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Hey everyone i joined this forum three years back when i first started my 79 restoration project. but since the project has been a really slow one like three years and still going i never really posted or interacted with you guys but now with the money flow being better then it was which still isnt much but its moving slow i decided to post my truck on here and see what everyone else thinks and get some idea and suggestions. I bought my truck back in 2010 and it looked pretty good needed some TLC but i bought it since i love the body style and i've been wanted one for as long as i can remember and when i found this one i just had to have it. i drove it for a little bit and then three months i got the hairball idea to pull it apart and rebuild it. The next thing i know im down to the bare frame looking at it and wondering what i just did lol. so since i was down to the bare frame i sanded it all down and primed it and then truck bed lined the whole frame (which looks pretty good i think) and now im starting to put it all back together piece by piece its still siting on jack stands im pretty much collecting all the parts and once i pretty much everything i need i will put it back together.
It had a very tired 400M. im not sure what the trans is i found it at one time and i dont remember were i wrote it down at i will have to do some digging again but its a 3 speed with the low granny gear. i pulled the 400M out and i wanted to do the cummins swap in it but i couldn't find one at the time and i had a 460 just laying around so i said the heck with it and rebuilded that for the truck.
not fully finished but close enough
and now im getting the rest of the parts rounded up and started to look at gears and thats were my question lies. im trying to figure out which gear ratio i should go with for my truck i installed a 6in lift onto it and it did have 38in tires before with 3.54 gear ratio and that was a good set up i was able to drive around town and not be pegged out and when i got into the mud or snow i had great performance so i was thinking of going with 40s now since i got the 6in lift and i got a 2in body lift also. so i was wondering what you guys think im all ears any help would be awesome.
Trans is probably a NP435 4 speed with the granny 1st gear. If your doing a lot of highway driving, the 3:54 would help keep your rpm's down. 3:73 would also be a good highway gear and some off-road. 4:10 and your rpm's go way up on the e-way.
If you are going with a 40" tire, then 4.10 minimum with limited slip. But if you want more offroad performance, I would be looking at 4.88 with posi. Since I really don't know any body running around with 40" rubber as a dd, I am guessing that this is going to be a fun truck and would highly recommend 4.88 with posi. Changing gears can be really pricy so choose wisely. Keep the pics and updates coming, we all love these big builds.
i belive you are right about the trans. Im looking up the stamps on the trans again to see if i can find it.
yea no way will it be a DD i got other toys for that but yea thats what i was wondering to go with was ether 4.10 or maybe higher its going to be toy truck and maybe on the streets once in a blue moon. I was also looking at lockers for the front and rear ends and not sure who to go with everywhere i been looking you see everyone saying arb's are the best and then the next guy is throwing a tantrum about how horrible they are. I just want something i can depend on I was thinking the ARB's already since i was plainning on putting a air compressor on the truck just in case of a flat tire or what not plus i snagged some train horns that i want to put on the truck just cause. So who do i go with? ARB's, Detroit's, ect. I have dana 60 in the rear and 44's upfront.
Detroit's are very tough and very dependable, plus you don't have to worry about the air line snagging a stick and getting an air leak. As for the train horns, if they are real train horns they will required 150psi air to sound and they weigh in at close to 80lbs and they have five horns, three facing in the front direction and two facing the rear direction, all steel. I worked at Union Pacific Railroad as a diesel mechanic for three years, so I do know about them. Do not install them on the roof of your truck, causes some real damage, I've seen it. I would just mount it up in the shop as wall art and buy the $40 JC Whitney Kleinn Air Horns 154db. It's louder and much, much easier to install. Unless you just you want to say "I got train horns."
Sorry i didnt really mean "train horns" I got a set of air horns off a wrecked semi from were i work at and no i would like to keep the visor if i every did though i will let you know.
03-02-2015, 01:18 PM
but yea thats what i was wondering to go with was ether 4.10 or maybe higher its going to be toy truck and maybe on the streets once in a blue moon. I was also looking at lockers for the front and rear ends and not sure who to go with everywhere i been looking you see everyone saying arb's are the best and then the next guy is throwing a tantrum about how horrible they are. I just want something i can depend on I was thinking the ARB's already since i was plainning on putting a air compressor on the truck just in case of a flat tire or what not plus i snagged some train horns that i want to put on the truck just cause. So who do i go with? ARB's, Detroit's, ect. I have dana 60 in the rear and 44's upfront.
