Fred
The torque tube 3 sp speed tranny cannot be converted to an open driveline, you will have to get a later model 3 sp to go to an open driveline. Changing out the rearend for your truck will involve, new tranny, fabricated driveline, replacement rearend, welding up new spring perches, and mix and matching parking brake cables. In my opinion, if you have a bone stock truck, I would go the the Patrick's ring and pinion set-up to keep it looking stock and yet more drivable. If you had a hodge podge truck with various later model upgrades (like my '50) it would be a different story. It is obviously up to you, but I see fewer and fewer original trucks out there. Just my .02,
Steve O
