I am shorting a 1985 GSL-SE rear axle for my Miata powered 1961 Sunbeam Alpine. I am done with the housing and about to send the axles out to be cut down. I have the set of axles that were installed in the rear-end and an extra set that came with the rear-end, that are in better condition. I would like to send the extra set to be cut down, but I am not sure they are the right ones. The set that were installed have Y II cast into them and O N stamped into them in the center from the flange. The extra set has Y 2 cast into them and P T stamped into them in the center of the flange.
Housing all done.

 

GSL-SE have pressed in studs instead of 12x1.5mm threaded holes for bolts. Beyond that... does it matter much?

 

GSL/SE axles have a different flange compared to the GS/GSL axles that were also used in that housing. So the rear brake rotors are different as a result with the GSL/SE rotors being larger and vented.

The GLS/SE axles are 10mm longer from the bearing to the flange. So this increased rear track by 20mm total when compared to the GS/GSL axles.

 

I did not know that, it is pretty cool and valuable information!

 

15mm longer axles, all outside of the bearing, so all large bearing disk housings are interchangeable. GSL-SE have the same track width as 12A because GSL-SE had 40mm offset wheels while 12A had 25mm offset.

I have run pretty much all combinations of GSL and GSL-SE housing and axle over the years. It all interchanges as long as you are working with "big bearing" ('84-85) parts.

 

Thank you guys, It looks like the extra axles are the right ones. The flange is the same from the bearing and they are 4 on 4.5 lug.
I have already rebuilt and powder coated the brakes and made SS brake line, so all that is left are the axles to be cut down.

 

That is gnarly! You're making custom axles for the car? How much HP are you going to be putting down?

 

Right now I am running a stock Miata motor, I am building this rear end to handle anything I may do to it. I also gain disc brakes and posi. Here's a link to the rear end build http://toyanvil.smugmug.com/Cars/198...ar-axle-build/ If you would like to see the motor install http://toyanvil.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Miata-Motor-Trans/ This is my 1961 Sunbeam Alpine the rear end is going into.

 

Holy wow! That is a beautiful car you've got there.

 

Thank you Toruki
Just waiting for the axles, sent them to Dutchman Motorsports today to be shortened.

 

That makes two people I've seen who sent GSL-SE axles to Dutchman be shortened. Weird.

They are the ones who made the axles for my 9" that I built/am building because GSL-SE parts are too hard to find anymore to use in a car that digests them frequently. It's 1" wider track than stock RX-7, with the pinion shifted 1/2" to the left for more exhaust clearance, and GSL-SE bolt pattern on the ends and it takes Volvo S40 solid disk rotors, because light, available, $10-15 each brand new, and they will work with the aluminum Lucas rear calipers that Volkswagen products have used almost universally since the late 1990s, which are also light, available, cheap, and will mate up to Mazda cables with only a small amount of fiddling.

Great guys to work with.

 

I got their name from a thread I saw on this site, of a guy that did the same thing. The funny thing is I have owned this year for 40 years, in high school (37 years ago) I installed a Datsun B210 running gear, because Sunbeam stuff was getting hard to find. And removed it two years ago to install the Mazda because the Datsun parts were getting hard to find.
Had some time today, so I powder coated the disc's.

 

LOL. That's hilarious, the circle (triangle?) is complete. If it was a recent-ish thread you saw, I sold him a couple of my broken axles because one of the ones he originally sent them was junk.

I wonder if he ever was able to find GSL-SE calipers. This was a large reason why I built my rearend to take Lucas calipers, and may convert my '81 back to a drum rearend so I can convert it to Lucas calipers. (It makes sense, really. You have to rotate the calipers about 20-30 degrees down in order for the brake cable to line up, you can't easily do that with a Mazda disk rear)

It's kinda disgusting, you can easily find stock type parts for practically any American car going back to the 1950s, I know this because a large part of my day job is maintaining/restoring/restifying 50s-80s American iron. But anything Japanese over about twenty years old can be impossible. Not even that, I had a customer who nearly had to scrap a twelve year old Probe because a spring broke and nobody made them and Ford didn't stock them anymore.

 

Got the axles today and they look great. The only thing is, the National wheel bearing (511017) I bought came with wheel bearing retainer that are to big and just slide on. It looks like the bearing will work, but not the retainers. I guess I need to look for some. Is this normal ?

 

ID of bearing should be 1.378" as should bearing retainer. If not,possibly incorrect retainer boxed with bearing?

 

I am going to call Rockauto on Monday. I think the retainers that came with the bearing are the wrong ones. The bearing mic out at 1.378 but the retainers mic out at 1.385.

 

I called National Bearings and the representative told me they were packaged wrong so I have ordered a set of Timken bearings.

 

Still waiting for the axle bearing, so I finished up the parking brake cables today. Made the ends for the cables to work with the Mazda brakes.

 

This is the plan, so I can use the stock Sunbeam parking brake handle.

 

Axles all done and ready to go in. I can not find the torque for the bolts that hold the diff to the housing and 3 bolts that hold the axles to housing? I am guessing 20 lbs. And is there a gasket or just sealer at the diff to housing?

 

Axles all done and installed, the rear-end is complete. Now I can start looking at the Toyota Prius brake master cylinder.
Thank you for all your help.

 

Wow i wish i had you to build my diff. Had nothing but headaches and fuckarounds from so called diff specialists. They are a breed of their own, mostly criminals and rough as guts.
Beautiful work. beautiful project. Keep it up.

 

Not using the dust shield?

 

They are there, just cut all the way down. I just don't like the look if them.

 

Some more fun pictures. Today I checked my wheels on the new axle, everything looked good.