The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk gear swap

My 1952 3600 has the factory rear end. I would like to swap the rear gears to a more cruiseable gear ratio. Maybe a 3.80 or something. What ratio would you recommend with a t-5 and a 216? where is the best place to purchase?

There are no aftermarket gears available for that rear end. The only thing you can get is a 4:11 center section from a 67-72 3/4 ton with v-8 & auto trans. They are hard to find. That would work good with a T-5 & 216.

I would figure out your RPM with the original rearend and the T5. the T5 gives you overdrive so you probably don't need to change the rearend ratio.

Read this. Not sure if anyone has contacted them or not. May explain a few things for you.

Thanks workmaster. there was a lot of great info in that thread. There are so many variables to think over before beginning my drivetrain. I know I want a t-5 and a cruisable rear gear ratio. Now with my research in my 216 many people are saying its not a real cruise able engine. Thats its more worth it to go to the 235 or 261. what do you guys think?

Kind of late on this one, don’t know how I missed that other thread earlier this month so I'll post this here.

Has anyone called them and talked with them about exactly what model housing that 3.90 set is for???? How bout it ‘bluechev’, did you ever call them and ask about the particulars???
It's my understanding that the carrier for the HO52-72 was only available for gearing down to 4.10 and there never was a 3.90 R&P for that carrier. I believe at one time there was a run of aftermarket 3.90 R&P that was mentioned on Jim Carters site. By the time I got back my ‘50, 3600 they had been sold out and no one was planning another run, DANG!!!
I've had the early carrier and the later carrier apart on the bench next to each other and the pinion gears are not interchangeable, they are different. The differential carrier castings are not the same internally. The case, ring gear and spiders look like they are all interchangeable.
I'd bet that the 3.90 that they are listing is for, I think, the Dana housing????

And just to clarify one more time, the complete center-section from the late trucks i.e. will interchange with the early one with absolutely no modifications, and once again, the only difference is the pinion and the way the pinion bearings are arranged in the two.
DG

A rearend pumpkin from a '55-'61 Chevy 1/2 ton will bolt right in to your original differential housing. All you gotta do is weld some spring perches onto the housing to let it rest onto the leaf springs. That'll give you an open drive line with a 3.90 gear ratio in the back. That's what I did on mine.

Steppenwood,
we are talking about a 3/4 Ton here and it is completely different than the 1/2 Ton.

I tried all day to get thru to that Heavy Chevy outfit on both their local and 800 lines, ng, no one answers and the recording says that they're not set up to take a recorded mesage.
Chalk another one off!!!
DG

heavy chevy doesn't exist anymore I don't think, I tried one million times

Well I'd doubt that a T-5 would be any good in a 3/4 ton either.

Did you consider using one or two sizes higher tyres? That can give you around 10% higher cruise speed for the same engine rpms.I did that with my 48 Chevy and I am very happy with the results.Litle cost and no changes.
Jianis