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I've been trying to search for awhile, I'm. Just curious if there is a Buick Bible or faq section that breaks down what rear ends the older Buicks had. I've gathered that my 64 lesabre should have a drop out Buick 9 3/8, but what I'm looking for is what gears came in what rigs, what width 9 3/8s came in rigs, what other cars rear ends are interchangable with my lesabre, so on and so fourth. Any info I the right direction would be awesome!
that information would be in the chassis manual for your year, which you can usually find online at Amazon or Ebay.
we don't have 1964 Chassis Manual, but we do have 1966 and 1960.
for 66, senior car differentials could run from 2.78 to 3.91
https://www.teambuick.com/reference/...files/40-i.php
in 1960, pretty much every senior car had a 3.23 rear diff although there was a 3.36 available for export cars.
https://www.teambuick.com/reference/.../files/6-a.php
1964 is the first year of the Super Turbine transmissions, so i would expect your car to be more like the 1966 rear options.
I have already figured out the gears in my car, just by doing the ol spina wheel and count trick. I guess I should have stated what I was looking for more lol. I'm curious what other cars have rear ends that will bolt into my lesabre, what cars I could get just gears out of, and if there is any bolt in 9 3/8 that are a inch or 2 narrower
Le Sabre is already the most junior model to carry a 9 3/8s differential, so you're not likely going to find a compatible rear that is narrower.
9 3/8s changed significantly across the various generations and no one makes gear sets for any of applications, although i believe you should still be able to get bearings and seals. 9 3/8s rears are pretty hard to kill as long as you keep lube in them.
i'm more familiar with the 71-76 cars ( which are larger than yours ). we have the option, in the small block powered Le Sabres, of an 8 1/2" rear ends configured for the senior cars. into which, any standard Chevy 8 1/2" gearset will fit. i don't know if something like this is available for you or not.
you would be looking for assemblies under any of the other GM Senior cars from 1961-64. Buick models in B-body ( or larger ) would include Invicta, Electra and Wildcat. something like an Olds 88 / 98 or Pontiac Bonneville would probably also work if you took the whole rear assembly.
1965 saw a design shift from the X-frame to a perimeter frame, i'm not sure how that would have affected control arm and spring pocket locations on the rear axle. 1965+ axle assemblies may or may not be applicable for you.
if you get a wild hair and decide to start welding new attachment points onto the axle you can probably make quite a few things work.