Rear End Change Question

I'am glad to read your experience and your thoughts because that just made me feel better about the choice I made switching the rears 1st before I went the tranny route....
I've been thinking to myself the whole time I was doing this .. Why am I doing the hard part 1st .. but like you I bought a laided over truck from a friend and I knew what I was getting .. I didn't want to cut the frame on this truck either.. it's in to good of shape to chop up

 

Some would say it’s easier to just put a cut off on it instead of going the way I did. I probably wouldn’t argue that point....done right I have nothing against a stretch. But no sense in cutting one in two if it’s not gonna gain anything.

 

Cut the frame off in front of the diffs on your truck and the donor. Weld the donor section onto your truck.

Usually the section of frame around the diffs is the worst, condition-wise, on older trucks. Very few people take the time to wash the frame around there thoroughly, so it tends to pit pretty badly.

 

Slightly? Backing up a set of trains with a 13spd and 3:55’s was a bit of a challenge. I swapped for a 15od and even empty I back them in deep reduction. Low range is still just a little quick