The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Granny Tranny

I am new here and hope I am posting in the right forum. I recently purchased a 52 235 Pick Up that I am trying to make a daily driver. I am currently working out an engine miss. After that I plan to refurbish the entire brake system, maybe put in a dropped axle while checking the entire front end. The trans is a four speed with the first gear being a granny gear. What trans is a good swap in order to use all four gears and am I on the right track?

The 52 rear axle will be the torque tube type, (enclosed driveline) so the only options you have without doing a rear end swap will be the current 4 speed or a 3 speed, which would require a steering column change and several other modifications.

If you're willing to go to the expense and effort of changing to an open driveline rear axle, a Muncie or Saginaw car 4 speed could be used. Either one will still have a 1:1 ratio 4th gear, so there will be no gain in road speed. A swap to a T-5 overdrive trans (5 speed) will give you more top end, and 5, not 4 gears to work with. All the above options will require changing the torque tube rear end that's currently in there.
Jerry

Another way to get lower RPMs at higher speeds is a change to 3.55 ring and pinion gears in the rear end.

Classic Parts sells the R&P set and and a nice installation parts sets.

Taller tires also help with lower RPMs at higher speeds.

You still might not use 1st gear very often, except with a heavy load; but, your higher speed RPMs will be much lower.

Patrick's advertises a torque tube adapter kit for the Saginaw 4 speed. Anyone here used that setup?

I helped a guy install one of Patrick's adapters many years ago. It was a nice setup except for the shifter being too close to a bench seat. I would make sure that Patrick has the kit in stock before buying. He is notorious for taking money and then having a batch of parts built and sometimes drags these kind of things out for a year. I had always thought about one of those for myself, but I will probably never get around too it.

I've decided to take the plunge on one. He told me it could be 60-90 days before they're ready, I asked to be put on the list. He wouldn't take payment yet but will contact me when it's available. Plan to give him a holler if I haven't heard anything in a couple months. Really looking forward to the closer ratios versus the stock 3 speed. Got some pretty big tires and 3.55 rear end on the truck now which ain't helping matters on steep grades or in town traffic either.

If one needs help with steep grades, it might be worth looking for a 261 engine, bolts right in.

Don't know about town traffic, 235's or 261's are pretty flexible RPM wise, are you using 'granny' in town?

Ed