3rd Gen Rear Diff Swap
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3rd Gen Rear Diff Swap
Alright guys, I've done a lot of research thus far, but I cannot find exact answers to what I'm looking for. If I missed a similar post I apologize in advance I must have overlooked it. 
As a start what I currently have is a 03'Ram 1500 2wd w/ the 4.7l, 3.55 rear end, auto trans, 20 inch OEM wheels. About 133,xxx on the clock. She runs just fine, but recently some bastard stole the truck and took it on a joy ride. Well, the rain must have caused him to lose control, and from what I understand is while turning a corner, he clipped the curb snapping the tire/hub/brake assembly right off the passenger side. When I got the call, the truck was sitting on the pass. tire.
So I've looked at several options to swap, but either the rear ends around here are gone, or they are the taller geared 3.92? Correct me if I'm wrong.
I was told that the 2500's rear end will fit, but there seems to be confusion on whether or not the driveshaft needs to be shortened. Can anyone shed some light on this? By the way the donor 2500 would be an 03' as well, unsure if its a 4x4 or not yet, but I was told the 4x4's have bump stops, and 2wd's do not. Either way nothing that will cause a problem. I also took note to the spring perches.
Anyway, any help would be appreciated! I plan to get this taken care of, before I deploy on my next tour, but for the last month I've been running into dead ends! Thanks to anyone in advance!
As a start what I currently have is a 03'Ram 1500 2wd w/ the 4.7l, 3.55 rear end, auto trans, 20 inch OEM wheels. About 133,xxx on the clock. She runs just fine, but recently some bastard stole the truck and took it on a joy ride. Well, the rain must have caused him to lose control, and from what I understand is while turning a corner, he clipped the curb snapping the tire/hub/brake assembly right off the passenger side. When I got the call, the truck was sitting on the pass. tire.
So I've looked at several options to swap, but either the rear ends around here are gone, or they are the taller geared 3.92? Correct me if I'm wrong. I was told that the 2500's rear end will fit, but there seems to be confusion on whether or not the driveshaft needs to be shortened. Can anyone shed some light on this? By the way the donor 2500 would be an 03' as well, unsure if its a 4x4 or not yet, but I was told the 4x4's have bump stops, and 2wd's do not. Either way nothing that will cause a problem. I also took note to the spring perches.
Anyway, any help would be appreciated! I plan to get this taken care of, before I deploy on my next tour, but for the last month I've been running into dead ends! Thanks to anyone in advance!
Record Breaker
Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Back in NY!!
I would use the 3.92. You'll love the power increase with the 4.7. That and I'm pretty sure the 2500 will have a 10.5" rear and your 1500 should have a 9.25" Corporate rear. Different housings. May not fit that easily.
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 437
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From: Chicago suburbs
The 2500 would be either a 10.5 or 11.5 depending on Gas or Diesel. They are quite a bit heavier than the 1500 axle and use a 8 - lug wheel. That would be the biggest problem. You might be able to get a 8 to 5 adapter so i regular 1500 wheel can be used.