47-55.1 Asking for a friend :)

[simicrintz]

I am over on another portion of this page (have a '71 K5 Blazer) but have a question for you fellers over here: My Father-In-Law has a '51 Chevy 1/2 ton truck with a 4 speed trans. Sounds like the trans to the rearend is shot and he has a 4 speed from a '57 along with the gears and housing. He would like to remove the torque tube in between the trans and diff and just put the gears in the existing housing. He knows that it will require an open driveshaft and he is okay with that. He feels that he would have to mess with springs if he replaced the rear diff if he has to replace the housing. His best case scenario would be to unbolt the torque tube and just replace the gears and keep the existing housing.

A. Does this make sense, and B. is he heading down the right path? He is in Montana and I am in San Diego so I cannot see it and he is not online. Please let me know what you know or what info I can get to make any of this clearer.

Thank you!!!