Upgrade to Solid Shaft on Passenger side front diff in K2500

[freeze]

The first 89-98 k1500 kit is currently being machined and should be done at the end of the week, or maybe the end of next week. Not only will it eliminate the failure prone actuator, and the weak slide collar, but it will be stronger than the stock two-piece axle. We can offer is the kit at a substantially reduced price to one person who will test and document its performance with videos and pictures. If there are any problems with the shaft we will refund the full amount the tester paid for the kit plus shipping both ways. We know that this shaft will be stronger than the stock shaft, but are also interested to see how much stronger. If there is someone out there who is interested in testing this product to failure and catch it on video that would be a huge plus. If you have any questions or would like to test the first k1500 shaft, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

 

[Tempted]

If I read correctly, you are attempting to do away with the inner housing and shaft, leaving only the diff case, just like pulling the tubes out of a solid axle. There are a few reasons this can't work well and they are why nobody has marketed one. First off, they mount to chassis. These cases are already weak enough, removing that mounting point will make it worse. Next the decreased angle of the outer shaft will have clearance issues with the control arm when the suspension is at full extension. The longer shaft itself will be exposed to more abuse and possible hazards by being lowered towards the ground and by having the entire shaft exposed instead of being tucked up away from danger. The shaft will also be much weaker due to the longer single piece. Like breaking a pencil, the shorter it is the harder to break. Lastly you would have to shorten the control arm or widen the fenders if you want the wheels to remain under the body. Using an axle with less of an angle means that tire will extend farther out when the truck is sitting level. The housing is there because it strengthens the system. It would have been cheaper for GM to use a long/short, but it wouldn't have worked well. The best design to use a long/short is like the Ford TTB and it is just plain awful. I don't mean to criticize or shoot you down but I wouldn't count on this as an upgrade. The reason a long/short can work on some cars because they don't have the suspension travel that the trucks do. They don't have to worry about the geometry on full extension/compression.

 

[freeze]

I think I may have done a poor job explaining this new product. Thank you Tempted for posting, because I am sure others were thinking the same thing. We are not, if fact, getting rid of the axel tube that bolts to the diff and to the frame. Once you instal the kit, your front end will look exactly the same as it did. The only difference you will be able to see is: there will be a plug instead of the 4 wheel drive actuator in the housing. This picture may clear up some confusion: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b... Bravada Front Diff pics/BravadaAxleStuff.jpg. It is a picture of an S-10 passenger side axel tube, and below it is a passenger side axel tube from an Oldsmobile Bravada. Because the bravada has AWD, there is no need for an actuator, therefore GM used a one piece shaft instead of a two peice shaft. A lot of S-10 guys will swap their own two piece with the bravada one piece. Our kit meerly allows you to do this in your GMT400 K1500.

 

[MIHELA]

So this permanently locks in the front axle. Interesting.

 

[Tempted]

No, it looks like he is using the cable actuated kit you can buy.

 

[bggrnchvy]

This kit will get rid of the problems associated with the 4 wheel drive actuator failing and the slide collar exploding, both which are common documented problems. So let me know what you guys think! Thanks for the input.

I've actually never heard of a GMT400 blowing a slide collar.

The posi-lock does the same thing, eliminate the factory actuator, at a price point you're not going to be able to touch. It also allows you to keep the front driveshaft, pinion and carrier from dragging down the road hurting mpg by the .5-1mpg.

The inner shafts are probably the strongest part of the entire front end, far and away stronger than the case itself. I don't think you're solving anything on this platform going to a 1 peice shaft.

 

[Tempted]

I don't think you're solving anything on this platform going to a 1 peice shaft.

I didn't want to put it that way, but yeah.

By the way, your sig pic might be the greatest of all time.

 

[freeze]

Our company is in the process of fabricating these passenger stub shafts for the 7.25, 8.25, and the 9.25 front GM IFS. Our initial idea was to produce these shafts for the one ton trucks only, because the one tons are more likely to see hard wheeling and truck pulls. The modified Duramax puts a lot of stress on the front end and has been known to break axles and slide collars. Not only does this kit eliminate the slide collar and actuator, but the axle is machined from 1541H alloy steel, which is about 25% stronger than the stock axles. After designing the kit for the one tons, we decided that this kit would be a nice feature that would greatly add to the reliability of smaller trucks that are constantly beat on.


It is a fact that we will not be able to touch the price of a posi-lock. But when you look at the larger picture, the price can seem much more reasonable. A posi-lock can typically go for $150. However, a replacement slide collar can go for $425 (http://allseasondieselperformance.c...ath=75&zenid=9594265c9e5426d3c07e6513af6ad66c) and that is assuming the fragments haven’t ruined anything. Our kit will sell for about $260 to $280 which is more than a posi-lock, but you will have the peace of mind knowing your four wheel drive is significantly more reliable.


Our company believes that the IFS has a lot to offer that the solid axle swapped trucks do not. A few advantages are significantly better high speed handling and a superior ride quality. I can verify this having owned both a solid front axle Chevy, and a Chevy with IFS. Our company mission is to offer products to consumers who also recognize the IFS advantage that will make the IFS just as strong and reliable as a Solid Axle. We are currently working on stronger bolt on tie rod systems for the GMT 400, so keep your eyes out for those.


So for those of us who elect to keep the IFS and actually wheel it hard, this product will greatly enhance the reliability of our rigs. Strengthening the front end will also be a huge advantage especially since the Duramax swap into the GMT 400s is becoming more and more common.

 

[freeze]

Our S-10 shafts are currently for sale on Synergy Offroad. http://shop.synergyoffroad.com/Bravada-One-Piece-Axle-Shaft-for-GM-725-ZR2-BravadaShaft.htm

 

[bggrnchvy]

Our company is in the process of fabricating these passenger stub shafts for the 7.25, 8.25, and the 9.25 front GM IFS. Our initial idea was to produce these shafts for the one ton trucks only, because the one tons are more likely to see hard wheeling and truck pulls. The modified Duramax puts a lot of stress on the front end and has been known to break axles and slide collars. Not only does this kit eliminate the slide collar and actuator, but the axle is machined from 1541H alloy steel, which is about 25% stronger than the stock axles. After designing the kit for the one tons, we decided that this kit would be a nice feature that would greatly add to the reliability of smaller trucks that are constantly beat on.


It is a fact that we will not be able to touch the price of a posi-lock. But when you look at the larger picture, the price can seem much more reasonable. A posi-lock can typically go for $150. However, a replacement slide collar can go for $425 (http://allseasondieselperformance.c...ath=75&zenid=9594265c9e5426d3c07e6513af6ad66c) and that is assuming the fragments haven’t ruined anything. Our kit will sell for about $260 to $280 which is more than a posi-lock, but you will have the peace of mind knowing your four wheel drive is significantly more reliable.


Our company believes that the IFS has a lot to offer that the solid axle swapped trucks do not. A few advantages are significantly better high speed handling and a superior ride quality. I can verify this having owned both a solid front axle Chevy, and a Chevy with IFS. Our company mission is to offer products to consumers who also recognize the IFS advantage that will make the IFS just as strong and reliable as a Solid Axle. We are currently working on stronger bolt on tie rod systems for the GMT 400, so keep your eyes out for those.


So for those of us who elect to keep the IFS and actually wheel it hard, this product will greatly enhance the reliability of our rigs. Strengthening the front end will also be a huge advantage especially since the Duramax swap into the GMT 400s is becoming more and more common.

I made no mention nor suggested the viability of your product being linked to aftermarket modification above and beyond the average person. I certainly didn't taint my response with my personal choice of extreme modification.

I simply said GMT400's don't break shaft collars, which I believe you just confirmed.

I also said you can't meet the posi-lock price point, which you confirmed, which would be about the only use of a single peice shaft on this platform I could find.

Yes, going from 1050 to 1541H is going to increase the strength of the shaft. The thing is the shafts aren't the failure point. If you were marketing a nodular cast iron differential housing, like what GM already made for the H3, I could see benefit. Here all you're doing is suggesting this product will add longevity to a system plagued with problems you're not addressing.

In summary, I think you're product will sell well amongst the Duramax pulling and drag crowd. I get that because of the interchangeability you would like to sell to GMT400 owners as well. I myself don't see this as a gain in any sense myself aside from the niche market mentioned previously.