14 Bolt FF rear axle rarity

[HerpDerp1919]

How rare are these 14 bolt FF rear axles? I'm just curious as I plan to swap my body onto a 2500/3500 frame at some point and I have heard that these 14 Bolt FF axles are the bees knees for a GMT400 and a junkyard near me has two trucks with them in there. If they are reasonably difficult to find I may go snag both of them because the yard only charges $200 each. Would be good to have one for my frame swap and possibly one to sell a member on here and get them a deal as well. But if they're reasonably easy to find, I'll just hold off as that would be one more thing to transport when I move back to MN in January.

 

[stutaeng]

How rare are these 14 bolt FF rear axles? I'm just curious as I plan to swap my body onto a 2500/3500 frame at some point and I have heard that these 14 Bolt FF axles are the bees knees for a GMT400 and a junkyard near me has two trucks with them in there. If they are reasonably difficult to find I may go snag both of them because the yard only charges $200 each. Would be good to have one for my frame swap and possibly one to sell a member on here and get them a deal as well. But if they're reasonably easy to find, I'll just hold off as that would be one more thing to transport when I move back to MN in January.

Around here from GMT400s:

8 lug 14 bolt are everywhere (both 9.5" semifloat and 10.5" full float version). $200 for either is a good price. Do you know what ratio they are? 3.73s and 4.10s were common on the late GMT400s. Some had the G80 also.

6 lug 14 bolt (also 9.5" semifloat) are a bit more rare, but still out there. They came in 2500 with 6 lug wheels.

5 lug 14 bolt (also 9.5" semifloat) are RARE. They only came in the 454SS

Sounds like you are looking for the 8 lug, right?

 

[454cid]

Not rare at all. GM starting using them in 1973, I think.

$200 sounds like a pretty good price, Though. If they're the version with slide off drums (RPO code JB8) those would be great to grab, as many of the 14BFF had the drums held onto the back of the hubs, so the hub/axles have to come off to get to the brakes. JB8 also uses the wider shoes.

 

[HerpDerp1919]

I am looking at two 8 lug trucks and would be looking for an 8 lug axle. Unsure of the ratio as I didn't look that closely as I was in a time crunch and was just there for a few odd parts. But if they were worth the messing around in a junkyard to yank them I was going to go back for them this weekend. I need to do some research into the center console swap out of a newer burb tahoe that I want so I might go back for those parts and look closer at the axles. But if they're not hard to find, I wont mess with it as I'll have to transport em across the country and not sure if either of them are good.

 

[RichLo]

Unless they have the slide-off drums, dont bother dragging them across country. They are still plentiful up here, 1-ton trucks rust out well before their axle is bad. And most junkyards torch out heavy duty axles before they crush the trucks.

 

[DonYukon]

Axle prices vary upon locations. honestly the 14 bolts dont fetch huge prices at least that ive seen. the most expensive ive come across wherearound 6-700 for junkyard axles. also depends as stated above the type of 14 bolt

 

[stutaeng]

A better swap on the GMT400s would be a GMT800/900 14 bolt 9.5"/10.5" with discs. They also made a 11.5" version of that axle on the diesel/late BBC.

I picked up a 10.5" for pretty cheap last year ($180 or so), not sure if I would try to do that swap on my GMT400 K3500 SRW. I know it's been done, but I really don't know much about brakes, proportioning valves and stuff like that to go from drums to discs. Maybe I need to look into getting some sponsors for the swap or something, LOL.

 

[Supercharged111]

A better swap on the GMT400s would be a GMT800/900 14 bolt 9.5"/10.5" with discs. They also made a 11.5" version of that axle on the diesel/late BBC.

I picked up a 10.5" for pretty cheap last year ($180 or so), not sure if I would try to do that swap on my GMT400 K3500 SRW. I know it's been done, but I really don't know much about brakes, proportioning valves and stuff like that to go from drums to discs. Maybe I need to look into getting some sponsors for the swap or something, LOL.

The factory drum brakes work so well on the big axles, I don't know why you'd want for more.

 

[stutaeng]

The factory drum brakes work so well on the big axles, I don't know why you'd want for more.

That's why it's not on my high priority list. My brakes work fine. I'm a "don't fix $hit that ain't broke!" guy, LOL.

But I've never owned a vehicle with drums, so they intimidate me...actually, I've never replaced drum shoes in my life. Then there's the pressed vs slide-off drums. I don't which I have on the rears. And I didn't know the front rotors don't just slide off like the later trucks until recently!

 

[454cid]

I'd rather have the 10.5 than the 11.5.....more weight. Still uses the 10.5" hubs, no third pinion bearing.