info on 65 Chevy C10??

Hey all.. I was wondering if anyone had any info on a rear end for 65 C10.. I did a bunch of searches but only found the trucks for sale.. When I looked at the rear end i found a stamping that says C10 5. It looks stock but appears to have a tin gear cover as i didnt think they had those then.. So if anyone can help me with the stamping identification and what the ratio is that would be great..

Cheers..

 

Most likely a Dana 44. They have removable rear cover. Not sure what year they stopped using the drop-out front-load center section, but Dana 44s were the optional heavy duty rear in the early '60s (my '62 has a Dana with a Power Lock. Dana's were also available with a track lock). '65 was too early for the "Truck 12-bolt", which is found under the next generation C10.
The early 44s were 19-spline axles with C-clips, and those were either open difs, or Track Loc limited slips, and aren't rebuildable (parts not available any more). The Power Lock was the optional HD unit, is rebuildable, and mine came with 30-spline axles, no C-clips.
I've broken an axle, and am now screwed, because it also killed the gear inside the Power Lock.
The Dana 44 is a pretty decent rear end, and they're found under everything from Packards, Checker cabs, and Jeeps from the '60s to present, front axles in a lot of factory 4x4 trucks ('70s, '80s and '90s), C-4 Corvettes and Vipers. They're very, very common rear ends.
The real give-away is that they will have the number 44 cast into the center section--mine has it small on the cover-side, and big on the pinion side.
I'll end up having an axle shaft made to get mine back on the road, with a rebuildable 30-spline Trac Loc I found on ebay.

-Brad

 

As far as gearing, most of them I've found are 3.90 geared .

 

I own a '65 C10 chevy pickup and It has a 12 bolt that I'm fairly certain it came with from the factory.It has a 3.73 ratio,(I know this due to the fact that I've dis***embled it,counted the teeth and on the pinion shaft it's marked "3.73".)

 

Also, as a side note I'd like to add that the pinion shaft bearing journal is smaller than the p***enger car twelve bolt.So there is no interchangability here.

 

They started putting 12 bolts in chev trucks in 63 most 6 cyl std were 410s. It is possible to put car gears in truck housings. I put a set of 342s from a 69 chev caprice in a 66 truck rear about 10 years ago. We still are using it. I dont remember the exact details but it can be done. OldWolf

 

I used to have a '65 Chevy longbed, and it had a factory 12 bolt. It used C clips to hold the axles on. I had to change the right rear axle seal on it after 240,000 miles.

 

65-69 all had the same 12 bolt. I believe earlier models will fit if you use the older torsion bar.

My 65 came with a 3.73 posi from the factory. It was a cylinder shape, as opposed to the rounded ones you usually see. Anyone know what the difference is?

 

The code to look for is 2 letters and will be on the p***enger side top of the axle housing.

 

Drop out gear chuck ended with the 62's. 63 - up are integral with tin cover.

63 is a one-year-only rear with the old style panard bar bracket welded to the right tube AND has one-year-only axle shafts & bearings.

64-69 are all the same.

70 is 1-1/2" wider, so it helps fill in the wheel openings, and is still 6 lug.

71-72 is the same housing & gears as 69, but now has 5 lugs.--->> (EDIT!!__ meant to say 71-72 is same as 70 housing & gears, NOT 69...)

the 2 common gears for 63-72 is 3.73 and 3.07, with other ratios on special order and are rarely seen.


Also, a nice wheel to use with dogdish caps are the mid-late 70s TO 87 chevy 4wd steel wheels. They are the widest steelies, and have a deeper dish

 

I just learned a ton here...pretty much ignore everything I wrote!

-Brad

 

Well *******.. thats some good info!! Thanks all who have replied. I will get under there and check it out .. maybe print this out and take it with me.. Ill snap some pics too.. rear end looks great but when had it on highway it seemd to whine @ 65-75.. Ill be cracking the diff and count the teeth.. I dont know much about these trucks and there is not alot of info on the internet machine about them.. like i said everytime i try to find specs on 65 i just come up with a bunch of for sale links.. I just picked it up and got it at a wicked steal.. Found out some history and couple years ago someone did a frame off resto on it..

 

My '64 has the panhard bracket.

71-72 5 lug are disk brake and 6 lug still drum.

 

If you open up the diff, you'll find some numbers on the ring gear. 11:41=3.73 gears. 41 divided by 11=3.7272....


Enjoy

 

I just edited my post. I said 71&72 housing & gears are the same as 69. That's wrong. I meant to say 71&72 housing and gears are the same as 1970.

Sorry for that error!