To swage or not to swage

[Terry1213]

I bought a 1964 Polara 383/727 with a 8 3/4 rear. Everything had been rebuilt but I went thru it all anyway. The brakes were my latest project. The front were fine but the rear were not. In 64 the 8 3/4 had press fit hubs. They also swaged the drum to the hub so you need a puller to remove them. The drums were replaced but they did a bad job of mating them to the hub. I didn't get pictures of that. The drums were not flush on the hubs so they were wobbling. The stud holes were bent out. In the picture you can see the swaged stud and there is one that is not. Left hand thread so maybe it was snapped off. Two ways to fix this. I opened up the holes on the drum to fit over the swaged studs. You could also remove the swaged studs and get new ones, but you can't just pound out the old ones because that could damage the hub. A special cutting bit is required.
Leaving the hubs pressed on and bolted makes it like a modern rear end. Just pull off the drums. I know it's a long story but I went all over town to find someone that could swage like the factory did. No luck. I understand the reason the factory did this was for ease of assembly on the line. Hopes this helps someone else.

 

[Lefty71]

Removing the swedged studs is not a big deal.....just cut the swedged portion back a little and then you can press them out of the hub without damage. The real swedge cutter is expensive and hard to find....Goodson may have. A Lenox or other hole saw in 11/16 ( some say 5/8, maybe Abody dudes) is a very cheap and easy substitution.....
I have a thread with some info regarding good option for studs and lugs, but i have to go find.

 

[khryslerkid]

Those look like the replacement studs. I don't believe the swedged studs had a knurled shoulder on them.

The replacement studs vary in diameter quite a bit on the knurled section. Some is quality control, some are just different diameters for different applications. I found some of the swedged holes in the hubs get oversized from the press fitment so when using the replacement studs some will be tight, some will fit loose. I like to have a bit of shoulder coming through the drum. You found a few that were tight and bending the drum. If the shoulder on the stud measures heavier than the others you could use the correct size hole saw to narrow the diameter a bit. If the holes in the drum measure smaller then you could clean them up with the correct drill.

Here's what the swedged looked like on my '62. I made both front and rear drums removable.

 

[Terry1213]

Those look like the replacement studs. I don't believe the swedged studs had a knurled shoulder on them.
View attachment 1903152

The replacement studs vary in diameter quite a bit on the knurled section. Some is quality control, some are just different diameters for different applications. I found some of the swedged holes in the hubs get oversized from the press fitment so when using the replacement studs some will be tight, some will fit loose. I like to have a bit of shoulder coming through the drum. You found a few that were tight and bending the drum. If the shoulder on the stud measures heavier than the others you could use the correct size hole saw to narrow the diameter a bit. If the holes in the drum measure smaller then you could clean them up with the correct drill.

Here's what the swedged looked like on my '62. I made both front and rear drums removable.
View attachment 1903153

Thanks. Mine may have been replaced more than once, I don't know. My fronts look like that and are fine. It's the rear I had trouble with. They are removable now. If I ever have to do the front brakes in the future, they will be too.