did some research for rear end swapping on tri-five chevy pu. got a hold of a 96 chevy s10 4x4 rear with the 3.42 with the 7 1/2 ring. its a couple inches shorter then the stock 57 rear. i got to get some correct measurements for the spring perches and weld a set of new ones on. since the axle housing is smaller i might be able to do a axle flip. have to wait and see. has anyone used a GU6 rear? tips and hints or pros and cons would be nice if you got any. thanks.
I put a 74 olds cutl*** 9 p***. wagon rear in my 56 that I built about 30 years ago. It's center section was alot bigger, spiders were m***ive compared to standard gm and the brakes and drums were extra sized. Worked perfect, especially for the towing I did with it. Also the little 283 engine and turbo 400 trans. couldn't hurt it.
I think the 2 wheel drive S10 rear is wider.The 2 and 4 wheel drive rears are different widths by a couple inches.
The 2wd S10 rear is narrower than the 4x4 unit. The 2wd unit is about 54" wms-to-wms. The 4x4 unit is about 58" wms-to-wms.
I would get a different rear that is the right width and also a stronger heavier duty rearend. I think the second gen Camaro rear has been used in the trucks. If you want to match the 6-lug front bolt pattern, use a rear out of a 4x4 Chevy truck or 2wd up to 70. Are you using the stock front or have you put some IFS in there? How much engine and potential use as a real truck do you intend to do?
the front is staying with the I-beam. i will switch it over to the five lug later. the original 235 will be put back in. this truck is not for drag, but the occasional burnout. the only thing happening to the suspension is lowering leaf springs.
Not sure how much wider/narrow the tri 5's are over the earlier models, but I've got a GU6 under my 51 poncho and everything fits great. Used Ch***is Engineering spring kit with it and was easy to install. I've got some photos on the album.
I put the 4 by 4 rear end (same ratio as you're considering) in my '40 Plymouth Pickup. It is a little narrow. The 15" by 6" rims and 235-70 tires are tucked a bit too far inside the fenders.
GM went back to six lug for all 1/2 ton pickups in the 2000 body style. They also increased the ring gear to 8.625" over the previous 8.5" ring gear size. The carrier is said to have stayed the same. Look around, and you can find a disc rear with a drum-in-hat parking brake setup on one of those trucks. Full width may push the tires out just a tad too far, but if the OP wants to use the truck as a truck, the larger ring gear of a 1/2 ton axle (8.625") over the S10's 7.5" ring gear can make a difference. I don't think the Camaro has used an 8.5" 10 bolt since about 1972, and there were many reports of F-body owners (up to when the line was shut down 10 years ago or so) shredding their factory 7.5" live axle behind nothing more powerful than a factory engine and lively shifting.
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