The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline T5 and keep carrier bearing?

I have a '54 3600. I am swapping out the 4.56 pumpkin with a 4.11 setup that I found. I also plan on adding a T5. My question is, can I keep the carrier bearing and just replace the front torque tube ds to the bearing or should I have a whole new solid ds made and get rid of the carrier bearing? What are the advantages/disadvantages of keeping the carrier bearing?

The carrier is used to keep the length of the driveshaft down to manageable distance. Long shafts tend to have balance and U-joint problems. If you've got a relatively short wheelbase, a 1-piece shaft shouldn't present much of a problem, especially if the T-5 is longer than the original transmission.
Jerry

It is a long bed 3600. The T5 is a bit longer than the SM420.

There are quite a few 3/4 tons around that went to a one piece drive shaft. However, a drive shaft that long has to be straight and well balanced. I personally prefer to keep the center bearing and then keep the original rear drive shaft. You will have to have a short shaft made to fit the yoke on your transmission and then have a center bearing pressed on the other end and a yoke to match your rear shaft.

A 1 piece driveshaft will be fine. The bigger question is if the t5 is strong enough for a 3/4 ton truck. It will probably be fine if you have a tired 235 and don't plan to work it to hard or tow trailers. If you intend to haul loads, a stronger transmission such as the A833 or NV4500 would be advisable. You could probably get 6 T5 transmissions for the price of 1 NV4500, so only you can determine what is right for your truck and your wallet.

A T5 was never meant to be a truck transmission if you intend to haul stuff. However, it will be fine behind a 6 cylinder if you just plan on using the vehicle for transportation.

Why not lose the carrier bearing and replace it with a 3 speed auxiliary transmission and keep the sm420. Around here a auxiliary tranny can be picked up for a lot less money than a t5, and the extra lever in the floor realy looks cool.

I thought about the T5 in my 3/4 ton also, but scrapped the idea for the reasons, these guys state. I'm gonna go with a later model rearend with a 3.73 or 3.55 ratio and a 4 speed. The granny low will help you get going if the need be, and the higher gears will more than make up for the RPMs vs. an overdrive trans.

Ttodd
How does the 3 speed auxiliary tranny setup work?

Whitedog
If you are swapping to a 3.73 or 3.55 you must be going to a 5 lug setup correct? Are you also swapping to a 5 lug front axle or staying with the 8 lug?

No, I've been crawling around junkyards with a tape measure. A Dana 60 from a Dodge van and Ford van will work just fine. I've also seen other members use a 14 bolt, I have yet to find one. I was thinking about swapping out the whole undercarriage with that of a 1/2 truck also. The more I think about, I'm leaning more on staying with the 8 lugs and living with the drum brakes.