The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 1954 3/4 ton rearend?

Hey all,

So i know this topic has been beaten up a little but im a novice at this aspect of our trucks so...

I have a 1954 3600 that i am looking to swap out the rear axle (4:56 i believe) in to get more highway friendly speeds. Currently i have a 1956 235 engine in it with a stock 4 speed tranny (still havent got the whole shebang running yet, but its there). Id like to keep the wheels 8 lug and the overall truck load rating to still be 3/4 ton. Im posting primarily to get info for my specific year as it seems that the majority of the questions are geared towards '53 and earlier models or 1/2tons.

I have read most of the posts on this site relating to this topic and if my understanding is correct, the rear axles that are fairly interchangeable/desirable with 3/4tons are Dana 60's and GMC 14 bolts with a 4:10 or 3:75 gear ratio.

So my question is, what rear axle should i be looking for in the junkyards that is a good swap, 8 lug, rated at 3/4ton and has gears high enough to drive my truck at around 60-70mph?

*On a side note, i recently found on craigslist an 8 lug Dana 44 front axle off a 3/4 ton 1976 chevy with 4:10 gears and disc brakes that i would potentially like to buy and install in the front of the truck (gets me discs in the front, maybe 4x4 option in the future?). Is there a Dana 60 rear axle with 4:10 gears? or would i need to swap out one or the other gear sets to match the other if i were to buy the Dana 44 for the front? Is this hard? or crazy?

Am i totally confused on the subject? more or less.
Any help would be greatly appreciated

Also my work keeps me away from the computer a majority of the time so if i dont respond to a reply quickly please be patient.

Much thanks in advance, pics in my signature,

Chooglin

I have a '50 3600 with a 216 and 4 on the floor. I found a 3/4 ton third member out of a '67-'72. I was able to slide the axles out a couple inches, un-bolt the 4.57 third member, and slip the newer one right in. It gave me a simple upgrade to 4.10 ratio. This set up yields a cruising speed of 50-55 mph, top speed is 62. That is as fast as I'm comfortable traveling on drum brakes.
If you need to know how to determine the ratio of the donor third member there's a thread somewhere regarding it or sometimes the salvage yard has them marked already.

It won't be very good for 70 mph with a 4:10 ratio. If you want a 4:10 ratio then you could use the often mentioned pumpkin out of a 67 to 72 3/4 Ton.

A Dana 60 from Ford vans, seems to be a popular option. I don't recall the years, but there is an early Ford Dana 60 that is pretty much a direct bolt on also. Of course, the 14 bolt dually rearend is quite popular also. The benefit of the Dana 60's or the 14 bolt is that you get way more gearing options. The 14 bolt can be found from a 5.14 gearset all the way up to 3.21. The Dana 60, pretty much the same.

Going with a 4x4 front axle would be cool, but what a can of worms it opens up. If your sole goal is disc brakes, why not make a kit yourself. Myself, along a number of other members are working on and a few are even using disc brake setups we've made on out own.

I've came up with a template using GM van calipers and rotors up front and I'm working on adapting late model discs to an early 14 bolt axle. In your situation, it may be just as easy to find a late model axle with disc brakes on it.

I haven't updated in awhile, but here are my pics. www.photobucket.com/whitedog76pics