Rear end advice please

[Daveyj]

Hi

I have just picked up a what I believe is a 78/79 Camaro axle with a 2.41 ratio.

Will this be any good in my 58 Apache with 350 sbc and TH350c or should I change the gears for something else. I am in the UK and it has taken me months to find this axle.

This truck will be my daily driver I would like cruise at 70mph rather than scream away from the lights.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Davey J

[oldman3]

I'm running a Nova rear axle with the 2:56 ratio in mine. Also a 350/350 combo, that's why I kept these gears. Not fast out of the hole, but runs nice down the hiway. At 65 I'm turning about 2150 to 2200 rpm. Here's a pic...Jim

[Sethmark]

I'm in the same boat. 2.72 with a th350. As mentioned, it ain't fast but it will cruise all day. I'd prefer a 3.30ish, but not enough to do anything about it.

[Highsider]

I found this opinion I had copied into my notes on gear ratios:

"I got 3.42 gears in mine with a th350 and 28in tall tires.it was a big improvement from the 2.7 somethings that where stock" http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html

[Wrenchbender Ret]

It will work real good with a good running 350. It will be sluggish comeing out of the hole but unless you are going raceing or pulling/hauling heavy loads, It will be fine. It will give you a good passing gear with the kickdown into 2nd.

[mr48chev]

If the truck is going to be an empty cruiser that you don't haul loads or tow with you will be pretty happy with it as Oldman3 is. Basically it will drive like a mid 70's Nova V8 and get about the same gas mileage. I had about the same gears in my 48 when I had the 283 in it in the 70's and 3000 rpm was 80 mph with the tires I was running at the time.

If it ends up that you don't have quite the low end performance you want you can swap the ring and pinion later to a more interesting ratio. Here we would probably hunt down the rear axle with the ratio we wanted but there where they aren't easy to find it is probably the simple method.

[Daveyj]

Hi All
Thanks for the advice I will leave it as it is and see how it goes.

Davey j