1946 Plymouth rearend swap

[dale]

Think Ive found a 1997 Jeep Cherokee rear end for my 1946 Plymouth.  Will the original rims fit if this rear end has drum brakes  or does the 1997 even come with drum brakes?  Will this have the parking brake hookup also. Thx in advance..

Edited November 22, 2016 by dale

[bosworth]

I don't know if this helps, but I swapped  a 96 Jeep Cherokee rear axle into my 51 Dodge B3B pickup.  The axle has drum brakes and cables for emergency brakes.  I swapped to get a 3.55 rear end and more modern brakes.  My 15" rims fit the axle with no problem,  I believe that it is the same bolt circle and center hole size.  As an aside, I am carrying a Jeep Cherokee compact spare in the trunk of my 1948 P15 Plymouth,  I had no other rims at the time and found that the Jeep Cherokee wheel fit my car and the spare fit well into the well in the trunk. The Cherokee rear end has a Spicer type universal joint, it matched up with my 51 Dodge drive shaft, but it would not have matched the ball and trunion (Detroit) type joint in my Plymouth.

Bill

[dale]

Thanks bos... That helps alot.  Im also wondering if its possible to somehow install a parking-emergency brake mechanism from another car into the Plymouth rear wheel hum to make it couple to a brake shoe and thus have an emergency brake... Im also checking into somehow fitting power steering while keeping the original column and steering wheel.  The motor is now a chevy 350 so the reseviour -pump wont be a problem.. Next Spring when our local junk yard reopenes Ill get out there and look thru the place.

[DonaldSmith]

I managed to put power steering in my 47 DeSoto.  

I kept the steering wheel, shaft and jacket.  I terminated the jacket under the hood at the firewall, cut the shaft and extended it with U-joints to a new power steering box whose pitman shaft matched the existing pitman arm.  I added a brush contact for the horn grounding wire.  A added a crankshaft pulley and power steering pump.  

A lot of work and sweat, but it works sweet. 

Now, some of the guys would add a rack-and-pinion steering assembly with integral power steering.  But they would still have to cut the column, add U-joints, and add a crankshaft pulley and power steering pump. 

 

Edited November 25, 2016 by DonaldSmith

[dale]

What model type or what car off of is the steering box on your Desoto ?  I have the starter switch at the key and am using the old starter button for the horn.

[DonaldSmith]

I found that GM boxes had the right size pitman shaft.  I got a Cardone remanufactured box, listed for a 1970 Pontiac Safari.  There may be other boxes that would do as well or better.

I have a six-chapter report on my power steering project.. Send me a PM if you want me to send the electronic files.     

Edited November 25, 2016 by DonaldSmith