1500 to 2500 Axle Swap

[Chris Steele]

Hi guys.
Sorry if this has been covered before.

Looking to swap the rear end (complete axle) of my 97 Suburban. It's completely stock but shot. Would like to put in a 2500 rear end, realizing I'm going from 6 lug to 8 what other issues are their.

I have a 4x4 with the 3.73 but other than getting the same ratio is it straight forward.

Will any era 97 2500 rear fit. IE. Pickup, Van, etc, etc.

Thanks a bunch.
Chris.

 

[shovelbill]

you want the rear from a light duty 6 lug 2500 or an F44 spec 1/2 ton.......it'll be a 14 bolt semi-floater and it can be had with 3.73's and probably a G80 locker(which is much stronger than the unit in the 10 bolts)

you'll have to change the comp valve for the anti lock brakes too, i believe. you'll turn it into the JB6 braking system from your current JB5.

 

[Chris Steele]

Thanks for the reply. Can you point me in the right direction of the light duty 2500 axles. Seems all I can find are 8 lug ones.

What body styles and years. If anyone reading this had one for sale, I'm interested.

Thanks.

 

[df2x4]

Thanks for the reply. Can you point me in the right direction of the light duty 2500 axles. Seems all I can find are 8 lug ones.

What body styles and years. If anyone reading this had one for sale, I'm interested.

Thanks.

You'll actually want an axle from a K1500 truck. Some of them got six lug 14 bolt SF axles. Year shouldn't matter as long as it's a GMT400.

2WD and 4WD axles are different widths, so don't grab one from a C2500.

Run a search here:
http://www.car-part.com

Look for a '97 1500 series Chevy truck rear axle. Anything that comes up as a 4x4 axle with a 14 bolt cover should be what you're looking for.

 

[burnhedge]

Not sure where the width differences come into play, but the 14 bolt I put in my 88 k1500 came from a 94 c2500. No width difference, bolted right in.



Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

 

[Stokes1114]

The width difference is the overall wms number. The c series ARE narrower than the 4×4's.