The Stupid Axle Questions Thread

[am92]

What is it out of? if its out of an OBS then you'll have to move either shock mounts or spring perches or both for it to work on the NBS

 

[Darkrider]

What is it out of? if its out of an OBS then you'll have to move either shock mounts or spring perches or both for it to work on the NBS

It's out of a '95 ecsb...same truck that my trucks engine came out of.

Sent from a padded cell in the secure ward.....trying to avoid the shock therapy...

 

[kewljay223]

thank you guys for all the awesome replies. thats good news that it will be a fairly simple swap. you all are so knowledgeable. bad ass froum for sure. a couple more questions tho.... you say a u joint swap (im guessing you mean pumpkin side in order to match existing on drive shaft).... why? does it come with a bigger one im assuming?? if so, wouldnt it be better to change the yolk on the tranny side to match in order to eliminate problems with breakage or is there a reason for going the other route. and second question, is the 14 bolt the same width as the 10 bolt (2wd btw)??? if its wider, i might have to be worried about back spacing since im dropped.....

 

[am92]

thank you guys for all the awesome replies. thats good news that it will be a fairly simple swap. you all are so knowledgeable. bad ass froum for sure. a couple more questions tho.... you say a u joint swap (im guessing you mean pumpkin side in order to match existing on drive shaft).... why? does it come with a bigger one im assuming?? if so, wouldnt it be better to change the yolk on the tranny side to match in order to eliminate problems with breakage or is there a reason for going the other route. and second question, is the 14 bolt the same width as the 10 bolt (2wd btw)??? if its wider, i might have to be worried about back spacing since im dropped.....

Yeah the u-joint for the 14 bolt yoke is a 1350 while the joint for your driveshaft is a 1310. Some people have swapped the yokes from their old axle onto the 14 bolt if you don't want to get the conversion joint, but you have to be careful about the crush sleeve if you do that. I'm just going with the conversion joint because its easy... a 14 bolt out of a 2wd will be the same width as yours, but one out of a 4wd will be about 3" wider

 

[91ChevyZ71]

I looked through this thread and searched using a few different words so
my bad if this has been covered before. Just wanted to pass on this info.

GM changed the rear end bearing sizes on at least the 1/2 ton trucks, maybe
the heavy duty trucks also, beginning in '99 ... I think. Here is what I ran into
when I installed a '99 ... I think ... GM 1/2 ton truck posi (complete carrier) into
my '91 Chevy Z71 1/2 ton 8.5 inch 10 bolt rear end.

Here is the info from the posi unit:
GM – 8.5 inch – 10 bolt – 30-spline posi unit.
149 – Stamped on end of case opposite the ring gear.
9L08 & WF1 – Stamped on ring gear end.


To make a '99 (I think) or newer Chevy/GMC half ton Eaton Posi/Carrier work
in an older truck (like my '91 K1500 Z71) use the following bearings:

Timken Part Number: LM102949 - Cone
Timken Part Number: LM102911 - Race

Timken F.Y.I.:

LM501349 Cone - 1.6250 Bore
LM501314 Cup - 2.8910 OD
Bearing Width - 0.8437

LM603049 Cone - 1.7812 Bore
LM603012 Cup - 3.0625 OD
Bearing Width - 0.8437

LM102949 Cone - 1.7812 Bore
LM102911 Cup - 2.8910 OD
Bearing Width - 0.8437

I needed LM102949 & LM102911 to make a later model Eaton Posi
(10-bolt - 8.5 inch - 30-spline) work in my '91 Chevy Z71.

 

[overdrive327s10]

Thats the info im looking for thanks alot man! I will check all the bearings before i start to see what i have, It should hold up just fine till i swap to the 12 bolt and d44 i have with 4:10s.

 

[lio45]

My turn with my dumb question...

I have a 1995 K1500 with the 6.5, 4L80-E, and the 14-bolt 6-lug rear with 3.73's. It had a mounting spot installed in the bed for a gooseneck hitch plate when I bought it five years ago, and I've done plenty of towing since, both with the bumper-mounted ball and the bed mounting spot (in addition to the gooseneck plate, I did buy a fifth wheel hitch since then and I managed to tow a 35-ft camper with it a few times...)

I love the truck but it's definitely borderline for towing as it is.

I wonder if I can... get the axles from a junkyard 3500 dually and put them there? Besides the obvious fact I'd need rear fenders...

 

[outalne94z71]

My turn with my dumb question...

I have a 1995 K1500 with the 6.5, 4L80-E, and the 14-bolt 6-lug rear with 3.73's. It had a mounting spot installed in the bed for a gooseneck hitch plate when I bought it five years ago, and I've done plenty of towing since, both with the bumper-mounted ball and the bed mounting spot (in addition to the gooseneck plate, I did buy a fifth wheel hitch since then and I managed to tow a 35-ft camper with it a few times...)

I love the truck but it's definitely borderline for towing as it is.

I wonder if I can... get the axles from a junkyard 3500 dually and put them there? Besides the obvious fact I'd need rear fenders...

you want dually axles from a 6.5 truck, they have 4:10 gear, pretty sure the rear bolts in pretty much as you already have the 1350 ujoints, the front is just bolt on hub extensions but in your case you have 6 lug so you cannot swap the front to dually

the 6.5 really was not built all that much for towing as it was for fuel mileage, the 6.5 dually is only rated for 6800# if i remember right

 

[Wagonbacker9]

you want dually axles from a 6.5 truck, they have 4:10 gear, yes it bolts in pretty much as you already have the 1350 ujoints, the front is just bolt on hub extensions.

the 6.5 really was not built all that much for towing as it was for fuel mileage, the 6.5 dually is only rated for 6800# if i remember right

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are not extensions available to get from 6 lug single tire to 8 lug dually, so he'd need to convert over to an 8 lug or just leave the front as is and carry 2 spares (or not..)

To your other point though, yeah, they're not tow-pigs.. so depending on your budget you may just want to get a different platform. I'm not in the 6.5l hater club but if towing is your primary purpose for the truck, you may want to consider other directions.

 

[outalne94z71]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are not extensions available to get from 6 lug single tire to 8 lug dually, so he'd need to convert over to an 8 lug or just leave the front as is and carry 2 spares (or not..)

To your other point though, yeah, they're not tow-pigs.. so depending on your budget you may just want to get a different platform. I'm not in the 6.5l hater club but if towing is your primary purpose for the truck, you may want to consider other directions.

had a brain fart on him having a 1500 so was editing as you posted

also switching axles really does nothing for what the frame or suspension can handle