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 Question about the Paint Markings on my 56 Dodge D500 Special rear diffJump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [50 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
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56D500boy |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9899      Location: Lower Mainland BC | . While I was under the car installing the new coil-assisted rear shocks on my 56 Dodge D500 "Special" (D500 engine, 12" x 2.5" brakes but no stiffer suspension), I took the opportunity to wipe off some of the 60 plus years of oil and grime on the rear diff. I found out a few things. 1. I knew from my car's IBM card that the rear diff ratio was 3.54 to 1. However, until today, I thought that this was marked on a tag attached to the rear diff. Might be true for other rear diffs but on mine, the ratio is stamped onto the gear carrier: "3.54". Okay, ratio confirmed. 2. Okay the 3.54 is figured out. But what about the "T" that is stamped beside the 3.54? What does that signify? 3. I thought that the rear diff assemblies were painted black. Might be true, but as I wiped off some of the oil and grime I was looking at a heavy duty lead oxide red primer that is in pretty good shape. No bare metal. 4. The nose of gear carrier is marked in green and orange paint. I presume that this meant something. Anybody got the Rosetta stone for the markings? This shows what I saw: Edited by 56D500boy 2021-03-12 2:31 AM (56DodgeD500SpecialRearDiff3Ppoint54ToOneGearsStamped.jpg) (56DodgeD500SpecialRearDiff3Ppoint54ToOneGears_Stamp.jpg) Attachments ----------------  56DodgeD500SpecialRearDiff3Ppoint54ToOneGearsStamped.jpg (156KB - 264 downloads) 56DodgeD500SpecialRearDiff3Ppoint54ToOneGears_Stamp.jpg (180KB - 266 downloads) | ||
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| 57chizler |
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Expert Posts: 3775  Location: NorCal | The paint markings tell the guys on the assembly line what it is from a distance without having to look for the stamping. In later years there was a variety of paint dabs that identify the ratio, pinion size, yoke and differential type; in '56 there wasn't that much variety. (8.75 diff-colorcodes (Small).jpg) Attachments ---------------- 8.75 diff-colorcodes (Small).jpg (147KB - 267 downloads) | ||
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| 56D500boy |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9899 Location: Lower Mainland BC | 57chizler - 2021-03-13 9:05 AM The paint markings tell the guys on the assembly line what it is from a distance without having to look for the stamping. In later years there was a variety of paint dabs that identify the ratio, pinion size, yoke and differential type; in '56 there wasn't that much variety. Thanks John. That makes sense. I have reached out to at least one person that I know with a 56 Dodge with a non-3.54:1 rear diff to ask what they have for paint dabs. I will look around for other sources of dabs in around 1956/57, etc. I am still curious about the mean of the "T" stamping.  Edited by 56D500boy 2021-03-13 1:02 PM | ||
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| 22mafeja |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 649 Location: Finland | |||
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| 56D500boy |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9899 Location: Lower Mainland BC | . Well at least I've found the answer to the rear differential housing paint colour question: red lead oxide primer (it looks like to me). Gear carrier (nose) is unpainted and the brake backing plates and drums are gloss black. Source: Wishes on Wheels video (answers lots of questions): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6L0ykX9lPU Edited by 56D500boy 2021-03-28 11:42 AM (RearDiffColourFromTheWishesOnWheelsVideo.jpg) Attachments ---------------- RearDiffColourFromTheWishesOnWheelsVideo.jpg (93KB - 247 downloads) | ||
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| 56D500boy |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9899 Location: Lower Mainland BC | 56D500boy - 2021-03-28 8:39 AM . Well at least I've found the answer to the rear differential housing paint colour question: red lead oxide primer (it looks like to me). Gear carrier (nose) is unpainted and the brake backing plates and drums are gloss black. Can anybody (somebody?) confirm the factory colour for the rear diff in 1956. I am under the car cleaning and painting the leaf springs and I might get ambitious enough to clean and paint the rear axel assembly on my 1956 Dodge. Or not.  But it would be nice to know the real colour. | ||
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| 56D500boy |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9899 Location: Lower Mainland BC | 56D500boy - 2021-03-28 8:39 AM . Well at least I've found the answer to the rear differential housing paint colour question: red lead oxide primer (it looks like to me). Gear carrier (nose) is unpainted and the brake backing plates and drums are gloss black. Here is another (and better) example of the 1956 (maybe 1955 too?) rear axle housing colour (courtesy of Dieter auf dem Schweitz);) | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9650 Location: So. Cal | |||
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| 56D500boy |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 9899 Location: Lower Mainland BC | Powerflite - 2021-10-19 1:58 PM The axle housing in the video looks un-painted. I have never seen one with paint from the factory. All have been unpainted. I'm not saying that it didn't happen, but I have never seen any evidence to support that. I am not saying that they were painted. I am suggesting that they were just in red oxide primer, no paint. Dieter's 56 Chrysler seems to confirm my guess (??) | ||
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