The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop swapping gears

Hello to all! I'm new here to the stovebolt but not new to stovebolt trucks...Here's the deal...About june I bought a 53 chevy 3/4 ton. It was pretty much a basket case..To make a really long story short I put new floors,inner,outer and inner to outer cowls on the truck..Feel my pain yet? Runs like a champ after I cleaned(with muriatic acid) the inside of the gas tank and lined it. I also had to take out the clutch,put it in a vice to get the nuts out of the pressure plate. Now the truck is getting a new flatbed and will be a driver. I have 2 problems it hesitates still although I rebuilt carb. And I would like to change rearend gears I think I have a dana 60 (Its a floating rear end with a removeable"hogshead") the gears are 5.4 or so to 1. Can the Ring & pinion only be changed? Are all dana 60 ring & pinions interchangeable? I have some experience with this but I'm not as well versed as alot of you guys Thanks to all.....

Welcome and good luck with your truck! I don't know rear ends but somebody here does. They'll chime in shortly.

Welcome to the "Bolt". I guess that you don't have the original rear end? The 3/4 T would have come standard with a 4.57 ratio. There are threads about this but basically the 3/4 T automatics with coil springs from 67 to 72 will yield a 4.10 pumpkin which is a direct bolt in for the original setup. You can read more about this on the Jim Carter site.

Good luck with your truck. We all really like photos around here!

BTW, that isn't a Dana 60. It's an Eaton HO-xx that was used from '47-'72. Find a '67-'72 with a 4.10 pumpkin, and if you get lucky it might have a factory Detroit Locker. The swap is fairly simple. Run a search of the archives, the procedure has been discussed many times.

And it doesn't have to be an automatic '67-'72 truck. My 4.10 pumpkin came from a manual transmission truck.

Thanks for the responses. I think I already have a lead for a 72 rear end. By "pumpkin" I assume you guys mean the carrier. I've done a couple of carriers in my 89 junk gm 9.5" 14 bolt...should be a similar procedure. I still don't understand though do you mean you can't reuse the same carrier and just change the ring& pinion? Or is the original carrier too fat to accomidate a smaller ring gear????? I have great appreciation for the wealth of knowledge...thanks....

I have a 59 1 ton. The swap is about the easiest thing you can do, other than the weight of the thing.

1. Jack up truck and place on jack stands under the rear axle.
2. Remove wheels.
3. Unbolt the axles at each end and remove them carefully so you don't mess up the axle seals. Have some old newspapers to place them on since they'll be full of oil goo.
4. Unbolt the back of the differential. This takes out the whole gear set (pumpkin).
5. Bolt in new gear set.
6. Refit axles and bolt them up.
7. Replace wheels.
8. go faster.

I have done this procedure on my 59 1 ton. Its also a good opportunity to replace the diff oil. If you muck up the seals, dont' worry. They are easy to remove and replace and only cost $7.50 each at NAPA. Fits 47-72 truck....

i have a 59 1-ton as well. what ratio did you put in?

is it possible to replace the axles with 5-lug ones to match a mustang II that is goin up front in my truck?