I took my truck for it's longest ride since I've owned it Sunday. 65 Miles round trip. Purred like a kitten the whole way. I picked up a 1/2 ton front end to upgrade the brakes, and a few other pieces. The world moves by fast at 50 mph down the interstate. After the fronts, a different rear diff, and 3.73s. It does need the valves adjusted now though.
Good deal! Ah, to be driving in my truck again... Yes, the gear ratio just isn't a way to make friends on the highway. The only thing you have going for you is the look of that beautiful old truck. It helps curb some of the anger from those lined up behind you. Glad you were able to do the trip! And you're using your truck to HAUL things!
Great You know everybody passing you was in envy! Truck looks great! What kind of front end did you get? Jesse
Good to hear of the truck movin on down the road. When my truck had the 514/1 rear end in it going on the freeway it always sounded as if I was about to blow the engine the revs were so high glad the change was made to go to the lower # gears. If your truck is a 3/4 T open shaft have you tried changing the rear to 410 pumpkin out of a Late 70's which will slip straight in?
I picked up a front end out of 51 1/2 ton, I'm going to do a disc brake swap on it, 5-4 3/4 bolt pattern. My truck has Huck brakes on it, and I'd really like to go bendix on the back. Which is why I haven't just swaped the gears already. No real anger was expressed, it was early Sunday. Alot of waves and thumbs up. No real traffic, until I got around the football stadium
The most gratifying feeling! It makes it all worth while when you get the "thumbs up" from someone. I had some guy follow me all the way to my driveway a couple of weeks ago just to tell me how much he liked mine
Gassin' up How many times when your gassin up have you had someone, usually an older guy, come up and tell you about his or someone in his family times in the ol truck they use to have?
Gassin up, is one of the rewards of having our trucks. Even the younger kids are coming up and asking questions.
5 bolt, eh ? Ron, if you're going 5 bolt front, then you have all kinds of options for the rear end. (It just deepends what ratio you'll want.) Since 3/4s are "open" rear ends, all you have to do is select a proper width back end and weld some perches. (Not sure they are called perches when they will be on TOP of your axle, but you know the parts I'm talking about...) You could even find a disc brake rear, and make it disc brakes on all four... Good luck with that!
that is too cool to take it for a long drive. oh to have a lower gear though!!! at least us guys with the 3/4 ton have some options too! Listen to Zig, he has done a lot of research on this matter. I will follow his lead in the future if/when i decide to go that route. until then enjoy
I've had people hanging out the windows to ask questions. Little old ladies tell me about their husband's trucks and how they losded the 5 kids in the back and head to town. I have people taking pictures in parking lots, and one guy had a 3/4 ton 51 in juniper green in high school... he got a faraway look in his eye and said" I got my first piece of a$$ in that truck" I told him I hoped she was short, cause that seat ain't very big.......
No bustle~ Just think if it was a GMC! ...the seat is the same size, but only real men drive GMC's and if there was anything to happen, we'd have to take it outside...
