I've got a long-standing dilema. My 1967 220 Wagon has the 4.56.1 rear axle and performed terrible on the highway. I was not fond of the drum brakes either. I later scrapped a 1971 1800E and transplanted just about everything mechanical over to the wagon. I've been stuck on the rear axle for some time now.

I could either pay to have new brackets made for the 1800E axle so that I could bolt it up to the 220, or I could have the 220's original brackets cut off and welded to the 1800E axle - at the cost of my original axle tube and chancing that something might not come out right...

Another thought occurred to me. I recall that the 1800E disc brake axle is very similar to the drum brake type - the main difference being the design of the half-shafts and the mounting arrangements for the rear brake calipers. Basically the design of the end-caps is the only difference

I think it might feel less "chancy" to me if I had the 220 axle tube ends modified to mount the 1800E calipers mounts. Then the main question is:

Will the 1800E half shafts fit right into the 220 tubes and internal gears, or is the spline count different?

If the spline count is different, will the differential gears from an 1800E axle fit into a 220 axle? Does that require "bending the pumpkin'? is that maneuver as risky as I fear?


Overall, what sounds less likely to be screwed up my a welder, swapping the ends off an disc brake axle tube, or fabricating/transplanting the mounting brackets?

Thanks for any advice.