14 bolt ff into 89 c1500, will it bolt in?

[MarkZ28]

tried doing a search, had fun reading about all kinds os stuff, learned about how to convert a ff to disc brakes, different styles, etc.. Couldnt find out if it would swap though. Rear is out of a 90 Chevy truck, single wheel style. I can get the whole rear and springs for a good price. My questions are:

1. Is the 14 bolt ff spring perches the same as the 10 bolt? I mean -placement wise, the spring perches the same position as the 1/2 ton rear.

2. Can I use the springs from the ff on the 1/2 ton, or even easier, can I reuse my 1/2 ton springs on it using the ff U bolts? Id rather use the heavier springs if its possible.

I know I will have 8 lugs instead of 5, which may look weird, and will need a ******* u joint at the minimum. Maybe mod driveshaft. I want to convert to a NV4500 someday also. I got the 1/2 ton cheap, in great shape, no rust, no dents. Just want to have a truck thats hard to break, lol. Plan on modding the engine for more power also.

Short version, will it bolt in easy?

 

[Justin S]

There's a couple of things you need to take into consideration, if the rear was from a 4x4 it will be wider by about 4 inches I believe, so the wheels would stick out farther. A 2 wheel drive axle should be the same width as the one you have. You will need to use the U bolts and brackets from the FF axle, as it is much thicker than the 10 bolt For a 1500, the FF axle would really be a bit overkill, they weigh quite a bit more than even the SF. I am currently doing a 14 bolt SF swap onto my C1500, and the only difference is 6 lug vs 5, bigger brakes, u joint, and u bolts/bracket.

 

[Ironhead]

Just to add a bit to the first response, if you do this swap, the much heavier axle will need heavier duty shocks than the stock 1/2 ton came with. The heavier axle, especially if it's on the 1500 springs will have more momentum, and the heavier shocks will help control the axle movement.

Great to hear that you got the 1/2 ton for a good price, but if you want a truck that's hard to break, it might be cheaper in the long run to look for a good 3/4 ton, than it is to upgrade the 1/2 ton. When you find the right 3/4 ton, you could sell the old truck to finance the deal.

 

[thz71]

You really shouldn't reuse u bolts. But you can. Like said above a 4x4 axles is wider altho only 3 inches. Spring perches are the same and you can use the heavier springs they bolt right up

 

[Jorge6.5]

Do not reuse u bolts. Personally the swap is a waste. Just cause you have a heavy rear does not mean the rest of the truck magically turns heavy duty lol.

 

[thz71]

Do not reuse u bolts. Personally the swap is a waste. Just cause you have a heavy rear does not mean the rest of the truck magically turns heavy duty lol.

True but a 10 bolt is the weak link of the drivetrain. No reason to retain it if he doesn't want to.

 

[RyanMerrick]

The 14 bolt FF is a phenomenal axle, there's nothing wrong with what you want to do. It's much stronger, and the brakes are way better for towing.

I would make sure to install the shocks and springs from the 2500/3500 as well due to the extra weight of the axle. I'm sure there's other items that you could swap over from the HD trucks as well, but just be aware that the 1500 frames are dimensionally different than the 2500s and 3500 frames (in other words, even if you swap over everything from an HD truck, you'll still have a light duty frame, just FYI).

 

[MarkZ28]

Thanks for the replies. Im not sure if its a 2WD or not yet. Im not expecting to be able to use the half ton as a 3/4 ton or more. I will be towing with it but nothing huge. Glad its a fairly easy swap, Ill use the springs and shocks from the one ton truck. May not be a while anyway.

 

[Justin S]

I just dropped off the axles and drums from my 9.5 at a local engine/machine shop to get redrilled in the 5x5 pattern so its the same as the rest of the truck, I'm not 100% sure exactly how much it will cost yet, but if interested I can let you know once I find out. Im sure it wouldn't be exactly the same everywhere but at least a ballpark idea

 

[MarkZ28]

I dont think the full floaters can be redrilled, arent the center axle flanges quite a bit bigger than the semi floaters?