Hi I'm new here. This is a great site with stong participation and a lot experienced users. I searched the archives looking for the help I need and found a bunch of stuff related to the problem I have but none of it really answers my question. Here's the deal.

I recently purchased a 64 Dodge Polara that was used as a drag car back in the 60s-70s. It has a beam straight axle with parallel leaf springs, drum brakes and power steering. I talked to two previous owners of this car, (neither of them did the conversion) one told me the front end came out of a Econoline van. I looked at photos of Dick Landy's restored 64 match race car and the front end on it looks like mine. The landy restoration suposedly uses a setup out of a Dodge A100.

I want to keep straight axle front suspension and plan to disassemble it for a complete inspection and rebuild. I'll need rebuild parts like kingpins and brake parts. The problem is that I don't know if this setup was swapped out of a ford or dodge. The most recent former owner said that he replaced the front brake shoes and wheel cylinders with parts he got at Autozone for a 64 B body Dodge. Did he just get lucky or was he jerkin my chain? Hard to believe that the backing plates spindles and brake parts would interchange from a B body to a Van/truck.

How can I ID what axle I have??

While were on the subject, what brakes & spindles will interchange between Ford and Mopar? Disc conversions?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or ideas.

Ken

I had a Topilino with a 34 ply axle and ended up using the spindles from a 38 ford on it, with just reaming the kingpin bushings. So if need be you may be able to use either spindles, if something is wrong with yours. or the other way would be to take the bearing numbers and go to the application manual at you nearest "real" parts store.. not the computer.
Rich

Pull a front wheel and brake drum. There should be part numbers cast or stamped into the brake shoes. Or you can likely match them from the parts store with what you think they are. The A-100 and Econoline front axles look just about a like -- very basic design. The axle itself may have a part or casting number in it. If you find something like that post it. Of course I haven't seen to many major Ford parts that didn't have the oval logo on it somewhere...