Hey Guys,just curious if anyone knows what the best rear end to use is,my dad just bought a truck that has a rear end that is too wide,the man who built it passed away and my dad bought from his estate and there is no info in the build stuff that my dad has that came with it.He lives in Florida and I live in Atlanta so I can't go measure it,would like to get a rear end and get it set up so I can go get his truck and swap it out.The truck sits up too high in the rear now and I need to get it to sit level.Thanks.
you probably need to get him to get you the measurments. I have a Studie 56 half ton which has a T bird disc brake rear end. Cant give you the detail but it does have the 5 X 5 icnh lug bolt circle that is the same as the Studebaker, I believe the birds and some lincolns had this set up. I don't have the details since I got it from a guy who got it from a guy..... There is an axle chart on the carnut website that lists a lot of info that migh help you. The spring perched were modified to accept the truck springs but mine is set up withthe axle over the springs to lower it over the standard axle under the spring. http://www.carnut.com/specs/rear.html
Bolt pattern currently on the truck? Studebaker cars, some Fords and Chryslers used a 4.5" bolt pattern. If this is the bolt pattern currently on the truck, the 8.8" rear end from a Ranger or Explorer would be a good replacement. If it has a larger bolt pattern, like the Lincoln/T-bird rear end list above, then you could look into that.
I have a 50 PU that I put in a 57 chev rear in. I lost about half of the leaves in the rear springs and it dropped it about 5 inches.It has the 4 3/4 bolt pattern though,but it bolted right up.
About 60 inches wide. Mine has an 8 inch from I think a Maverick. Many older Torinos had close to same width. The Dana "44" rear that came with mine had 4.88 gears. I had to change to better gears, so I tried to find a different ring and pinion for the Dana. I couldn't get a set that would fit, and then I found out after a lot of wasted time that this particular application of Dana rear end used a few uncommon parts. That's when I was forced to switch to Ford. That gave me a 4-1/2 inch lug circle on the back (many Lincoln of similar width used the larger 5 on 5 to match Stude pickup fronts), but with the huge Chrysler disc super-brakes I made for the front axle, it was a natural step to take. Taking a tape measure to an older junkyard is a fast way to find the right Ford swap. Very easy swap, and it gets you away from those older and dangerous "snap-without-notice" tapered axles of yesteryear.
Thanks for all the quick replies,the truck has some kind of 7.5'' rear end now with a cover on it,it has a 4.5'' lug pattern.He said the drums have a boss that the wheel bolts on which is about 1.5'' tall,basically like a 1.5'' spacer.The truck sits up too high in the rear and I am going to find another rear end to install,it has weld rodlite wheels on it.The rear end is on top of the springs already.It has dual lug patterns on the wheels so that is really not an issue,just would like to get it lower with narrower rear and blocks,Thanks again.
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