[Chaparralman1974]

5/21/2023 - 6/11/2023
Rear DriveTrain, Brakes, and Shocks
The chassis is finally starting to come together and look like an actual chassis! The shocks were a little bit of a challenge. The rear shocks were standard parts and easy to find, but the fronts are no longer available. The recessed divet in the frame at the upper shock mount is a bit different from later years, so I had to massage the mounting ear a bit and make my own upper mounting stud with a ¾” nut between the frame and the shock eye to get it to fit. Otherwise, they bolted right up. I have to say that I like the classic Monroe yellow shocks.

After going back and forth on the axles in general, I decided to stay with the Eaton H052 in addition to the original closed knuckle dana 44 front. Again, I opted to keep the truck as original as I can. I fully disassembled the rear axle and did a thorough cleaning of everything. The pinion, bearings, ring, and carrier assembly all looked to be in excellent condition, so there really was no reason to scrap it. The axle shafts were also in good shape, so after cleaning everything, I installed new seals, outer hub bearing, pinion seal and gaskets. I also went ahead and installed a pinion yoke speedi-sleeve so there should be no leaks.

I also changed direction on the brakes. While I was going to go with a rear disc brake conversion, I decided to just stay with drums. As with the front axle, I did want to upgrade to 9/16” studs, so I sourced a new set of outer hubs rather than drill my originals. I used a donor 14 bolt axle to supply the brake backing plate (the mounting holes are identical to the Eaton) and then ordered all new brake hardware, shoes and drums from Rock Auto. This also will allow me to keep my emergency brake in place and the existing cable mounts also mount right up to the 14 bolt backing plates.

Lastly, I completely rebuilt the rear driveshaft. I replaced all the U-joints, and cleaned and painted it. I also installed a new carrier bearing as the old one was totally shot. I did opt to leave off the dust shields that were on the drive shaft as they were banged up too much. This truck will never be in the mud or snow or rain, so again, no reason to keep them.