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| | | Forums66 Topics128,128 Posts1,056,661 Members48,450 | | Most Online14,466 Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | | | | Joined: Sep 2013 Posts: 1,366 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2013 Posts: 1,366 | My recent Lukenbach Tx trip convinced me a little more gear would be nice. The T5 with it's .72 5th is a great upgrade from the SM420 with the stock 4.57 gears, it's just that a little more might be better.
This week I found a couple of local 4.10 Eaton HO52's. One in a 4 speed, V8 67 C20, the other in a 71. Today I was able to harvest the one in the 67, got it cleaned up, painted and ready to install. Also started draining the oil in my truck. The plan is to install the 4.10's tomorrow.
I do expect to run 4th more, my gut is the stock 216 is gonna be limited in how much it can pull 5th with the 4.10's in hill country. Flat land should be great.
Hopefully, in the next several days the second set will be available to pull (as in couldn't get to it today). Bad deal is this set has a locker and is $400, vs the $200 I paid for my open differential today. Think I'll get em anyway since they'll let me get a little further back in the woods before I'm stuck.
Last edited by moparguy; 04/19/2017 2:42 AM.
RonR
1951 3600 with Clark flatbed, T5, 4.10 rear 1970 340 Duster 1990 5.0 V8 Miata (1990 Mustang Gt Drivetrain) 1964 CJ5
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 639 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 639 | You might be surprised. Mines a half ton, so a little lighter, but my '49 216- .72 T5- and 3.90 rear rarely come out of 5th even on the big hills here in southern Iowa. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2013 Posts: 1,366 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2013 Posts: 1,366 | Well, to add the period to the sentence, "All's Good". Completed the gear change in about 3 hours today. Primarily due to having an very seasoned Walker transmission jack from long ago. A HO52 is a heavy sucker.
Me being the cheap S_B I am, I reused the original differential and axle gaskets. Happy that after a 40 mile shakedown drive no leaks.
The longer legs are nice with the only down side being I've changed the drive and driven gears to correct the speedometer for the T5. The odometer was spot on, however the speedometer ran about 5 mph fast. Now the speedometer is about 5mph slow. Not sure about the odometer yet. I suspect the magnetic side of the 66 year old speedometer is going to remain "as is" and I'll do mental adjustments as required.
At this point, it's all thumbs Up with the 4.10s.
RonR
1951 3600 with Clark flatbed, T5, 4.10 rear 1970 340 Duster 1990 5.0 V8 Miata (1990 Mustang Gt Drivetrain) 1964 CJ5
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 203 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 203 | Re: speedometer, I wound up having Speedhut make me a custom GPS one with the older style GMC logo.
1953 GMC 1-Ton Pickup with 350 and 700R4
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