Inliners International Forums General Discussion Drive Train Third Member Swap

I have searched for this info and cannot find it in the archives. I can't seem to find it on any site to include Langdon's Stovebolt site. I think it could be an error, but I hope not. While reading the Dec 05 issue of Classic Trucks magazine (page 24), I came accross info that led me to believe that I could swap the third member from a 55' open driveline truck into a 52 truck closed driveline rearend housing. My initial look under the truck (without scraping off grease and mud)reveals that it might just be possible. I've always read that there was no swapping except for the 3/4 ton. Anybody know for sure?

I should have mentioned that I was talking about a 1/2 ton rearend.

Hello,
I've been lurking long enough, I just did this exact same swap that your talkin' about into my '45 half ton. It has the same rearend as yours. I posted a bunch of pictures of the process in my Yahoo Photo Album . It's in the "rearend swap" file.

Thanks.

Just to make sure, the only modifications to the original rear were to change the spring pads. Everything else was a bolt in affair? Do you know what year truck the donor pumpkin came from? I have a 58' rearend, and it looks identical to the one you got.

Thanks again.

Just a thought,
Assuming you have a complete 55-59 rearend that is in good working order, wouldn't it make more sence to just redo the perches on it and install that whole rearend rather than tear apart both rearends AND change the perches?

I believe those later rearends are a little wider, so if the rims/tires you are using are a little tight to the outside, then swaping the whole rearend may be an issue...

going from a 4:11 to a 3:90 is only going to get you about an extra 5 mph top speed. I have seen 3:36 gears available for the 55-59 rearends...

You will also need to change the tranny when going to an open driveline...

The '55 rear end housing is way wider than a '45. It would have looked pretty weird. The Art Deco truck wheel base is even narrower than the AD trucks.

From my measurements, the 58 rear I have is a little more than 2 inches wider. I want the stock look. Just my preference. I've been looking for the same width rear for a while. I found a few that were real colse, but the ratio's were like 2.75. I don't want to buy a new R@P and pay to have somebody do the work. This way, I can do the work and get what I want on for cheap. I should have mentioned that I'm cheap.

Thanks for all the help

So then what exactly is it that you are trying to accomplish?

Worn out rearend? higher crusing speed?

I have some other suggestions that could be used, but I guess I need a better understanding of what you are thinking...

Do you have to stay with 6 lugs?

Just exactly how wide is the '52 rearend?

All I want to do is get rid of the closed driveline, so I can get a better geared transmission. I want my truck to look old and stock. The wider rear (1958) that I already got was going to be put in, until I found out that I could have the stock width rear and bolt in the open driveline. Now I'm going to keep the stock width rear. The only thing I was looking for was whether the parts would work together. I already have the parts. Thanks

Nice lookin' truck there, steppenwood. 45's gotta be pretty rare.

Thanks!