Rear disc brake Swing axle fender clearance

I read your prior thread - what year is your chassis?  Are your rear wheels now 5 bolt?  The short/long axle is indeed confusing.  You don't have much clearance for having the short axle.  Does other size have a lot more room?

Not sure how accurate this article is -

http://trikerdon.50megs.com/short_long.htm

It's correct, Greg- up to '66 is short spline/short axle 1967 only is short spline/long axle (still uses the same 5x205 drums and brake assemblies as to '66 but has slightly wider rear track which is accomplished by making the axles longer) and '68 on is long spline/long axle. I've posted the axle lengths before- there's approx (iIrc) 1 3/4" difference between the to '66 vs the '68 on axles (and that's per side). 

In this pic you can see the spline length differences

And in this pic you can see the difference in the end castings- note the different shapes of the lower shock mounts

ALB posted:

It's correct, Greg- up to '66 is short spline/short axle 1967 only is short spline/long axle (still uses the same 5x205 drums and brake assemblies as to '66 but has slightly wider rear track which is accomplished by making the axles longer) and '68 on is long spline/long axle. I've posted the axle lengths before- there's approx (iIrc) 1 3/4" difference between the to '66 vs the '68 on axles (and that's per side). 

In this pic you can see the spline length differences

And in this pic you can see the difference in the end castings- note the different shapes of the lower shock mounts

 

and to be dead clear about axle lengths, what is pictured above with the tape measure is a '66 or prior axle and a '68 and later axle ? 

• The top is a long spline axle and the bottom is short spline, with the respective end castings below. The short spline axle came in both short (to 1966) and long (1967 only) axle lengths so you can't tell by the pic which it is (you'd have to measure), while the long spline came in the long axle configuration only, which is '68 and newer. Ok, found it- 
• to 1966 type 1- short axle short spline 26 11/16"
• 1967 type 1 only- long axle/ short spline 27 13/16"
• '68 and newer type 1 and all type 3- long axle/long spline 28 7/16"

Where did Ron O  go ?  Any West Coasters know ? 

Ron sold his IM, moved to Vancouver Island and last I heard was building a dune buggy. I don't think he's checked in here in some time.

WOLFGANG posted:

I read your prior thread - what year is your chassis?  Are your rear wheels now 5 bolt?  The short/long axle is indeed confusing.  You don't have much clearance for having the short axle.  Does other size have a lot more room?

Not sure how accurate this article is -

http://trikerdon.50megs.com/short_long.htm

My chassis is a 1967. I have a 4 bolt drum set up with a machined nose. I believe I have a short tube long axle. The other side has a lot more room.

My chassis is a 1967. I have a 4 bolt drum set up with a machined nose. I believe I have a short tube long axle. The other side has a lot more room.

SO that was what I was getting at - since the '67 was a one year only. I wonder if you could get the '66 back pieces and go to the shorter axle that Al showed - picking up an inch either side. Then use the disc brake kit mentioned.  If you need to fill out the tire in the wheel well - spacers could be used (1/4, 3/8, 1/2 are available).

@JB356SR said- "My chassis is a 1967. I have a 4 bolt drum set up with a machined nose. I believe I have a short tube long axle. The other side has a lot more room." 

The other side has more room because the original fiberglass Speedster mold was made from an improperly repaired car. Unfortunately, most of our cars have come out of molds splashed from other replicas made from that original mold.  And yes, it sounds like your car has the 1 year only '67 short spline/long axles. Machining the nose of the drum 5/8" is the way to fit 4x130mm drums on short spline axles. Are the rear brake shoes 30mm or 40mm wide? There should also be holes in the bottoms of the backing plates (1 each side) for adjusting brakes.  Al                            

ALB posted:

@JB356SR said- "My chassis is a 1967. I have a 4 bolt drum set up with a machined nose. I believe I have a short tube long axle. The other side has a lot more room." 

The other side has more room because the original fiberglass Speedster mold was made from an improperly repaired car. Unfortunately, most of our cars have come out of molds splashed from other replicas made from that original mold.  And yes, it sounds like your car has the 1 year only '67 short spline/long axles. Machining the nose of the drum 5/8" is the way to fit 4x130mm drums on short spline axles. Are the rear brake shoes 30mm or 40mm wide? There should also be holes in the bottoms of the backing plates (1 each side) for adjusting brakes.  Al                            

My rear brake shoes are 40mm wide. My backing plates I believe are from a '68 or newer. There are holes at the bottom to adjust rear brake shoes.