well after reading a ton of posts on open drivelines versus patrick$$$$$$$ 3.55 gears i think its a 50/50 at this point i will go open driveline any thoughts on what to do and what not to do will be very helpful. also any ideas on on trans i plan on keeping the 3 speed 3 on the tree. as always thanks for any and all help. Robert
Robert I got a rearend from a 65 1/2 ton. Still 6 hole 3.73 gears. Tranny from a 62 car was told it would bolt up. You then can find higher gears from a later model truck. I belive up to 87. That will get you an open driveline and alot of choices for gears. Haven't got it done yet ,but that's what I'm going for. Got the rearend for 100 bucks and the tranny was free.Tom
rearend swap Thanks breezy some say camaro so many types to choose from. But i think with all the help here i will find the right one so let us know how and what works when you do the swap. Robert
Robert, I will get you measurements off my 72 your rim size is what kills you. Breezy is wright 6 lug or 5 lug 3.73 are all over the junk yards. Chris
Robert, a 72 1\2 ton from drum to drum is 65 1/2 '' from finder to finder is 71'' so rim offset is everything. I went as big as i could 275\60 \18 oops to wide I needed 265\50\18 O well shake if off my wife would have spent it on shoes. A car rear is better it gives you more room but you have a smaller lug size and I wanted 5x5 lug to match the front. Chris
Robert Call down to Hooper Rear End Exchange and get a quote from them, they do most all the dirty stuff and have 90 day thing, just ask them to keep the windows up. If you figure the time you may loose switchng things around, they may be cheaper in the long run. Also figure are you going to haul things or just a show thing.
But WHY ? Robert ; Is you're driveline giving you troubles or you just want to go faster ? . '55 ~ '62 passenger car trannies with overdrive are bolt up and go fastfastFAST . The rear end takes a little doing but the driveshaft proper is dead simple .
Nate how many of those od trannies are around. I thought they were hard to come by. Are those the ones that has a electric shift switch.
There are quite a few still around at swap meets for around $150 and probably also on ebay. Try to get a guarantee on the solenoid since it is useless if it doesn't work and costs as much as a transmission if purchased seperately. It is a bolt in unit with only the shift rods maybe needing a little tweaking. Be sure to wire through the govenor rather than just a toggle switch to the solenoid. This lets the OD disengage when you drop below 27-28mph and prevents the strain on it when one starts from a dead stop, something they are not designed for. You MUST have a good working emergency brake because the transmission free wheels unless the OD is locked out with a push-pull cable. Most just have a good E-brake and omit the cable. They are a great unit that will take everyday use for years plus a little abuse if this doesn't include mega horse engines and big tires. The OD unit (not the case) is the same whether it is off a Chevy, Ford, Studebaker, Packard, Kaiser, ETC., ETC., so this helps in finding parts. The real benefit is that you keep your deep gears for hauling or pulling but you have highway gears for cruising in the left lane. 4.11 in OD ='s 2.88, 3.90 in OD ='s 2.73, and 3.73 in OD ='s 2.61; all great highway gearing. Google "Borgwarner OD" or "3 speed OD" to get details or there is a guy on Stovebolt that is a Borgwarner guru which a search should turn up.
Robert, I have a 62 235 in my truck. I put in a 3 spd trans, drive shaft, and rear end from a 74 NOVA. The rear is 3.08 gearing. The trans bolted right up to the bell housing and I had to fab a rear trans mount, but that was easy. I drilled the rear saddles to move the wheels forward and center on the springs center bolt. The drive shaft bolted right in. I was amazed at how easy it was. I currently have a universal floor shifter installed, but according to Nate, I can hook-up the column shifter to this trans. I have all the pieces, just haven't accomplished it yet. Good luck! Howard
rpm speed If you want to know without guessing what your RPM will be at what speed, use this calculator. LINK:ringpinion All you need to know is how tall your tire is, or if you know the size punch it into the calculator at the bottom.
open it up i hope i not asking for to much but here it goes. i want to be able to drive on the freeway at 65 bring down rpms right now at 45 the rpms are very high i dont want to blow up my 216 eng also want to keep 3 speed 3 on the tree too. i found a 6 lug chevy truck rearend opendrive that should work. at the same time keep some cost down. is it possible to fab a drive shaft to my trans??? thanks Robert
Not without buying a conversion piece for your tranny. Try to find a later model 3 speed. I got mine for free, not to many people want them.Car or truck should work, that's what I was told. Mine is out of a 62 car.
i have 3 early one's 55-63 coarse tail shaft , and a later sm-326 saginaw can send you pictures !!!! make me an offer , i am not going to use them !!!!! step1958@sstelco.com
