The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Switch from closed to open driveline?

I'm looking to swap the 3-speed tranmission in my '48 1/2 ton for a 4-speed with granny gear. I'm thinking sometimes I might like the granny gear to get my boat up the ramp at low tide. I can get a 4-speed with either yoke. Is there any reason why I should switch from the original closed driveline when making the swap? I figure if I'm in there swapping transmissions then I might want to do some other work that makes sense at that time. Basically I have no clue.

I think that the open driveline is simpler to work on and therefore better.
It is also easier to swap other stuff later like a different rear, or trans, or engine with trans. With a closed you can only use the original rear with a 3 or 4 speed.
So, if you ask me I would say go open.
But it is not quite so simple, you have to remount the rear to the springs and get rid of the torque tube probably by changing the entire rear.
So to go open leads to more than just a transmission swap...
What do you want?

Somebody put a 1-ton rear on this truck. I might want to put the 1/2 ton back some day. Mainly I just want to drive around and tow my single-axle boat 10-15 times a year for about 10 miles. That is probably about it.

If it has a 1-ton rear its already been converted to at least partial open drive. The fully closed drive line was only used on 1/2-ton trucks.

I know the 3/4-tons had a funny half-closed, half-open setup. I think the 1-ton were completely open but I don't recall ever crawling under a '48 to be sure exactly what it was.

Likewise, I don't know of a 1 ton with a torque tube.
A 1 ton rear will have 8 lugs.