Been a while since I worked on this one. I knew it would be a bugger and that's why I've been tripping over this on the static jack stands for 2 years. But no more.

Tis time to make the donuts.

I ended up buying an brand new aftermarket nodular iron third member, an Eaton True Trac differential, and 3.25:1 gear set. The only parts I scavenged from a parts car '66 galaxie were the yoke and pinion support assembly. All other misc parts are new such as bearings, seals, brake parts, etc.

In case you're wondering on how much something like this costs. Currently I am up to 3800 dollars and the install is still not finished.

To recap I'm replacing a monsterous Olds 12 bolt (GM 'A' axle) that was installed in my Caprice Classic from the factory. Why? who knows.... But I can't seem to find parts for it. There is nothing wrong with it. It's taken everything I can throw at it and I threw a lot. It's just I can't change gear ratios or find a limited slip for it.

The car originally came with 11 x 2" rear drums and front disc brakes.

Another problem I intend to correct is the funky pinion angle from the factory. And yes it is pointing in the wrong direction. Why??? Again, who knows, GM had to put a CV joint on the propshaft to correct for it. I would like to alleviate the CV joint and make the pinion and engine/trans angles optimal for single Cardan/U joint at each end of a propshaft.

A better look at "What the heck were they thinking" and "Who in their right mind approved this nonsense"

Now I know Ford made a 9-3/8" version of the banjo axle but I would wager it still doesn't weigh anything close to this lump of cast iron. Even the rear differential cover plate is 1/8" stamped steel on this thing.

Here's my Caprice Classic propshaft next to a spare 3rd gen galaxie propshaft. I'm hoping to save a few bucks by using the galaxie prop shaft, it will need to be slightly shortened and balanced. Depending on the Cardan joints used between the Ford and Chevrolet I might have them take the end off the transmission side of the Chevrolet propshaft and weld that onto the Ford propshaft. That way I can use the Caprice's front Cardan/U joint for the front and the galaxies Cardan/U joint for the rear, rather than some oddball Cardan joint to mate the Turbo 400 yoke to the Ford propshaft.

But most importantly get rid of that CV thing .

Now the brain cell exercising really begins as Moser Engineering (the place that made me the Ford 9" to fit) would not deviate from the manufacturing as a direct replacement to the car. Meaning they copied the idiotic pinion angle as the old axle.

Yuppers.

I will and need to say this, iron must have grew on trees in the early 70's. That Oldsmobile mutant 12 bolt weighs an absurd amount. I mean absurd! That brand new Ford big bearing 31 spline axle replete with cast iron third member and full brakes I could lift one side off the jack stands it was sitting on with some degree of difficulty. I mean a big bearing Ford 9 inch is no feather weight. But that damn Olds rear end I cannot budge one end off the ground and I can literally hear my discs in my spine screaming. That Olds rear end is easily 100+ pounds heavier than the Ford 9 inch. Again why????????????? That could easily go in a 3/4 ton truck. My Caprice Classic uses the same pads, rotors and calipers as a 1/2 ton 2WD truck. The rear brakes on a similar year Chevy 1/2 ton truck are 11 x 2-1/2" The Caprice has 11 x 2".

I have a spare transmission cross member for my Caprice Classic. It's made from a tube that was crushed to shape by GM. The wall thickness is between 3/16" and 1/4" thick! The cross member weighs close to 40 pounds all by itself.

This is the transmission cross member. It could hold up a Detroit Diesel never mind a transmission. On a side note, I was surprised how well the old axle cleaned up with just some Simple Green in a bottle, a small nylon brush and a rag. I painted and replaced everything I could on it 20+ years ago.

The ends where the tube was crushed is almost 1/2" thick of steel. The 3rd gen galaxie transmission cross member looks like a toy compared to this.

My back hurts just looking at it.