Gears.........

[mexgrhd68]

id like to know if rear end gears from a 76 chevy 1/2 ton fit my 72 chevy 1/2 ton, just wanna use gears because the rear end i have was originally from a 3 speed and im tired of seeing cars zooming by me when my speedometer is reading 65-70!!!!

[StingRay]

If they are both 12 bolts then yes they should. It's a bit of work and some special tools to set them up though. You need to be a pretty advanced DIY mechanic to take something like this on.

[cdowns]

a factory service manual would help you do the job it lists the tools and procedure needed

[LONGHAIR]

What does your speedometer reading have to do with this? Is the truck revving really high at this point? or is your speedometer just "off"?

As far as changing gears, it is not worth the hassle. It takes a LOT more experience/expertise to set-up "used" gears. It's not a job for a first timer. It is far easier/more cost effective to swap the entire axle housing from another truck with the gear ratio you need.

[capev86]

the reason you are getting passed at 65-70mph is 'cause all those other drivers are going too darn fast.....be an adult and let them go. saving a couple minutes is not worth wasting the gas and the increased chance of a bad accident. for best fuel economy, you need to keep the speed at 60 or below. trucks have a large frontal area and have to push a lot of air out of the way at highway speeds. the speed to energy requirements is an exponential relationship, not a linear one. i like the feel of a v8 under the hood of my truck (even that 406sbc that will be going in my 72 burb) but i never feel like i'm in a rush when i'm driving a rig. do the world a favor and relax your right foot when driving....it will help combat the problem that trucks are blamed for (pollution and fuel consumption).

[DT1]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

What does your speedometer reading have to do with this? Is the truck revving really high at this point? or is your speedometer just "off"?

As far as changing gears, it is not worth the hassle. It takes a LOT more experience/expertise to set-up "used" gears. It's not a job for a first timer. It is far easier/more cost effective to swap the entire axle housing from another truck with the gear ratio you need.

30 years ago I was told by a mechanic that specialized in rear ends that it was almost impossible to set up used gears. I poo pood it and got to studying on the subject. I did the lead paint and newspaper. I shimmed. I did everything by the book. When I finished, the differential was perfect. Boy did I tell him! A week later it started to hum. A couple of days later, it was howling. You can probably guess where this one is going...

[gonzo6869]

I guessing you have the 3.73 rear end, I do. I was thinking of swapping gears, or the entire axle, but after some thinking, I believe my money and time will be better spent on an OD tranny, such as a 200 or 700R4. A 200R4 will put you back about 1200+ and is almost a bolt in swap. You might want to consider this before changing your rear end.