onlychevy6
1/2 ton status
So which is the better 14 bolt? 73-85 or the 86 to present?
CK5
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14 bolt question
- Thread starter onlychevy6
- Start date
89GMCSuburban
1/2 ton status
There's a major difference?
As long is it's a FF 14, it don't matter, although, I think the older ones are still easier for the swap in...
As long is it's a FF 14, it don't matter, although, I think the older ones are still easier for the swap in...
K5MONSTERCHEV
1/2 ton status
Id say the later style. It has bigger pinion bearings. Also 96 and newer has a different pinion seal, fot those who care. But in reality, they are both great!!!
onlychevy6 said:
Are you talking about the housing ribbing differences or just the pinion bearing support differences ?
Tom
no nekked option???? come on!
ive got a '76 14b and its fine for me. i just put in all new seals bearrings, and gears so its basically brand new
ive got a '76 14b and its fine for me. i just put in all new seals bearrings, and gears so its basically brand new
onlychevy6
1/2 ton status
Actually. I was reading some informationon the 14 bolt ff. I currently have 12 bolt with dana 44 6 lug.
and the article was saying 73-85 14 bolt had smaller pinion support bearing and the drums are held to the hub with the wheel studs versus the 86 to present has a larger pinion and the drum could be pulled without having to remove the hub and axle shaft.
I thought the FF design the axle shaft was seperate all together? And could be pulled without taking everything apart. kinda like a SF.
and the article was saying 73-85 14 bolt had smaller pinion support bearing and the drums are held to the hub with the wheel studs versus the 86 to present has a larger pinion and the drum could be pulled without having to remove the hub and axle shaft.
I thought the FF design the axle shaft was seperate all together? And could be pulled without taking everything apart. kinda like a SF.
onlychevy6
1/2 ton status
muddybuddy said:
Damn my bad...
Petersons, right? I read the same thing, which is great by me as mine is an '86.
The shaft on a full floating axle does come out seperate from the hub/drum combo but some 14FF have the drum that is on the outside of the hub ( as in slides over the wheel studs ) and can be removed without the hub being removed as well. The older style has the drum pinched between the wheel studs and the hubs so in order to get the drum off the hub needs to be removed also.
I do not believe that 1986 is the cut off year for the drum being on the outside of the hub . I believe it was 1988 when the new body style came out and the old body style trucks still used the old drum method until 1991. So it is possible to have two of the same year 14FF with different drum retention it just depends on what it came out of .
Or I should say it like this - All solid axle style trucks used the old drum retaining method and all newer independant style trucks use the slide on drums. This is accurate to the best of my knowledge but I could have left out some exception to tyhe rule ......
HTH's Tom
I do not believe that 1986 is the cut off year for the drum being on the outside of the hub . I believe it was 1988 when the new body style came out and the old body style trucks still used the old drum method until 1991. So it is possible to have two of the same year 14FF with different drum retention it just depends on what it came out of .
Or I should say it like this - All solid axle style trucks used the old drum retaining method and all newer independant style trucks use the slide on drums. This is accurate to the best of my knowledge but I could have left out some exception to tyhe rule ......
HTH's Tom
onlychevy6
1/2 ton status
cbbr said:
yup
onlychevy6 said:
no worries
Leper
1/2 ton status
There is a cutoff year that makes the disc swap different. I don't know what year though.
Masiony
1/2 ton status
mine was out of a (85?) CUCV. it had a lightly different housing than i have ever seen. it had more material around that huge lip. i wasnt able to get as much ground clearance when i shaved it.
The axle in my 89 is out of a 92 or 93, it has slip on drums. But the rear in my 97 has pressed on drums. I've seen some other 14ffs, and from what I noticed it depends on what rating the truck is. The 89 14ff rear was a 3/4 ton, while my 97 is a 2500HD so I guess you could say a 1 ton. Saw a truck in a yard that had a 454 4l80, 3/4 ton that has the pressed drums.
One reason is there is no room. There is just enought room to hold on to a wrench to bleed the brakes. Discs on these puts the caliper in a different location than the older ones....
b454rat said:
Oop's ! I guess I should not have said that ALL newer style trucks have slide on rear drums. Learn something new everyday ........
Tom
hack500
1/2 ton status
could the '97 have been an AAM 11.5 instead of a GM 10.5?
hack500 said:
No, it's a 14ff. The AAM's didn't come out till the later HDs.
the best one for me was the 73-85 3/4 ton because it fits in my 3/4 ton truck and blazers with no probs. I have no idea what year mine is but it bolted in so i guess i never really payed attention. I wouldn't get one too old as the spindles could be hammered or the mileage could be high. I swapped my stock 14 bolt because the truck had 378,000 miles of construction miles on it, multiple helicoils in the hubs, hammered spindle on one side, needed brakes, and it was 3.73 so it all depends on the condition to me.
