The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline K1440?

Hey all, I just looked over and drove a '58 3100 and the owner said it did not have a stock rear end. So I crawled under her and found a 12 bolt dif with "k 1440" cast in at the 5 o'clock postion. The case also has what appears is a lifting hole cast into it at the 2 o'clock postion. I've never seen this and I'm new to the task force trucks. It has tall gears for higher speed but what is it? The owner has no clue either.

Shoe

Most likely a pickup coil spring 12 bolt from mid to late sixties. The hole is where the locating strut mounted.

Locating strut? This looks nothing like a '60's dana 44. The hole is about 1 1/4", cast into the case like an old moonshine jug handle. I've googled k 1440 and have come up empty.

OK, I found a pic online. It looks like a 8.875" GM12T truck dif from the late 60's to '80's, still don't know why a strut would be mounted there for.

Panhard bar. Used in the coil suspended 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks. Was used to keep that rear end from moving side to side. The trailing arms would keep it from "wrapping" up under load. Look a bit like this?
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/attachment.php?attachmentid=682734&d=1295146476
Was a common thing on the coil suspended trucks.

Thanks, exactly! What does k1440 indicate?