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14 Bolt SF Install help

C

Cancleaner

1/2 ton status
Joined
Feb 11, 2012
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Location
Euless Tx
I have a choice between a 14 bolt SF 6 lug, or 14 bolt 8 lug FF.

Looking for ease of installation,or is it worth of a headache to get 14 FF with new wheels?

Sorry, can't search at junkyard (this is his wife via the phone!) LOL!

THANKS!!!!!!
 
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Well, FF is the way to go, for strength, being able to drive with a broken axle. But unless you change to 6 lug, or change the front to 8, its a pain having to have two different sets of wheels.
 
I'm back from the yard , had to get more tools. :rolleyes:


I read nothing but good things about the 14 bolt FF. I guess my main questio is,. of the two choices which, if any, is a direct or more direct swap. I'm leaning towards the FF, I intend on upgrading the front as well but at a later date.

It would be nice to just bolt up and slap the tires on and go, but i read that I can also get an adapter to go from 8 to 6.


Thanks again
 
Ok so I went ahead with the SF, it's off a 92 3/4ton. Will this match up with a 91 burb that has a 10 bolt in it now? I sorry for the noob question. I have been searching around, knowing the 14 FF is better and didn't read much about the SF being a bad thing. Im not build a hard core trail rig but would like to run slightly larger tires later ( have 35's now) . I read also, that ideally I would want an diff out of around the same year range? Ill be searching some more. thanks for any help / links.
 
not sure if the spring pads will be the correct width, worst case you'll have to cut/grind off the old ones and weld new ones on. Not that difficult really. There are a few places that can get you the parts you'll need, for example ORD, DIY4x, or Ruff Stuff Specialties.

Not sure about the u-joint...you can look up the different trucks and see which one each comes with if you need a conversion, a smart parts-counter dude can help there.
 
Perches will need to be moved, but the 10bolt yoke should swap over. If the truck was 4x4, the axle will be a couple inches wider, which is good.
 
USSkoval said:
Perches will need to be moved, but the 10bolt yoke should swap over. If the truck was 4x4, the axle will be a couple inches wider, which is good.
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Yup, I am steady reading up now. I would have done my research way ahead of time, but I just found out my 10 bolt is on its way out and I will be on call and busy as hell the next two weeks so I had to get a move on. I do believe the axle I picked up is a tad shorter ( 65" from drum end to end.. is this the "WMS" i read about?) than my stock 10 bolt. :doah:


Can I work with this or did I just waste more time? :haha:


I figured I might have to move perches and stuff around, No worries , I wanted to go ahead and in board the shocks anyways.
 
Your wheel/tire combo will be what determines if it's too narrow. You can always use some bolt-on spacers though.
 
USSkoval said:
Your wheel/tire combo will be what determines if it's too narrow. You can always use some bolt-on spacers though.
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OK good!! So not a complete wasted trip! :bow:


I got this thing for $50 so I got plenty of wiggle room. :woot:

Were would I go to reference the gear ratios? I got the vin , hope that'll help me out
 
Just pull the cover and read the numbers. The ring gear with have the number of teeth stamped on it (for the ring and pinion). You will want to have a looksee in there anyway, to check things out. Mine came out of a running/driving truck, but when I pulled the cover off, I found a blown up gov-loc.
 
I dont think the vin has the gear ratio on it. I had a truck that had the gear ratio on the tag in the glove box but I think thats it. You can pop the cover and get the numbers off the ring gear, need to check their condition anyways. There should be a number that tells pinion teeth and ring gear teeth, divide the ring gear (larger number) by the pinion (smaller number) and that gives your ratio.

FF is the way to go. Its a pain to swap a sf to 6-lug and if you find one thats already 6-lug you have to move spring perches and shock mounts to make it work.


Edit: USSkoval beat me to it. Guess I typed too much.:doah:
 
big dan said:
I dont think the vin has the gear ratio on it. I had a truck that had the gear ratio on the tag in the glove box but I think thats it. You can pop the cover and get the numbers off the ring gear, need to check their condition anyways. There should be a number that tells pinion teeth and ring gear teeth, divide the ring gear (larger number) by the pinion (smaller number) and that gives your ratio.

FF is the way to go. Its a pain to swap a sf to 6-lug and if you find one thats already 6-lug you have to move spring perches and shock mounts to make it work.


Edit: USSkoval beat me to it. Guess I typed too much.:doah:
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I'm getting fast with the searches, sorry. :rolleyes:

2 GM 26015981 12 41 6 92 = 3:42 ratio?


I really didn't want to fuss with the 8 lugs deal, new wheels, matching new wheels in the front etc. :o I do understand the FF is superior , But being a suburban and all I wont be tackling and nasty trails. I don't mind welding new perches and what not, I say that only because I have this awesome forums to help me along :deal:
 
Totally missed the part where you mentioned you got the 6-lug sf.:doah: Im not paying enough attention what Im reading to be replying I guess.:D

Anyway, I cant say much. My dedictated wheeler has an 8-lug sf rear. Its what I had at the time and I planned on swapping it once I broke it but it hasnt broke yet with welded spider gears 37" boggers and some pretty hard use. You should be fine.

Gear ratio you came up with looks right.
 
big dan said:
I had a truck that had the gear ratio on the tag in the glove box but I think thats it.
Click to expand...


I in fact have a sticker in the glove box.. bunches of "code" I guess. Says parts number ID or something to that nature. Which "code" am I looking for to decipher ? :dunno: I looked over them all and the only one that looked familiar was G80.. don't know why that "code" jumped out at me lol :thinking:

I hate draining Diffs .. they stink :poo:
 
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are you trying to figure out your sub's ratio, or what's in the 'new' axle? if all else fails, rotate the pinion yoke and count until the hub turns once...that'll get ya in the ballpark. or if you pull the cover you can count the teeth and divide one by the other to get the ratio.
 
herkdriver007 said:
are you trying to figure out your sub's ratio, or what's in the 'new' axle? if all else fails, rotate the pinion yoke and count until the hub turns once...that'll get ya in the ballpark. or if you pull the cover you can count the teeth and divide one by the other to get the ratio.
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Sorry I wasn't clear. I want / need to find out the gear ratio for my front diff.
Maybe , I got lucky and the new/used 14 bolt will match lol! If not, well I'll know it's time to budget for gears and I won't be in 4 WD for a little bit
 
No worries, turn the pinion and count until the tire goes around one time...unless you can decipher the RPO codes in the glovebox that might be your best bet... There are only a certain sets of gears GM would have installed
3.08
3.42
3.73
4.10 are your likely candidates....
 
One nice bolt in swap is to get axles out of a 89-91 3/4 ton Suburban. They can be had with 4.10s, but more likely 3.73s. These have a 30 spline 10bolt front and a 14bsf rear. They are 8 lug though.
 
Cancleaner said:
I in fact have a sticker in the glove box.. bunches of "code" I guess. Says parts number ID or something to that nature. Which "code" am I looking for to decipher ? :dunno: I looked over them all and the only one that looked familiar was G80.. don't know why that "code" jumped out at me lol :thinking:

I hate draining Diffs .. they stink :poo:
Click to expand...

My sticker had the code and then the option listing out the to side. I didnt have to decipher any codes as they were already listed. My truck was factory 4.3 v6 700r4 and 3.73 gears.

If your axles havent been opened since factory or if the person working on it replaced the tag, there is a factory tag held on by one of the cover bolts that will tell the ratio.
 
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