Leeroy wrote:^^^^^ yep that's true.
I'm glad I changed mine, however the diff had to come apart anyway for bearings so it wasn't that much extra work. It is a bit of mucking around, especially if you have to pay to get the work done + cost of the parts. Did you plan in doing the work yourself? The gear set alone cost $200.
It is quiter, but still has usual slick wind noise and as I said earlier, not much of a change in economy.
Larger tyres definately out of the question?
Leeroy,
That's a good price for new gears. I've seen them selling for closer to $300. Then there is the cost of the bearings, shims, etc. that comes in the rebuild kit, which I've seen selling for $150-$200. Finally, the labor to install the new bearings and gears - BigMike mentioned earlier that he had a price of $180 from a fella to do install for him.
As you mentioned, the ride is somewhat quieter due to the reduced engine whine. I also agree with you that these Slicks are about as aerodynamic as a bread box, so there is still considerable wind noise when traveling above 50 mph, depending on the style of mirrors it has and the tire tread design - as Western style mirrors and aggressive thread tires add a LOT of noise. As demonstrated by others on this forum, the noise level can also be lowered by adding sound-deadening sheeting to the cab roof, firewall, floorboards, behind the in-cab fuel tank, and even inside the doors. Such sound insulation materials will help reduce the 'empty drum effect' of the design/construction of these Slick cabs as well as the added effect to moderate the cab temperature.
BigMike,
As for the engine "screaming" at highway speeds, I'd say that turning the engine at 3,500 rpms versus 2,200 rpms merely increases the sound and fuel usage. I highly doubt anyone would realize any difference in engine life (of course I"m assuming the engine is kept in tune, fed quality gasoline, and the motor oil level is maintained and changed at recommended intervals). So in my mind, the issue of the '65 V8 "sounding" like it is unhappy - in reality - it is fine. Lastly, as Leeroy pointed out, the fuel consumption difference was, "not much of a change in economy." In other words, the fuel usage did not change enough to notice, so only the noise level was the noticable change.
I also feel I should mention that if you are regularly running your Slick at speeds upwards of 65-70 mph in medium to heavy traffic conditions, you might want to also consider adding sway bars, converting to a dual reservoir master brake cylinder and changing the front drums to disc brakes - all in an effort to provide better handling and control at such speeds.
FOR ME, the installation of sound-deadening sheeting, OD transmissions, add-on GV units, lower rear end gears, is not necessary. However, my Slick is not my daily driver. My Slick serves me as my work horse truck and it sounds as it should to me. I actually like the sound of hearing the whirl of the T-18 transmission gears, the whine of the 4.10 Dana gears, the howl of the tires, the wind noise of the mirrors, and the purr of the healthy 390 V8 pulling air thru the open air element feeding its 750 Holley carb and exiting out a set of free-flowing headers to dual turbo mufflers. These trucks were not originally designed nor built to be as quiet as a T-Bird, and it isn't. To those folks that want to modify them to act more like a modern truck, go for it. FOR ME, the sounds emitted by my Slick make me smile and take me back to a simpler time and make me smile....and that is good for my soul.
BigMike, I wish you happiness in your quest to restore/modify your Slick to your own preferences.
BarnieTrk
