10 bolt axles... How strong?

[badmix]

Im running beefed up 10bolt (strange chromoly axes, loc-rite locker and 4:10 gears with home made bolt on axle truss) Im on 33s. I dont beat on my truck and havent had any issues over the last 10years. I dont know how it would be with bigger tires and really ragging on it tho.

 

[AV8TER]

I guess it depends on how and where you run it. A 4.3 isn't the most powerful engine in the world so that helps. If you leave them open you should be ok. If you lock them and run very serious in the rock you stand a very good chance of breaking them. I see it happen now and then with guys I have ran with. I have broke two 10 bolt rears myself on blacktop just by flooring it (I do have a 400+ HP 454 in a K5 thou). You could always run them for now and keep your eyes open for a deal on a 9.5 inch 6 lug rear. They aren't as common as 8 lugs but they are out there and given enough time you may find one for a decent price. As others have pointed out if you break an axle in a semi-float GM the axle will come out with the wheel attached. Bum deal out in the middle of nowhere. You could go 14FF but that opens up more issues. You will need 8 lug wheels, they are heavy and ground clearance isn't as good. You can convert to disc brakes and loose some weight over the drums. I was able to convert mine to disc for about the same price as a brake job on the 13 inch drums. For clearance I did a full TMR shave and have 1/4 inch more clearance than I did with my 12 bolt. Food for thought, I did run a 12 bolt for 10 years after busting the two 10 bolts and it held up fine. Maybe you could find one of those.

 

[crashandburn]

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.

Stupid c-clips. The car version of the 8.5 is a semi floating axle (the 8.2 is not). I never understood the point of axle retention anywhere other than at the end of it. Not to mention the fact that a c-clip is easy enough to break by itself. You don't even have to break an axle to watch your wheel and axle roll past you.

 

[crashandburn]

Maybe I'll try to find a 6 lug 9.5 SF/ 10 bolt combo. Definitely want lockers on both ends, but I want to keep weight down. I feel like the front doesn't take as much of the stress as the rear does, and as others have said, worst case scenario with breaking a front axle, I put it in 2wd and go home. Maybe need the winch a little more.

 

[gonefishin]

I would think that the 10 bolt rear would be strong enough. Especially if you have chromo shafts. What about putting disc brakes on the rear to keep the Axle from sliding out if it breaks? I think that you can retrofit the newer disk brake setup from the later model trucks

 

[6.2Blazer]

The c-clip itself rarely ever is the true failure point and is a heck of a lot stronger than a pressed on bearing. The closest I have come to seeing a c-clip failure is something in the diff being very worn out and letting the c-clip walk out of the groove. There simply is very little force acting on the c-clip. On the other hand I have seen a couple flanged D44 rear axles lose a rear axle shaft when the bearings failed, including one where the tire/hub/shaft came half the way out of the housing on the road before the driver got it stopped. The other thing is if you break a shaft on any semi-float axle you still can't really drive on it. Limping off the trail is easier but you will destroy the axle bearings in no time if you take off down the road which leads to the above.

Yes, a Detroit locker is more expensive for a 14SF but this because it is a full carrier replacement versus the 14FF which is just a drop in (basically a lunchbox style). The 14FF Detroit is actually one of the cheapest versions out of any axle.

Upgrading a rear 10-bolt with just chromo shafts is probably going to cost more than buying a 14SF. I would rather have the 14SF with stock shafts and just a Lock-right versus a 10-bolt with chromos, Detroit, yada, yada and it would be much cheaper.

If going with a 14SF rear I would still recommend jumping to 8-lug. It would be easier and cheaper to find as the 6-lug versions are not that common, plus you are set if you ever decide to upgrade either the rear axle to a 14FF or the front to a D60.