The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop rear end rebuild or swap and frame question

1. What is a good gear ratio for rebuilding a rear end in a 1955 (2nd series) rear end? Is there a rebuild kit for it? I want to use the original housing with upgraded parts.

2. Is it really practical to swap the rear end out? I know others have to be modified or bought already prepared.

3. Has anyone out there swapped a newer frame into their 1955 GMC or Chevy?

What size truck? 1/2, 3/4 or 1 ton?

I'm going to say 1/2 T. It had a Hydramatic and an inline 6. Plus I found a site that, based on my vin, says 1/2 T.

OK, that gives us a place to start, as parts availabilty is different depending on truck size. As far as gear choice, there is only 1 gearset available new, and that's a 3.38. All of the bearings, seals, and gaskets are avalable new. Most likly, you have a 3.90 gear, which isn't really too bad.
Swapping the entire rear would really depend on what you plan to do with the truck. Most guys that do a rearend swap are also looking to change the wheel bolt pattern, and perhaps go to disk brakes, in addition to a gear swap. With the larger trucks, it's also a matter of no availabilty of aftermarket gears.
Others will have to chime in on a frame swap, as mine is still riding on the stock chassis.

I'm thinking of leaving it on the "stock" frame. At least, it's stock from the Camaro subframe back. The thing is, in the subframe process, the wheelbase is 3/4" shorter. I guess it's not a big deal but that's why I was thinking of the frame swap. As for the gears, I'll use the truck as a daily driver and occasionally haul a light load. I do want to drop the truck about 3" in the back to more closely match the front. I know there's gear kits out there and mine in all likelyhood has the original gears. I need to identify the rearend type to get the gears. Any advice on how to do that?

we'll if you want a cheap rear axle upgrage, the go to a junk yard and get a ford 8.8 rear end. 3.73 gears, Limited slip diff., and ford stuffed them under nearly every late model car or truck. alot of my friends do that as a good off roading upgrade

call Patricks - Telephone
(520) 836-1117 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday/MST).

I bought a 3:38 set up from them. They did everything they said they'd do, were good to deal with, and shipped in a timely manner.

I went from about 3500 RPM to around 2800 at 70mph . Well worth the dough for me.

Since the front is Camaro why not use a Camaro/Firebird rear? They are the same width as the one you have under it now, can be found in every conceivable gear ratio, and you would have a spare tire that fit both the front and rear.

While you have the axle out make some plates to move the spring pin location to shift the rear axle back 3/4-inch if the frame is now that much too short.

I thought about shifting the rear end or even the whole body. I think in the short term I'll go with a rear end rebuild and use new axle shafts with 5 lugs on them. I'll still have to measure the width of the front end. I think the rear end, drum face to drum face, is like 60.5". I have to re-measure. Just out of curiosity, which part did you, or anyone on here, start with? Body? Drivetrain? I don't even know if the guy that welded my subframe put it on straight.