The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Rear End Swap

Has anyone put a newer (1982) style chevy truck rear end in a 39-46 truck? I think they're probably a lot wider, but i have the torque tube rear end in there now, and i want to switch it over to open driveshaft stuff so i can put my newer L6 and 3 spd in it. I already have a '82 donor truck that i can rob parts off of for the swap, will it work?

Jake, you will find that the 82 rear is giong to be way too wide for your 39-46. There are others on this forum that know more about this than I do, but some have used the rear end out of a 4X4 Blazer. This gives you the six stud wheels.

The other option, which is what I did, is to find the center pimpkin out of a 55-59 1/2 ton. It will bolt right up to the 46 axel housing giving you an open drive line and a 3.90 rear end. This combo works well with my T5.

Hope this helps
George

It is 1955-62 1/2 ton pumpkin that will work.

hey 46 - i'm close to what you're doing. what's your 5th gear ratio, what size tires, and what's it taching @65mph?

Some guys have used a Chevy S-10 rear end, for an OLD early 30s vehicle use the narrow 2WD S-10, for your truck the 4WD S-10 should work. These are 5 lug however.

In my 46 besides the original diff, I've used a passenger car torque tube, a 57 Chev pickup rear and now a 66 chevy pickup rear end. So you see there are many options, attempting to keep the 6 lugs will limit your choices a lot.

I chose not to keep my original rear end because of the crappy HUCK brakes it used.
Now I have brakes all the way around that I can actually get parts for anywhere.

I thought it was too wide, i don't care if it's 5 or 6 lug, turns out that my uncle put a nova rear end in his '46, and it fit like a glove he said. Even the spring perches fit i guess. I think i have one of those so i might try that. First thing i have to do is get the front brakes put back together though. I'm going to adapt discs to it i think.