The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 1963 Rearend Identification...

Hello...

I have a 1963 C10 rearend that I'm trying to sell so I can generate some more "truck fund," but I honestly don't know that much about it - other than it works.

Well, a fellow emailed me asking me about it, and he wants to know if it's a Dana 44 with the tin rear cover. How do I find out, or were all of them like that?

I've also searched all over the housing trying to find a code or whatever, but so far it's been nothin' doin'!

One other thing right fast, when I bought the '63 rearend, I was told it was a positraction, how do I confirm that?

Thanks a lot!!!

~R.

HA! Hey Robbie, I'm that Fellow!

All the Dana 44s had a bolt-on rear cover.
They also have the number 44 cast into it...mine was cast on the rear, to the right of the cover, and on the front, much bigger.

What is throwing me on yours is when you wrote that it isn't bolting onto your trailing arm perches...I thought '60-'62 were the same. And I THINK that '63 was the first year for the Dana under the Chevys. And I bought my truck with a Dana in it. And I THINK '63 still had the panhard mount on the axle tube. So I'm thinking my rear end was swapped in from a '63, but I'm not sure. From what I've been able to tell, I also think the '63 was a one-year-only specific rear end. I've got a couple messages to some other guys to find out.

Your sign-off says you're a reporter/photographer. That's funny--I'm a freelance magazine writer and photographer.

Mine had posi too, but it was so worn out that when I stripped the splines off the one axle shaft, there was NO friction inside the posi clutches any more and I was dead on the road. The test is usually that when you put the rear in the air and spin one wheel forward, the other moves forward as well. On a non-posi rear, the other wheel will spin in the opposite direction.

If you send me a pic of the rear, I can tell if it at least matches mine.

Or you can call me at (706) 367-1360 and we can talk about it.

-Brad

A '63 should have the 12 bolt GM axle, not a Spicer. Use of the Spicer diff (a 45 in this case) would be more of a GMC thing. The 12 bolt does have a rear cover and similar construction to the Spicer. The Spicer rear cover looks like this http://www.ringpinion.com/DiffDetails.aspx?DiffID=15&PartsLink=PartCats.aspx%3fSearchMode%3dDiff%26TypeID%3d3%26Type%3dDana%2bSpicer%26DiffID%3d15%26DiffName%3dDana%2bSpicer%2bD44
The 12 bolt GM is more like this one http://www.ringpinion.com/DiffDetails.aspx?DiffID=34&PartsLink=PartCats.aspx%3fSearchMode%3dDiff%26TypeID%3d5%26Type%3dGM%26DiffID%3d34%26DiffName%3dGM%2b12T

Hey RobbieWright, let me know when you find out what kind of gears are in it and stuff. I'm really really interested in picking up a 3.08 or 3.42 rear end for my 63. Thanks