Why is my shop so reluctant to do a 10 bolt to 14 bolt swap?

[Boots97]

if you have confidence in them go for it, All I was saying is that "IF" the rear you supply howls like a coyote, you can't expect them to do another one without doubling the costs.

Yes I know that and it's a bit of a risk, but I would be paying full price and I wouldn't be getting a warranty either way even if I got another 10 bolt rear installed. If I have to pay full price again to replace another rotted diff, I may as well get the one everyone here recommends.

 

[Hipster]

Yes I know that and it's a bit of a risk, but I would be paying full price and I wouldn't be getting a warranty either way even if I got another 10 bolt rear installed. If I have to pay full price again to replace another rotted diff, I may as well get the one everyone here recommends.

brother , I get that but by the same token I get that this is a saturday afternoon job, I'd like to see you spend no money on the install and it;s not like i've not done diy half hanging into the street ect.

 

[Illbedipped]

Hi Everyone,

I own a 1997 Chevrolet K1500 ECSB Z71 with the Vortec 5700

I just got off the phone with a Buick/GMC dealer that I go to whenever my truck needs repairs that I can't do myself. I've wanted to do a 10 bolt to 14 bolt swap and I found a donor truck in KS that I'm interested in. I gave the dealer the VIN number of the donor truck and they matched it up with my VIN. I got a call back saying that the rear ends didn't match (obviously) and I told them that I was expecting that and all they'll need for the swap is 2500/3500 U bolts, 2500/3500 U bolt plates, and a conversion U joint. They seemed a bit reluctant but willing to do it bc I was supplying all the parts. I got another call shortly later from the parts guy. He told me that they normally don't do swaps like this bc its "custom" but bc I've been a good and competent customer, they'd be willing to do this swap if I go over there and show him all the parts I have. I'm not sure why they're so concerned about this bc a 14 bolt rear axle was an option on the 1/2 tons and my donor truck is a 1996 Chevrolet K1500 ECSB 4x4 with a Vortec 5700. From what I've read on here, this shouldn't be a problem, but I don't know why they're being so reluctant?

A dealership is really focused on servicing newer cars. They don't do custom work. Find a local performance or independent repair shop and discuss your plan with the owner or manager. Dealers are there to sell new parts, not help you keep an old truck alive.

 

[Caman96]

Dealers are there to sell new parts, not help you keep an old truck alive.

His is. Actually, I bought my 96 off of a Chevrolet dealership and they replaced fuel pump before I purchased. Not the norm, but not unheard of completely.

 

[Boots97]

brother , I get that but by the same token I get that this is a saturday afternoon job, I'd like to see you spend no money on the install and it;s not like i've not done diy half hanging into the street ect.

I'm glad you understand. I don't like to pay money for an install either, but there's no way that I'll be able to move something as large and heavy as a rear diff by myself. My parents know almost nothing about cars and are in no mood to crawl under my truck and help me move such a large item around. My friend and I have fallen out as of late and I'm working on myself to become a better person before I try to reconnect with him.

My driveway also has a VERY steep slant to it. There's no way to raise my truck on it so I use ramps whenever I can. I can't get my truck to fit in my garage (too long) and I'm not leaving my garage door open bc we've had problems in the past of people stealing stuff out of my garage. I have a level pad of concrete on the side of my house that is BARELY large enough for me to do a tire rotation on. Whenever I jack up the truck, my jack starts to roll down as I'm jacking up more an more. thankfully, the cracks in the concrete are deep enough to catch the wheels of the jack, but it scares the s*** out of me every time.

 

[Boots97]

@Illbedipped @Caman96 Yeah my dealership will more or less work on any GM product regardless of age. That being said, my vehicle is usually the 2nd or 3rd oldest vehicle in the maintenance lot.

 

[Pro439]

It would have helped if you had said you have a steep driveway. Otherwise you could have just left the tires on the axle and rolled the whole thing out from under the truck. Get it outta your way and swap the tires to the other axle and roll it back under

 

[Boots97]

It would have helped if you had said you have a steep driveway. Otherwise you could have just left the tires on the axle and rolled the whole thing out from under the truck. Get it outta your way and swap the tires to the other axle and roll it back under

I thought about that too. But the problem I have is how do I load and unload something this large into a rental truck by myself? I don't have a hoist and I don't have a loader with forks either.

 

[Erik the Awful]

Lift it in one end at a time. Don't try and lift the full weight of the axle by yourself. Use carts, hoists, and jacks to your advantage.

I vote for DIY. I just swapped the 8.8 rear in my Mustang a few weeks ago by myself with no helpers. It took me six hours start to finish, but I was swapping identical axles. I also have a fair amount of experience, especially with Ford 8.8s. If I weren't experienced, I'd plan a full weekend.

In lieu of real people, floorjacks and jackstands are your best friends. To get my axle in place I propped up one end and got a jack under the pumpkin. Then I wheeled the axle where I needed it.

Stop and plan your lifting at each step. Use the leaf springs to your advantage. In my case I bolted on my lower control arms to keep my axle steady as I jacked it up to the third link.

I had a second jack handy, and that helped.

Do you know for sure if your new rearend uses the same u-joint? You don't want to get stuck waiting for parts.

My car has rear discs so I didn't have to bleed the brakes. Plan in that time.

Before you even start, run bolts through all the holes to make sure they're not full of rust. It took me forever to get my pinion shims right, so I'd put bolts into the driveshaft flange about a hundred times. Those bolts went in smooth!

 

[RichLo]

I did this by myself, and its way heavier than a SF...