[whateverpratt]

My brother was kind enough (read: he wants it out of his driveway) that he did some minor stuff before I arrived. He unhooked the brake line to the rear axle, removed the driveshaft, unbolted the trac bar, and loosened the u bolts. Removing the rear axle was nearly child's play.

A bare H072 axle housing was placed in the venerable 12 bolt's old work space. The axle mounted up flawlessly, and the old U bolts fit it perfectly. The only thing needed for this swap (though most seem to downgrade from the 3/4 to 1/2 ton rear axles) is the 3/4 ton trac bar which I had a couple of. Take a look at the pic of the 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton trac bars together. The mounting spot on the 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton frames look to be the same.

I'm waiting till my next trip back to finish the rear axle. As it sits now, it has some hubs with a few studs each so it can have wheels and a differential cover front and rear on the housing to keep out the cats. The next trip will include activities such as installing new bearings in the hubs, installing the 14 bolt disc brake conversion, installing the third member, installing the axles, installing the 3/4 ton trac bar with new bushings, and filling it up with fluid. The only major thing that might be needed for this rear axle swap might be a shortening of my driveshaft, but we'll see.