Hey all, just joined this page today. I guess I'll just give you a little run down on my rig, and what I'm thinking about doing at the moment. It's a 1983 1/2 ton chevy, with all the infamous weak drive line parts. 2 1/2" lift, rancho RS9000 shocks, K&N, Edelbrock performer intake and carb, HEI vacuum advance dist., Hedman Headers, dual 3" flowmaster exhaust, autometer guages, 4 core rad, auburn gear limited slip rear 32" Wild Country TXR tires on 15x8 alloys. Dad bought the truck new, I got it when I turned sixteen, stock, and have had it ever since. I've learned a lot working on it thanks to my age and GM's designs. Right now it's sitting at home with a toasted transmission, but that will be changing when I go back for x-mas. I've pretty much decided on B&M's 700r4 tranny. Last time the thing gave up the ghost, it was about 35,000 miles ago, and I had a very large cooler, and temp guage. Never overheated it, never towed in OD, so needless to say, I won't be going back to that builder. Oh, it was supposedly beefed as much as possible also, expensive. So, this time, I'm planning on also adding an inline filter, and using Amsoil synthetics. I can't afford to do this every 3 years. I guess part one of the question is: anyone have any earth shattering info about this tranyy that I need to know? Good place to get it? Bout 1650 from summit racing, w/ one year warranty.

Now the rear end. I have the 10-bolt and 2.73 gears (what's the point of an overdrive?!?! I could go about 240 mph if I had a couple thousand horsepower) and would like some more strength, but without the hassel of a front end swap and new wheels/tires. Truck is wheeled lightly (now, beat on earlier) tows a little, and gets run hard occasionally. I'd like to swap in a semi-floating 14-bolt 9.5" ring gear rear end with the six lug wheels that came on some 1/2 tons, and light 3/4 tons in the late 80's and 90's. I redid my brakes front and rear this summer, and would like to keep them, so I don't have to screw with proportioning valves, ect. My question, will my brakes bolt to the housing, and work with the wheel studs? Stud diameters, backing plate alignment, and the center hole of the drum clearing the raised center of the axle. Has anyone else done this swap? Maybe just keep the 3/4 ton brakes?


More questions later :) Pics upon request.


Oh, the truck was also rolled when I was 19, and totally rebuild with a new body. Alaska's emissions laws made life a lot easier on that project......

MT :usa:

Hey there
Not too often I see somone from the plowsite board somewhere else.
Can't help on the brakes, but I am pretty sure that they aint gonna work.
2:73s:barf: Damn I though I was hatin it with 3:73 LOl
Just my humble opinion but set your sights on a FF rear and get a front axle to match.
I just swapped in 3/4 ton axles in my rig and I paid $250 for the axles with 4:10 gears , $190 for 15x10 wheels from 4wpw delivered, I ordered them on a Tuesday and they were on my door on Friday and $20 for the u-joint.
If you want to step up in gears the best way to go is to just get a set of axles with the ratio that you want.
Around here 3/4 ton rears with 4:10's are a dime a dozen.
I paid $50 for the FF and $200 for the D44.
My buddy blew his 12 bolt for the 2nd time and I got him a FF with 4:10's for $100.
The chances of you getting a SF with the same ratio as the front is slim to none.
Damn 2:73 :barf: :barf: :barf:
Take the plunge and go big and go home happy. :D

1650 sounds kinda steep for a tranny, i get a lot of gm performance parts catalogs, and i think it was jim pace that has a special on 4wheel drive 700r4's from the early 80's brand new for about 500 bucks. let me check my catalogs and i'll get back to you. then you could probably spend your extra money on a shift kit and an aluminum pan and other stuff.. also if you get 3/4 or one ton axles it would seem better to use the brakes that come with those axles as i'm sure they'll be bigger and have better stopping power

This site sells beefed up 700r4's for less then 1650. Check it out. 700r4 Trans (http://www.transmissioncenter.net/highperf700r4.htm)

Hey guys, thanks for the reply's. I looked at that sight, and fired them off an email. Sounds like good stuff. The raptor comes with a six month waranty. I think my 2.73 gears are a big part of my problem. Also, I wasn't planning on finding a 9.5" 14 bolt with 2.73's, but 4.10's or 3.73's and then swapping the R&P in the front. Powermad, the main reason I didn't want to mess with the heavier axles, is that I really don't think I need that in the rear end, and the 44 up front isn't that much of an improvement. This truck is more of a daily driver now, than a trail rig, though I do still take it out now and then. I was thinking the 9.5" was a good compromise, as I have a few friends with them in their trucks, that have been ABUSED, with no problems. Also the truck is in AK, so shipping parts up there is pretty darn expensive when you start talking about axles and what not. When you swapped your axles, what changes did you have to make to your brakes? Proportioning valve? Master cylinder? Or just bolt up.

Regarding the reference to plowsite, yeah, I saw this place after looking at the link about the scrap laws and HAD to check it out. My kind of place :)

Thanks again

Marcus

Marcus
It was all pretty much a bolt in affair. I did nothing to the brake system and everything works great, stops better than ever.
The rear axle was from a 2 wheel drive so I had to cut the shock mounts off and relocate them.
I used the ones from the 12 bolt.
I took measurements of the shocks before I removed the 12 bolt and after the FF was in I bolted the shock into the mount, pushed the shock to the length that it was before , tacked it on removed the shock and sewed em back on.
I keep meaning to break out the fork lift ramp and see if every thing is the same as before.