• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

1964 Dodge 440

Nothing like bench pressing an 8 3/4 complete axle above your head haha!
 
Parts lined up for the blasting cabinet.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt8 001.jpg

Let's gett'r done.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt8 002.jpg

Axle housing thrown up into place.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt8 006.jpg

Shock mount / spring retainers blasted.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt8 017.jpg

Dipping was good enough for the factory, works for me as well.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt8 025.jpg

Paint draining off.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt8 033.jpg

Original rear axle snubber cleaned up and reinstalled. Snubber plate coated in Boeshield T9
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt8 042.jpg
 
Brake backing plates media blasted and painted with high heat BBQ paint. Goes on glossy
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 004.jpg

Dries flatter than flat.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 007.jpg

Simulates the original grayish/black finish they were coated with quite well.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 008.jpg
 
Going together..
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 016.jpg

New double lip axle seals going into the housing
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 018.jpg

The 2" socket from my 3/4" drive set works perfect for this.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 020.jpg

Premeasured for cavity depth, less the seal thickness.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 021.jpg

Don't even have to touch the fluid. The bottle is enough and your Wife won't go near you for 3 days!
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 023.jpg

Easiest way to put it in the housing and make 1800 square feet inhospitable from the stink!
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 025.jpg

I am getting old. Damn near killed me lifting this up into place. Yes I remembered the gasket and it got aviation gasket sealer all around.. I hate leaks and don't plan to take it apart again! 10 new nuts.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 033.jpg

All 10 nuts torqued to FSM spec.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 038.jpg

Before I forgot... pinion nut to 240 foot pounds!
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 040.jpg

Metal seal between housing and brake backing plate.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 042.jpg
 
Backing plates into place.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 049.jpg

Foam seals on next and then the axle assemblies put into place.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 059.jpg

Time for some nuts.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 062.jpg

Easiest way to turn the passenger side axle adjuster. Big channel locks.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 065.jpg

Axle retainer nuts torqued to 45 foot pounds on both sides.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 067.jpg

Break out the dial indicator to set the axle free play.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 073.jpg

FSM is 0.008 to 0.018" play. I like shooting for 12 thou.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 075.jpg

Roll the axles, brass hammer the axles back and forth a few times. Set for zero on the drivers side.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 077.jpg

Pull them in and out and repeat about a dozen times, while turning the adjuster on the passenger side, until it settles in.. A hair over 12 thou. Good to go.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pt9 078.jpg
 
Last edited:
A bunch of years ago, a neighbour of mine came over to get some advice from me regarding the rear end in his 1966 Chevy Nova. Sometime in its life the original GM rear axle had been swapped out for an 8 3/4 out of likely a 340 Dart. He had had his car up on a hoist for some exhaust work, and he noticed some looseness on his rear wheel/axle.
We popped his rear wheel and drum off, and I noticed there was no lock on his bearing adjuster. The adjuster was waaay loose and I could move the axle up and down. I went home and got my indicator and an adjuster lock, and set the axle drift up for him, and locked it down. He had never heard of such a thing. I explained that this was because Chrysler used far superior Timken tapered roller bearings on the rear axle, rather than the cheap ball bearings that GM used. Chevy boys should NEVER play with Mopar stuff!
 
Back when we were young and foolish I had a 66 Barracuda 340 race car and my buddy was building a 70 Nova 350 race car. We ended up putting an A body 8 3/4 in his Nova because we had one around and they were easy to change gears on. We never used a dial indicator to set up the axle free play. We just did it by feel.
 
One rear end out.. another in..
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 001.jpg


Cleaned up brake Y fitting and a new flex line.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 007.jpg

New wheel cylinders, brake shoe push rods and cylinder gaskets.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 010.jpg

New wheel cylinders installed.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 012.jpg

New brake line kit... RRA6801.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 017.jpg

Test fit, bent to work cleanly, wiped down with Boeshield T9 and then reinstalled.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 022.jpg

May as well bleed the lines. Up and over the exhaust and a bottle just incase.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 026.jpg

Crack the bleeder screw, wait 2 minutes and then fluid and air coming out. Played with the wheel cylinder pistons to burb a bit more air, then it cleaned up quickly to fluid only and I closed the bleeder screw.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 032.jpg

Same deal on the drivers side.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 034.jpg

New Monroe shocks going on. Won't extend long enough to get them on the lower shock mounts.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 039.jpg
 
Front of car braced, once again, so that it can't be lifted off of the hoist arms.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 047.jpg

A small lift on the rear axle.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 051.jpg

Axle lifted up and shock into place.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 052.jpg

Both shocks mounted and snugged up.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 054.jpg

Shiny new brake parts.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 056.jpg

Parking brake levers mounted to the rear full shoes and strut rods/ anti rattle springs sorted out.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 059.jpg

Original parking brake cables cleaned up and installed to the new backing plates.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 062.jpg

Ready to install brake shoes and components.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 064.jpg
 
Last edited:
Bit of brake grease.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 067.jpg

Brake shoes and hardware installed, both sides.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 071.jpg

Cleaned the manufacturing oils off the new drums inside and out and then coated them with Boeshield T9 to fend off the rust for a few years.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 075.jpg

Ready for drums.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 079.jpg

Drums on.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 083.jpg

Wheels on, with a nice clean drum behind them that visually looks very similar to the disc rotors on the front.
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 096.jpg

Even remembered to fill the rear axle with gear oil! Ready for a test drive when Mother Nature allows!
1964dodge440cleanup2023pta 100.jpg
 
Wayne the brakes are they 11" X 3" or 2.5"? They look like 3".
 
Not the best of days, but she's going for a test drive.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptb+cars 006.jpg

Brake fluid checked one last time.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptb+cars 009.jpg

A few backwards stops to tighten up the rear shoes, a couple forward lock up checks and off we go.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptb+cars 018.jpg

On the home stretch in a light shower.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptb+cars 015.jpg

New rear axle runs absolutely quiet and shows no sign of excessive heat. It left a few LONG double black strips while out, using those P275's. One nice thing about a front disc, rear drum car.... and ZERO tire rub! The initial goal...
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptb+cars 021.jpg
 
Last edited:
Not the best of days, but she's going for a test drive.
View attachment 1454492
Brake fluid checked one last time.
View attachment 1454493
A few backwards stops to tighten up the rear shoes, a couple forward lock up checks and off we go.
View attachment 1454494
On the home stretch in a light shower.
View attachment 1454496
New rear axle runs absolutely quiet and shows no sign of excessive heat. It left a few LONG double black strips while out, using those P275's. One nice thing about a front disc, rear drum car.... and ZERO tire rub! The initial goal...
View attachment 1454497
Dang that's a good lookin' 64. I hope to own one sometime before I get too old. LOL
 
Granma wants some mounts for Grandchildren's car seats. Spent 1/2 an hour trying to pop the rear seat with every old trick in my play book.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptc 017.jpg

Break out the "Seat Master 2000". Push down and jack screw at the same time and pop.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptc 019.jpg

4 minutes tops, seat is out, after removing one arm rest.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptc 021.jpg

Now here's something I've never seen and pulling the carpet up and examining the welds it appears to be factory.. BOTH sides!
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptc 023.jpg

Bastard is still just sitting there and laughing at me.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptc 033.jpg

Seats out.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptc 037.jpg

Figured I'm this far in. Thought the rear package tray cover was factory it was so deteriorated.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptc 040.jpg

Surprise, an REM reproduction less than 5 years old.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptc 043.jpg

Seat out, location marked before hand and figuring out how to add "baby seat" tabs.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptc 050.jpg

One formed, 3 to go. Then some welding and trying not to burn the car down.
1964dodge440cleanup2023ptc 066.jpg
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top