The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Running again

Well, it's now rolling for the second time in it's new life with me. I have completed the rear axle swap and thanks to all the contributors on my hydrovac and brake questions. I haven't done any master cylinder or hydrovac conversions yet, but I did rebleed the entire system and got it feeling pretty good. I have the new seat almost al done. The seat riser is made and holes drilled to mount to the floor. I'll get that done the next couple of days.
The 4.63s in the rearend are a huge improvement over the 6.17s that were in the original rear axle. The SM420 transmission is still pretty low. Thinking the RV TH400 I have for it will be the next improvement. And I've been mulling over getting adapters sometime in the next year or so to put modern 22.5" wheels and tires on it. The list could go on and on I guess. **SIGH** LOL Here's a few pics and a short clip of me going around the circle drive. I'll add the video clip as soon as I get it uploaded to Photobucket. It's running pretty slow.

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/...B-435A-B34E-1CBFDC00CEF6_zpserh3npvx.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/...7-4199-BA52-029CC0436D60_zpsigwfzmoz.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/...B-40BF-82E0-C9EDD8FEDBA9_zpsuet4wjfx.jpg

http://vid107.photobucket.com/albums/m290/fclaridge/IMG_27061_zps31d86d70.mp4
http://vid107.photobucket.com/albums/m290/fclaridge/IMG_27091_zps1595d209.mp4

Tell me more about the rear end swap, whats the rearend out of?

It looks like you kept the original hubs on the rear?

I have a 1955 4400 that I want to swap out the rear end, any help is greatly appreciated.

-mike

the rearend is out of a ~2001 Chevy HD3500. the spring pad was a little wider than the original, but not a big deal. The axle is the same diameter as what the original was so the same size Ubolts were used. I did have to cut off the corners of the new axle's spring pad for the Ubolts to clear. The center alignment holes were also about 3/8" off too. So I just ground the hole a little to get them to fit. I used the complete axle and did not switch anything from axle to axle. The hubs are what came on the new truck and have the same bolt pattern and disc brakes. That was very appealing to me with this swap.

Nice job,Fred! Thanks for sharing the info.,on your rear end swap! it'll help several members,I'm sure! Thanks for the update!

Looking Good! --- Appears to be a Dana 70 or 80 dually. Pretty much the same rear end I put under my '46 Skoolie but with 4.30 gearing and disk brakes. Mine came from a '98 C3500 HD.

I just looked closer at the step van that I am pulling the front disc brake spindles from and found that the rear axle is also a disc set up. I plan on pulling the front and rear axles before I send it off to the scrap yard. So if any Bolters are interested in the rear axle I'll be listing it in the Classifieds soon. And it is the 10 lug pattern with 19.5" wheels with 8R19.5 tires.