1996 Chevy C 1500 vortec 5.7 Rotor and Hub question

[1998_K1500_Sub]

Does anyone know if the calipers on a 1996 Chevy C1500 are the same as the ones on a 1996 Chevy K1500?

RockAuto's database seems to indicate "yes", see attached.

RAYBESTOS FRC4418C

Results may be incomplete due to size of result set

CADILLAC	60 SPECIAL	1993
CADILLAC	COMMERCIAL CHASSIS	1992
CADILLAC	DEVILLE	1990-1999
CADILLAC	ESCALADE	1999-2000
CADILLAC	FLEETWOOD	1990-1992
CHEVROLET	ASTRO	1990-2002
CHEVROLET	BLAZER	1992-1994
CHEVROLET	C1500 PICKUP	1988-1999
CHEVROLET	C1500 SUBURBAN	1992-1997
CHEVROLET	C2500 PICKUP	1988-1999
CHEVROLET	C2500 SUBURBAN	1992-1997
CHEVROLET	EXPRESS 1500	1996-2002
CHEVROLET	EXPRESS 2500	1996-2002
CHEVROLET	K1500 PICKUP	1988-1998
CHEVROLET	K1500 SUBURBAN	1992-1999
CHEVROLET	K2500 PICKUP	1988-1998
CHEVROLET	K2500 SUBURBAN	1992-1997
CHEVROLET	SILVERADO 1500	1999
CHEVROLET	TAHOE	1995-2000
DODGE	RAM 1500 PICKUP	1994-1999
GMC	C1500 PICKUP	1988-1998
GMC	C1500 SUBURBAN	1992-1999
GMC	C2500 PICKUP	1988-1998
GMC	C2500 SUBURBAN	1992-1997
GMC	K1500 PICKUP	1988-1999
GMC	K1500 SUBURBAN	1992-1999
GMC	K2500 PICKUP	1988-1997
GMC	K2500 SUBURBAN	1992-1997
GMC	SAFARI	1990-2002
GMC	SAVANA 1500	1996-2002
GMC	SAVANA 2500	1996-2002
GMC	YUKON	1992-1999

Please refer to catalog for application details.

 

[Schurkey]

Six lug c-clip axles are also available for the rear, not horribly expensive, way cheaper and less headache than swapping the rear end out! This would also give you fresh surfaces for the wheel seals, which are in probability leaking a bit already. Would also be a good time for the hallowed rear disc swap, if it interests you.

But that doesn't fix the inherent problem (weakness) of the 8.5" "10-bolt" ring gear axle.

Slap a 9.5" "14-bolt semi-float" ring gear axle in there, you get startlingly better rear drum brakes, a stronger axle, and the single "oddball" part needed is a U-joint on the driveshaft/pinion yoke.

I saw a couple options but swaping out the axels with 6 lugs makes the most sense. Then I have to figure out a bolt on rotor kit to complete the build. Question is... will the original C1500 axel housing and gears be good enough ? Im not going mountain climbing or any crazy lifts.

The 8.5" rear axle was originally used on compact and intermediate cars. GM didn't put them under full-size cars until the full-size cars were "downsized" to what used to be "intermediate" size.

GM had NO BUSINESS putting them under a full-size pickup; and the leading/trailing shoe brake design should have gotten them sued.

"Upgrading" the rear brakes to what passes for aftermarket "engineered" rear discs solves one of the two problems, but creates a different one. The caliper brackets can be junk that mis-uses the floating-caliper "pins" as structural members taking the full torque of the caliper.

There may be other disc conversions that aren't so dangerous. I've never researched them because the 11.x Duo-Servo drums are perfectly adequate and Treasure-Yard cheap.

Does anyone know if the calipers on a 1996 Chevy C1500 are the same as the ones on a 1996 Chevy K1500?

If both trucks have either JB/JD 5 or JB/JD 6 brake system, yes.

 

[OBS Oregon]

RockAuto's database seems to indicate "yes", see attached.

RAYBESTOS FRC4418C

Results may be incomplete due to size of result set

CADILLAC	60 SPECIAL	1993
CADILLAC	COMMERCIAL CHASSIS	1992
CADILLAC	DEVILLE	1990-1999
CADILLAC	ESCALADE	1999-2000
CADILLAC	FLEETWOOD	1990-1992
CHEVROLET	ASTRO	1990-2002
CHEVROLET	BLAZER	1992-1994
CHEVROLET	C1500 PICKUP	1988-1999
CHEVROLET	C1500 SUBURBAN	1992-1997
CHEVROLET	C2500 PICKUP	1988-1999
CHEVROLET	C2500 SUBURBAN	1992-1997
CHEVROLET	EXPRESS 1500	1996-2002
CHEVROLET	EXPRESS 2500	1996-2002
CHEVROLET	K1500 PICKUP	1988-1998
CHEVROLET	K1500 SUBURBAN	1992-1999
CHEVROLET	K2500 PICKUP	1988-1998
CHEVROLET	K2500 SUBURBAN	1992-1997
CHEVROLET	SILVERADO 1500	1999
CHEVROLET	TAHOE	1995-2000
DODGE	RAM 1500 PICKUP	1994-1999
GMC	C1500 PICKUP	1988-1998
GMC	C1500 SUBURBAN	1992-1999
GMC	C2500 PICKUP	1988-1998
GMC	C2500 SUBURBAN	1992-1997
GMC	K1500 PICKUP	1988-1999
GMC	K1500 SUBURBAN	1992-1999
GMC	K2500 PICKUP	1988-1997
GMC	K2500 SUBURBAN	1992-1997
GMC	SAFARI	1990-2002
GMC	SAVANA 1500	1996-2002
GMC	SAVANA 2500	1996-2002
GMC	YUKON	1992-1999

Please refer to catalog for application details.

Awsome thanks

 

[OBS Oregon]

But that doesn't fix the inherent problem (weakness) of the 8.5" "10-bolt" ring gear axle.

Slap a 9.5" "14-bolt semi-float" ring gear axle in there, you get startlingly better rear drum brakes, a stronger axle, and the single "oddball" part needed is a U-joint on the driveshaft/pinion yoke.


The 8.5" rear axle was originally used on compact and intermediate cars. GM didn't put them under full-size cars until the full-size cars were "downsized" to what used to be "intermediate" size.

GM had NO BUSINESS putting them under a full-size pickup; and the leading/trailing shoe brake design should have gotten them sued.

"Upgrading" the rear brakes to what passes for aftermarket "engineered" rear discs solves one of the two problems, but creates a different one. The caliper brackets can be junk that mis-uses the floating-caliper "pins" as structural members taking the full torque of the caliper.

There may be other disc conversions that aren't so dangerous. I've never researched them because the 11.x Duo-Servo drums are perfectly adequate and Treasure-Yard cheap.


If both trucks have either JB/JD 5 or JB/JD 6 brake system, yes.

Thanks for the advice... I like the option of getting the c2500 rear end with larger drum brakes then buying the disk brake conversion kit. Two bone yards within a mile or two from me.

 

[OBS Oregon]

Frickin' EXCELLENT!

You already have 6-lug wheels, and you've got the matching 6-lug hubs/rotors in front.

You're ALL SET to scrap the crappy half-ton rear axle with horrible rear brakes for a 6-lug C2500 9.5" ring-gear axle having bigger, 11.130 Duo-Servo rear brakes. You'll need a conversion rear U-joint and fresh U-bolts to do the swap.

Question... what vehicle years should I be looking for that would have the "6-lug C2500 9.5" ring-gear axle having bigger, 11.130 Duo-Servo rear brakes"?

 

[Schurkey]

So far as I know...all of the 6-lug GMT400-series C2500s '88--'98. You may want to research axle interchangeability between C and K, and suburban/van/Tahoe, etc. At least in some weight ranges, C and K are different widths; I don't know if that still applies in the 2500 and 3500 ranges; or how things work for installing a Treasure Yard Van axle under a pickup, etc.

I don't think any of the 2500s came with the crappy 8.5" axle; and only the cheap axle got the crappy brakes. Note that a few of the 8.5 axles came with bigger brakes on the SUVs and maybe with an optional towing package on the pickups. But most pickup 8.5s also had the terrible 254mm leading/trailing shoe drums.

So your limiting factor is that the 8-lug trucks of C2500 or C3500 could have a 9.5" axle, or a 10.5 full-float axle, and the very-rare C3500HD had the 11.5" Dana axle. You don't want an 8-lug axle. But show me a 6-lug C2500, and it should have the 9.5" 14-bolt semi-float with the 11.x Duo-Servo brakes you're looking for. A 6-lug K2500 may or may not be an incorrect width but otherwise the same.

You probably want to keep the existing gear ratio; but you could use the axle-swap as an opportunity to change rear gear ratio as well. Then you re-program and revise to get the speedo to work properly, and keep the ABS happy, etc.

It took me a couple of years to find a six-lug K2500 axle for my K1500; but I needed a less-popular gear ratio, and I insisted on G80 "locking" differential.

 

[OBS Oregon]

So far as I know...all of the 6-lug GMT400-series C2500s '88--'98. You may want to research axle interchangeability between C and K, and suburban/van/Tahoe, etc. At least in some weight ranges, C and K are different widths; I don't know if that still applies in the 2500 and 3500 ranges; or how things work for installing a Treasure Yard Van axle under a pickup, etc.

I don't think any of the 2500s came with the crappy 8.5" axle; and only the cheap axle got the crappy brakes. Note that a few of the 8.5 axles came with bigger brakes on the SUVs and maybe with an optional towing package on the pickups. But most pickup 8.5s also had the terrible 254mm leading/trailing shoe drums.

So your limiting factor is that the 8-lug trucks of C2500 or C3500 could have a 9.5" axle, or a 10.5 full-float axle, and the very-rare C3500HD had the 11.5" Dana axle. You don't want an 8-lug axle. But show me a 6-lug C2500, and it should have the 9.5" 14-bolt semi-float with the 11.x Duo-Servo brakes you're looking for. A 6-lug K2500 may or may not be an incorrect width but otherwise the same.

You probably want to keep the existing gear ratio; but you could use the axle-swap as an opportunity to change rear gear ratio as well. Then you re-program and revise to get the speedo to work properly, and keep the ABS happy, etc.

It took me a couple of years to find a six-lug K2500 axle for my K1500; but I needed a less-popular gear ratio, and I insisted on G80 "locking" differential.

Awsome! I have been doing some research on a few other sites about the 2500 to 1500 axle swap. And even back in 2006 they were having difficulty in finding the correct one. I'm reading and learning about the RPO codes and what to look for. You wouldn't believe how often I find myself counting lug nuts on OBS Chevy's. (LOL) This is definately addicting.

 

[1998_K1500_Sub]

It took me a couple of years to find a six-lug K2500 axle for my K1500; but I needed a less-popular gear ratio

What are the common gear ratios, if you recollect?

 

[Schurkey]

I wanted 3.42 to match the front diff of my K1500. The K2500s were usually 3.73; sometimes 4.10. I found exactly one 3.42 with G80; and I bought it. The price wasn't bad, but I had to drive 700 miles round-trip to bring it home.

I don't know if C2500 axles also tend to be 3.73; maybe 3.42 is as common.

 

[OBS Oregon]

I wanted 3.42 to match the front diff of my K1500. The K2500s were usually 3.73; sometimes 4.10. I found exactly one 3.42 with G80; and I bought it. The price wasn't bad, but I had to drive 700 miles round-trip to bring it home.

I don't know if C2500 axles also tend to be 3.73; maybe 3.42 is as common.

Well I found a rear axle - "1997 GM 14 bolt complete six lug axle with 3.42 gears and open diff" that a guy is selling local for $200 Its already off the truck but unsure of which model it came from. I'm guessing is a GU6 rpo code and most likely G80 too. He did say it was a 4x2 work truck so I'm thinking the width should be the same as mine [1996 C1500 silverado]
Any suggestions?