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10 bolt axles... How strong?

crashandburn

crashandburn

1/2 ton status
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Ok, ok, I know they aren't very strong. But I have a build bouncing around in my head and I wonder if realistically I would need more axle.
My idea is a square body 2 door S10 blazer with an SAS and full width axles, 35s, maybe an exocage. Why, you ask?

Perfect 100" wheelbase
Light weight
4.3 is reliable and makes decent power (for a V6)
700R4 plenty stout for the application and readily accepts a better t-case
Cheap, plentiful parts
CHEAP BUILD!
Can easily accept a 350 if I get bored with the 4.3 or blow it up
Also because I just built a big garage and installed a 2 post lift, and I got the itch, but spent pretty much all my money on it, so back to the cheap part.

Anyways, with a light truck, powered by a V6, would 10 bolt axles hold up RELIABLY, with 35s and lockers, bouncing through the Colorado rocks?
 
That's a cool build, and man can that guy fab!
Only thing is, he was running a 12 bolt/D44 combo. That combo is certainly not out of the question, but 10 bolts are so much easier to find, I think.
 
crashandburn said:
That's a cool build, and man can that guy fab!
Only thing is, he was running a 12 bolt/D44 combo. That combo is certainly not out of the question, but 10 bolts are so much easier to find, I think.
Click to expand...

Very little difference in strength between the two sets of axles.
 
Ok, that helps. This truck looks like it was built to be pounded on. I plan on wheeling mine pretty hard, but not like competition level or anything.
 
10 bolts really aren't that bad IMO. If your not runnin a huge tar they seem to hold up except for that awesome g80 :haha:
 
I run a 10 bolt front, open. Currie 9" rear. The only thing I have done is bent the housing. Most guys here will tell you I use it hard. But I take it eady in the rocks. Truck weighs in at 7k pounds and sits on 35's.

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I think what helps Wade too is his front is still open. I will say I have never really had problems with 10 bolts on the front. The rear I have blown a lot out. Anything from C-clips going to actual ring and pinion carnage. But my brother did have a 10 bolt rear with a lock-right on 35x15.5x15 SX's on his rig for a while and never had a problem. He didn't really wheel it that hard with that set up though. Then he went 2.5 rockwells and 44's....that's a little differnet story :D
 
Depends on your driving style.

I wheeled a 12b/D44 combo (blazer w/ 35's) for many years through CO and Moab without breaking.
 
I think it would hold up pretty decent in that application. My '90 K5 was wheeled for many years on 35's with the 10-bolts. The rear was the 30-spline axle shaft version and had a TrueTrac. Didn't beat on it but was used fairly hard. Did break a few front axle shaft u-joints but it was always with the front tires cranked to one side and the tire down in a rut, so it was bound up pretty hard. After I adjusted my driving style to avoid that type of situation I ran it for several years without an issue.

In your application the vehicle should be lighter, has a V-6, and the auto trans helps also. I see lots of Jeeps running D44 axles that are surviving reasonably well with more power, more tire, and probably about the same vehicle weight. As said above the 10-bolt and D44 axles are basically the same in overall strength. Carry a spare rear axleshaft, and actually make sure you have the correct tools and knowledge to change it. You can carry spare front shafts also but usually the worst thing to happen is you are back to 2wd if the front breaks. Breaking the rear shaft basically immobilizes the vehicle, or at least makes it a huge PITA to move.

I would suggest going ahead and upgrading the rear axle. You can get a 14FF or 14SF pretty cheap and then just install/upgrade to an 8-lug front 10-bolt axle. The 8-lug 14SF rear axles are usually dirt cheap and easy to find because they are not that popular, but substantially stronger than a rear 10-bolt. Also, going ahead and getting 8 lug wheels means it is one step easier and cheaper down the road if you decide to get bigger tire and thus upgrade the axles.
 
I hadn't even thought about a 9.5", are they heavy compared to the 10 bolt? I read somewhere that the 10.5" is like 600 lbs. I can move around the 10 bolt in my Skylark myself. When the time comes, I'll see if I can dig up a SF in the junkyard.
 
I think 10 bolts would hold up for this application pretty well, too. Keep the tires in the 35" range, which would actually look pretty big under an s10.

Only real downside is the rear axles aren't full float and tend to walk out if you break one.
 
crashandburn said:
I hadn't even thought about a 9.5", are they heavy compared to the 10 bolt? I read somewhere that the 10.5" is like 600 lbs. I can move around the 10 bolt in my Skylark myself. When the time comes, I'll see if I can dig up a SF in the junkyard.
Click to expand...

Its a lot heavier... I don't know an exact weight, but when I did the axle swap in my truck I could move the 10 bolt by myself but really struggled to move the 14. This had the 13 inch brakes on it as well, which obviously didn't help.
 
I'd probably have done a 14ff if I was going to go 8 lug. The only reason I did the sf was to keep 6 lug.

Parts are more expensive for them for some reason. Price out a 14ff and a 14sf detroit and tell me I'm wrong :whistle: :doah:

Plus the 14ff is so easy to re gear.
 
I am not a fan of the rear 10 bolt. I realize you give up clearance with a 9.5" sf. But the shaft size difference is substantial


 
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