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Re: Pain in the rearend!

To: "Tom Witt" <wittsend@jps.net>
Subject: Re: Pain in the rearend!
From: James Barrett <jamesbrt@mindspring.com>
Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2000 17:53:49 -0400
Tom,
        I have a Postal Jeep rear in my V6 Alpine.
The width is 1" shorter than the Tiger Rear.

        The drum brakes are bigger (11" I think) and 
require a harder push of the peddle to stop. (no power brakes).
The emergency brake lever comes out in the wrong place
to mate with the Tiger's emergency brake linkage.
Requires fabrication of new emegerency brake cables.
I have the end of the emergency brake cable housing 
clamped to the rear of the center of the X frame member.
The cable is  "Y" shaped with an individual cable going
to the lever  on the drum.  Cable rubs on the tail pipes.

        Alpine spring pads were welded to the Jeep rear.

        Bolt pattern is 5 X 5 1/2 and there is a large
center flange so that only Jeep wheels fit with no 
modifications.  The previous owner actually
put the rear into the Alpine and provided 1/2"
steel adapters to go from 5 X 5 1/2 to 4 X 4 1/4".
These adapters bolted on through the brake drum
and hub.  Real pain to get to the brakes.  I changed
that by removing the adapter and grinding down the
axle center hump so that 15" 5 X 5 1/2 Ford truck wheels
would bolt on.  Simply put the Alpine up on Jack stands
and used a bench grinder setting on the floor while the 
Alpine was running in gear. Did not have to be precision
machining, just make the flange hump small enough so that
the hole in the Ford truck wheels would go over the
flange. Of course no studs were in the flange at the time.
         I have 195-60-15 tires on the rear. 225-50-15
also fit.
        The rear had no Panard bar.  I fabricated one,
but the bracket I welded to the axle housing was too
weak and soon cracked. (Fabricated it from 1/8" plate)
I now have no Panard bar on the Alpine and really do
not seem to need one.
        Do not know if different axle/flanges are
available for that rear end.  Maybe check an off road
magizine for info.
        The previous owner claimed the rear had a
limited slip.  If so it is completely worn out.
Haven't opened it up to look.  The V6 with a C4
doesn't have enough power to smoke the tires
to see if one or two black marks would exist.
        The drive shaft was modified to connect a C4
auto to the Jeep rear.
        Without a spacer between the drum and the
wheels, the tires are very close to the inner wheel
wells.  Ocasional rub on hard turns.  No damage
seems to be done to the tires, just rubs the 
undercoating off the sheet metal.

        


At 09:35 PM 6/1/2000 -0700, you wrote:

> ....I have
>heard that the Postal Jeeps have the same rearend, but the drive shaft hub
>and wheel hubs need to be changed. Is that true? Do the spring mounts line
>up? Is there a difference in track width? There are a couple of these Jeeps
>at the local Pick a Part and "Going Postal" would be cheaper than what I
>have spent on bearings already....
James Barrett Tiger II 351C and others


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