1 ton full floater versus semi floater

[454cid]

I wont sell the truck...........I am going to hang a quadrasteer rear end under it

Why? Quadrasteer parts are hard to find, and they're only a Dana 60... and they require electronics to run.

If I had a Quadrasteer truck, and it didn't work perfectly, I would swap a 14 bolt in with zero hesitation.

 

[evilunclegrimace]

Carrying more weight safe is the most important thing to me........thats why they put these rear ends under the truck...not because it was an engineering exercise or for fun...dont be critical of anybody who wants to do the right thing and tell everybody dont worry about it...

Now you are putting words in my mouth, lighten up. You obviously lack reading comprehension. I never said that it was wise to over load the truck, I said that using the truck within it's design parameters you will not have a problem. If you are going to carry enough weight to justify a FF axle go for it, no body will stop you. And just for a point of reference you stated " after tearing into my rear end I realized that I have a semi float rear end, You have no business working on a truck and trying to modify it's design parameters as any one that has any mechanical training and worked on these trucks can look at the diff with out even getting under it and tell if it is a full float or not.

I am done with you, you are looking to argue and don't have the mechanical aptitude to carry on a rational conversation. have a nice life.

 

[John Cunningham]

Why? Quadrasteer parts are hard to find, and they're only a Dana 60... and they require electronics to run.

If I had a Quadrasteer truck, and it didn't work perfectly, I would swap a 14 bolt in with zero hesitation.

You can get a HD quadrateer.I did own one and I wish I never got rid of it..best truck I ever owned for camping

 

[John Cunningham]

"Guys, this whole semi vs full floater is getting out of hand. For ***** sake, either of these diffs will work just fine."

these kind of comments are inmature and a little bit crazy. Who cares about this opinion since its ignorant and starts out negative in every respect. It is not true that "either of these diffs will work just fine" a very stupid answer because it was based on no real facts like somebody who wants to stick 3000 pounds in his bed or pull a 10,000 pound fifth wheel and would like a little margin of safety. Nothing got our of hand period except your opinion that was based on nothing.......0

 

[John Cunningham]

The GMT400 FF is a deceivingly underrated in the pickups, it's not the weak point. The spring pack is, that's why the cab and chassis trucks were rated 2000# higher on GVWR. These old trucks are still pretty capable. I carry a 5000# camper in mine with nothing more than a pair of airbags and the truck drives just fine, no feeling of an impending rollover and still enthusiastic to stop. Newer trucks have stronger frames and bigger brakes, but there's nothing black magic about how they carry more weight better and there's no reason you can't easily and safely get these trucks to do more than they were intended to do. You're just never going to be legal, but answer me this: when's the last time any of you were pulled over by a cop and questioned about your weight? Furthermore, back in the 90s there was no standard by which tow ratings were assigned.

 

[John Cunningham]

On your truck camper truck...what tire wheel combo do you use?..did you go to 19.5 rims?

 

[Gibson]

Someone who has done this, or perhaps knows more about it could chime-in here.
Anyway, I seem to remember reading somewhere, that on the 14ff axle, the hubs could be "flipped", and the studs re-installed from the opposite side, and this would allow you to change the wheel mounting surface distance.
If so, it opens-up some choices for diff wheel offsets.

 

[JayMB]

To my knowledge, it's not a hub flip, but a hub SWAP. Dually's or some other configuration had a longer axle and tube, with a hub that holds the tires further inboard (skinnier track width) so jeep guys would put those hubs on a pickup width axle to make it "skinnier". If I'm wrong I imagine someone will correct me shortly.

Interestingly, I think Dana 50/60 front hubs from a ford will work on a GM 14ff with custom axle shafts (splined instead of a flange) and selectable locking hubs. Not that it helps you any, but it's cool.

 

[454cid]

Someone who has done this, or perhaps knows more about it could chime-in here.
Anyway, I seem to remember reading somewhere, that on the 14ff axle, the hubs could be "flipped", and the studs re-installed from the opposite side, and this would allow you to change the wheel mounting surface distance.
If so, it opens-up some choices for diff wheel offsets.

I would think that would require machining, if possible at all, as the axle has to be able to bolt onto the outside face of the hub.

 

[Schurkey]

I pulled an 8.5 rear axle assembly in favor of a 14SF 9.5 axle. It was a great swap, I got bigger, better brakes. I had zero need for additional weight-carrying capacity, but I did like the fact that the 14-bolt wasn't worn-out and sloppy like the original 8.5.

Having said that, this ongoing argument about overloading and wheels flying off makes me laugh.

I personally rode in a Dodge 1/2-ton, six lazy cylinders too tired to stand up straight, and a puny three-speed transmission. Pure poverty-model from the mid-70s. I bet it didn't have 100 horsepower.

There were three of us in the cab. We drove to the mine, they loaded a ton-plus of coal in the box, and we drove 30 miles home at about 20 mph, with the truck never coming off the bump-stops.

That truck went it's whole life with it's tongue hangin' out. No wheels ever flew off.

I have another friend that does property maintenance, self-employed. He loaded a Ranchero like it was a 3/4 ton pickup. He loads his 1/2 ton like it was a 1-ton. And you can't believe the crap he's carried on his '52 Ford Flathead 2-ton truck.

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Or a one-room schoolhouse on his triple-axle trailer, and the rear of the truck on the bump-stops. The trailer was loaded so heavy that one tire was rubbing the underside of the trailer--the springs were collapsed. That tire went from half-tread to showing cords in forty miles. We trailed smoke and haze as the tire rubbed itself bald.

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I am NOT saying that Dodge and Ford trucks are tougher than GM. I'm saying that a damned large segment of the population has semi-float axles, yet broken axles and wheels-in-the-ditch seem to be quite rare.