Inliners International Forums General Discussion Drive Train rearends

Yes I have one, sometimes I even act like one... but my question is...

I have three eight lug rearends in these pictures...
what additional information do I need to identify them or can someone give me an educated guess as to which one would be best behind a snappy 302???

Thanks

http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z358/speakfordadead/?action=view¤t=diffs013.jpg
http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z358...%3Ddiffs012.jpg
http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z358...%3Ddiffs011.jpg
http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z358...%3Ddiffs010.jpg

Doesn't the original rearend have a center section that bolts in? I believe that your trucks differential can be swapped with a GM HO72 series differential.

This will get you a nice 4.11 ratio - these were common to GM trucks starting in all the way through to 1972.

Is the truck going to used to do a lot of towing? Or hauling heavy loads?
Your pics show what looks like Dana 60 rears. Very common in 3/4 ton trucks.
2 of them look like they have free floating axles, these will take a much larger load for weight and towing. They are also heavier. Hub is held in by a large nut, simular to the front wheel bearings on a car. Axle is bolted to the hub.

The other one is from a light 3/4 ton and will weigh the least. For a spunky 302 , it should handle the abuse just fine. Keep in mind if a axle breaks, the wheel will come out of rear.

Tom,

The original rearend in his truck has free floating axles - I believe it came stock with 5.13 ring and pinion.

I have several old trucks like this and have found that a 67..72 3/4 ton HO72 center differential section is a 2 hour bolt-in swap and retains the original housing - thus no need to modify leaf spring mounts, shocks, etc.

If rear brakes are a problem - perhaps the easiest (and if you drive it a lot, the cheapest for maintenance) is to convert to disk brakes . . . which have the added benefit of capturing the axle if the nut / bearing fails

The truck will be used as a "Push Truck" at the local speedway and as a delivery truck for completed racing engines and machined parts. It will occasionally have heavy loads but may not do much towing. The picture of the pumpkin is from the Dana 60 and to me the limited slip is a bonus for our local dirt track. Sometimes the track is slippery and sometimes tacky. The cars it will push are relatively light, such as wingless sprints and super modifieds. The heavier rear end is to add weight to the truck and to improve traction when the racers let out their clutches to start their motors. If my rationale is all messed up let me know. I don't think the original rear end will put up with this kind of abuse with a 302 in front of it. I am going to run a T-10 tranny so the four speed will give me some good grunt. I was planning on using a 3/4 ton front end and converting to disc brakes which also means I'll need a booster. Right??? I have a few hydravac's sitting around. I know they are touchy but I used to drive them all the time. In fact... I hate ABS. Takes the skill out of stopping (hehehe)Please feel free to be critical of my thought process.... after all I am a...

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