rear end gear limits on Sag 3-speed/283

I have a 64 283 V8 and a 3 speed manual tranny that I am considering running in a 64 C10 that was previously V8/auto with a 2:56 rear gear...

should this high of a gear present a problem for running the 3 speed standard tranny?

Sorry to bug you guys with newer chevy junk, but I would appreciate yor insight if at all possible.

Thanks.

 

Well , I would not try and tow or carry anything real heavy with the 2.56 rear gear.
Other than that it should work fine. On the upside it should get decent mileage and go a bunch of mph. !!
Not gonna be a stoplight to stoplight winner either.....
Oh yeah, what ever you do, do not put in a big cam ! You will need all the bottom end grunt you can get..
Dave

 

2.56 rear gears in a 64 C-10? Must be a later axle? I believe 3.07 the highest gear set for that axle.Of course,I might be full of shit.

 

Yes, if it's really got a rear end with 2.56:1 gears, it would have to have been added after the fact. Rather than a Saginaw three speed, if I wanted to keep the tall rear gears, I'd look for a Saginaw four speed from a '70s Monza/Vega, or late '70s A body. Most of the Vega transmissions had a 3.11:1 low gear, and some of the later ones had a 3.50:1 low gear. At least you'd have a better chance of getting off the line without having to slip the clutch, plus one more gear to cover the spread.

 

If the three speed and 2:56 is all you have bolt it in and see if it works for you! If not there are still a lot of those rear ends laying around and most I've ever seen had a 3:73!

 

It was re-geared long before I got the chassis and the guy said it was 2:56...
so I'm gonna give it a try and see how it goes. Can always grab a 3:73 somwhere.

Thanks guys.

 

bet the guy meant 3:56 check it out by pulling the rear cover. is it 6-lug?

 

6 lug

 

If you're using a 4 bolt side cover 3 speed,they normally have a 2.94 first gear ratio except for rare close ratio boxes.The later Saginaw 3 speed with a large 8 or 9 bolt side cover comes in several gear ratios,the version with a 3.50 first gear might be ok with a 2.56 rear gear depending on how you use the truck.

 

The later 3-speeds also had a synchronized first gear.

 

Put a granny low truck 4 speed in it. It will have terrific acceleration for a few feet in first. 2nd gear in one is about the same ratio as a three speeds first gear. OldWolf

 

How about pullingthe cover and seeing what gear is actually in the rearend?