

Wouldn't the rear brakes still be 10" non-finned since the front is disc? It is my understanding that the only cars with the 11" rear drums are XHD 4-wheel drum cars and AAR/TAs..

T

It was an option on 71's as well. E-bodies for sure....probably B-bodies too.

[6bblgt]

I think Chrysler learned something with the '70 Trans Am car (first B or E-body with front disc brakes and 11" rear drums)

during the '71 model year you can find any drivetrain combo in B & E-bodies with disc front & 11" drum rear
& the big springs & torsion bars went away on everything but 440/440+6/HEMI (big rear springs - totally gone for '72)

[70Sbird]

Just a follow-up...
I did some more research last night (the old fashioned way with my books and manuals) and it looks like the non-finned 11" x 2 1/2" drums that I have on my car are part number 2405798, and were used on B bodies up to sometime in early 1969. It looks like there was a change over to the finned version in early 1969 to part number 3004933. As far as I can tell these are interchangeable and either will work for my rear brakes. So I think I answered my own question! 
Scott

[sccachallenger]

That red brake drum looks like a 10 inch drum. The 11 rear brake drums are much larger and have cooling fins on them.

Well, I don't know the original application but I have seen and measured some 11" rear, non finned drums.
May have been off a T/A rear.

[A13]

Those smooth 11" drums with the springs that you have came on every GTX and R/T 67-early 69.  And the 1966 Hemi cars.  It is all they had.  The finned drum didn't start until mid 69 and the finned ones were on AAR and T/A cars.

[hemi68charger]

..
It was an option on 71's as well. E-bodies for sure....probably B-bodies too.

...
Rears also had the springs.

I have an NOS 11" rear drum that came with the spring on it.
I remember when the cars were new, it only took a few Michigan winters with road salt for the spring to rust and fall off.

Love learning new things....... So, all 11" drums, whether front or rear had the spring? 10's didn't follow suit?

Cheers,
T

Also, thanks to an ebay ad, here's a snapshot of a Dana rear out of a Superbird..

[Moparpoolman]

..
It was an option on 71's as well. E-bodies for sure....probably B-bodies too.

...
Rears also had the springs.

I have an NOS 11" rear drum that came with the spring on it.
I remember when the cars were new, it only took a few Michigan winters with road salt for the spring to rust and fall off.

Love learning new things....... So, all 11" drums, whether front or rear had the spring? 10's didn't follow suit?

Cheers,
T

Also, thanks to an ebay ad, here's a snapshot of a Dana rear out of a Superbird..

Shouldn't there be a 603109 1  0r  603109 2 on it?

[70Sbird]

Shouldn't there be a 603109 1  0r  603109 2 on it?

I would think so and if the date code is 12/23/69 that would be pretty late for a Superbird wouldn't it? I thought they all had to be built by the end of the year and the ship list shows no arrival dates to Clairepoint (sp?) after December 17 or so.

[70Sbird]

Just an update to an old thread, but the rear axle is rebuilt, the new springs and parts are here and it's ready to go back together!
My new question is about my old leaf springs. There is some red paint on them so I'm making an assumption that they have probably been attached to the early 1968 Dana axle since birth since my car has never been red. They are part numbers 2539965 and 2539795. I'm showing that they are the 68 - 70 HD "Hemi" springs. The passenger side has one more leaf than the drivers. (pic of the numbers attached) is there any value to used leaf springs? I have no need for them, but was going to check before I send them to a scrapper!