3/4 vs 1/2 ton...need suggestions

[tolly4503]

I have a '69 c20 LWb 2wd. Love the truck drive it everyday. What I don't like it the Eaton rearend, geared to low, and the lack of options with wheels. I kinda wanted to keep it original, but I don't really every plan on selling unless something really comes up. I guess what I'm asking is are there any pros/cons about doing this. The only real hauling this truck will do is getting stuff to build my garage, which will be used to tear the truck apart so after that, it won't hauling much. thanks

[Tkmadone]

I have a '67 C20 and I swapped out the 4.56 rear Eaton for a '72 Dana 60 with 3.54 and it made a huge difference. I also installed C10 springs and the ride is much better and smoother. I kept the 8 lug wheels because I have stock wheels and they are fine for me.

[hounddogs!]

The 3.54 D60 was the first thing I did upon taking possession. I haul firewood, so I've left the 3/4T coils and helper springs in place. It's a daily driver.

I'm happy with some American Racing wheels that I found a couple of years ago, but I'm really easy to please on that front.

[capev86]

the dana rear is a good bolt in swap if you really need better highway ability. personally i like the eaton for its looks and strength and so i just did the 4.10 swap, especially since i plan to tow with my 72 burb c20. i can actually drive it at 50-60mph now. but i still plan to get a b/w overdrive on that saginaw eventually.

i believe the worst (relative term) part of the ride on my 3/4 ton truck is not the stiffer springs, but rather the lousy vintage shocks (low original miles). i'm thinking if i get some modern shocks on there that are tuned right then it will ride really nice.

my suggestion for you if you want to maintain 3/4 ton capacity but get a softer ride, just swap out the front coils (the 1/2 ton hd units might be a good choice) and leave the rear alone....that is where the weight goes as the front stays pretty much the same. my dad put 3/4 ton coils on the back of his 72 burb c10 back in the mid 80's and it still rode nice. it did sit like an old school drag racer but that was perfect for towing our heavy trailer. i prefer rake over a leveled truck anyway.

i like the stock wheels & hub caps on on my 8 lug burb but there are some nice factory gm rims and aftermarket units too that would look good on these trucks.

[tolly4503]

Thanks for the suggestions, looks like I'll start looking for a new rearend. I guess should have gave some more info. This truck isn't going to be slammed, maybe not even lowered, I'm just trying to clean it up, lower the rpm when on the highway, and get disc brakes. This sites been a great help, as this is my 1st truck like this, even my 1st 2wd. Building Jeeps is my other hobby. Thanks again.

[capev86]

the best setup i would suggest for your app then....

get a 2000+ 14 bolt axle. it has factory disc brakes w/ better e-brake and all the r&d, not some aftermarket kit retrofit deal. also, you get a beefy 11.5" ring gear and the track width is a bit wider which will help push the wheels out to more closely match the front track. good gear choices and a locker diff available too. only thing you have to do is get trailing arm perches, track bar mount and shock mounts welded.

i was trying to stay a bit more factory correct with my burb (and i don't care for the dana axle), but this was a VERY tempting idea to me.

[Shaky]

Or there's this (gear vendors):

[capev86]

yes they are heavy duty, but....

1) much more expensive than a beefed up 200-4r or 700-r4 that will do the same job with nearly as good durability.

2) complexity....you have an extra separate unit in there needing maintenance and you have to cut the drive shaft to get a custom length.

3) overdrive ratio is only .85. if you have a 4.57 in the back (like my burb did before the 4.10 swap) then the final ratio is still like a 3.90....ouch. if i'm gonna spend that kinda money i'll take a nice 5 or 6 speed (alison automatic or t56 stick depending on what i'm driving). the factory 4 speed overdrives and the borg warner found on the saginaw have a .7 ratio which is a much for highway solo driving.

[Shaky]

Actually the overdrive is .78 and will make your 4.56 into a 3.56.

http://www.gearvendors.com/cg2wdt.html

I know some people don't give it a second thought, but I'll never convert a manual truck to auto or vice versa again. I love my granny gear too.

[capev86]

Actually the overdrive is .78 and will make your 4.56 into a 3.56.

so i'd really want to buy 2 of those blasted things then (double overdrives)! a good final drive for highway driving will be comfortably under 3.0:1. if i had a standard 4 speed truck, i'd ditch it in a heartbeat in favor of a 6 speed with a .62 or even better a .52 top gear to offset a 4.56 or stronger rear gear.

the 4.10 is a good fix for the 4.57 blues. it is a 10% improvement but that means the faster i go, the greater the savings in rpms without much effect on off the line performance. actually, it is better now because when i really step on the gas i have half a chance to use 1st and 2nd gear. as many of you know, a column stick shift is not as quick as a floor shift.

there was a 3.90 gear set (15% improvement over the 4.57) available from the aftermarket .....a long time but it isn't produced anymore and you still have to set up the gears in the third member, whereas i just swapped the third member unit out (the beauty of the ford 9 inch characteristics of the eaton). maybe someone on here will manufacture the gears for us some day! a 3.50 gear would be good once i get my 406sbc installed, but i'd still want a good overdrive ratio for those long drives!

[Shaky]

Originally Posted by capev86

so i'd really want to buy 2 of those blasted things then (double overdrives)! a good final drive for highway driving will be comfortably under 3.0:1.

It also depends on tire diameter. I run 235/85-16s that help bring the rpm down. We drove to Alaska with 235/70-15s, a 3.07 rear and 1:1 final drive. I've gone deep into Mexico with 235/75-15s and a 3.73.

It also depends on the engine. A 250 trying to push a 2-ton box through the air with a 2.56 will make you wish for a little more rear. A 455 Olds will pull a 2.29...