replacing a 12 bolt rear end with a 10 bolt

[xratt]

I found a 10-bolt rear end out of a 1982 chevy truck on craigslist. Is there any draw backs to replace my stock 12-bolt rear end out of my '66 C-10. I'm mainly after different gears, and for the price this is the best deal I could find. The stock rear end is the common 3.73 gears. This 10-bolt one is 2.73. Not the 3.08's I was wanting, but these could work out even better.

[Captainfab]

As long as you have a way to change the mounting pads and fabricate a mount for the pandard bar, then there really isn't much of a drawback. I'm assuming you are aware of the 1.5" increase in overall width?

Contrary to what some believe, those really tall gears don't always mean even better mpg's. The way to achieving the best mpg's is gearing your truck so that your engine is operating in the rpm range that it is the most efficient in.

[jgh64pkup]

yeah my dad has some 273s in his 12 bolt and he gets as bad of gas mileage as you would with 373s

[2tons of fun]

i have a 60-66 12bolt in my garage and looking at how the trac bar mounts it would be a super simple swap.

cut the perchs and trac bar bracket off the 12b and the perches off of the 10b. swap and weld.

[Captainfab]

I forgot to mention that it may be easier to change to either an adjustable panhard bar or at least to a '63-'64 style which is longer. The '63-'64 panhard bar mounted to a bracket that was welded to the passenger side axle tube. The '65-'72 panhard bar mounts to a stud that is attached to a boss in the casting of the center section of the differential.