Differential compatibility

[Bluebell]

I have a 97 c1500. What year rear differentials would be compatible?
Were 4.10 a common option or should I just have mine rebuilt,?
thanks

 

[99xcss4]

you can use any 88-98 2wd rear end from any C-1500 truck you can grab a rear from a 92-99 C1500 suburban that would give you better brakes you can go hunt for a 9.5 sf 14 bolt take off the drums get some axle shafts made and put C-1500 suburban brakes and drums on it did not know you could get 4:10s in a C-1500

 

[Schurkey]

^^^ What he said. A typical C1500 will have a ten-bolt axle with 254mm brakes.

The ten-bolt rear axle is not worth rebuilding. The common 254mm (10") leading-trailing shoe rear brakes are a hot mess. Now is the perfect time to upgrade both the axle/differential, and the brakes.

As said, the downside here is that the C2500 9.5" axle that has better brakes, will also have six-lug axle shafts instead of the 5-lug axle shafts and wheels you have now.

I, too, am surprised that a 1500 has 4:10 gears. 3.42/3.73 would be more common.

 

[99xcss4]

you can use any 88-98 2wd rear end from any C-1500 truck you can grab a rear from a 92-99 C1500 suburban that would give you better brakes you can go hunt for a 9.5 sf 14 bolt take off the drums get some axle shafts made and put C-1500 suburban brakes and drums on it did not know you could get 4:10s in a C-1500

I think you can also use a 2wd rear from a tahoe or yukon

 

[99xcss4]

if you have lots of money you do not need try to find a rear from a 454ss it is a 9.5 sf 14 bolt with 5 lugs and great brakes

 

[Bluebell]

K1500 differential won't work?
Put 5 lug axles on it?
Have one I could get for nothing but for some reason thought it wouldn't work. Can't recall why.

 

[Schurkey]

K1500 differential won't work?
Put 5 lug axles on it?
Have one I could get for nothing but for some reason thought it wouldn't work. Can't recall why.

1. Wrong width. 2WD is different from 4WD.
2. Therefore he'd need custom axle shafts 'cause C1500 five-lug shafts won't fit.
3. Another 1500 axle--2WD or 4WD--will almost certainly be another craptastic 8.5" with the same horrible rear brakes.