Hi...thanks for the great response to the rearend primer!
To answer a few questions...
On 3/4 tons, you might want to look at 60s-70s Ford and Dodge trucks. They
used the Dana 60 axle, with 8 lugs. I'm not sure about the widths, you will
have to measure. Ratios ranged from 3.54 to 4.56. Chevy stock wheels may not
fit these rearends, because of the center hole being too small, so check this
before you get too far along with this swap.
Changing ring and pinion gears does take some specialized equipment, but you
might be able to do it without. Items you will need include a press for
removing bearings, a large and a small torque wrench, the manual for the
rearend you are working on (although a Chiltons manual for older cars may be
sufficient), a dial indicator, and the usual other tools that most of us want
but few of us have. If it sounds too much for you, ask some different shops
what they charge for the work...you might get a reasonable quote.
I think 4 wheel discs are not necessary on an old truck...after all, I can lock
up the rear wheels just fine with drums! That said, my wife bought a new 99
Silverado about a year ago, which comes stock with 4 wheel antilock discs...and
stops very well, thank you. I measured the rearend, it is 6 lug, but it is
very wide, at 68.5", so it is not going to fit an oletruck. I think it's an
8.5" 10 bolt rearend. It may be possible to shorten the housing and get custom
axles made for it, but that will cost at least $500...not really worth it. It
may be possible to adapt the disc brake parts to an earlier 12 bolt truck
rearend, if you want to keep 6 lugs, but again I haven't looked into the matter
at all...besides, buying a 99 truck rearendf would cost some bucks.
If you go with 4 wheel discs, you will want a 4 wheel disc master cylinder,
because discs require a larger reservoir...since the caliper fluid capacity
increases as the pads wear.
On the subject of jokes...I'd rather not see them on the oletruck list, unless
it's an oletruck joke. I get too much mailbox clutter already, and I already
get enough unsolicited junk email that I have to delete that I try to cut down
on incoming email wherever I can. Sorry...that's how I feel. I'm sure there
are plenty of joke mailing lists you can subscribe to if that's what you want!
Good day, from Las Vegas (just visiting)
Jim
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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