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14BFF Shopping

BGKYK5

BGKYK5

3/4 ton status
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on the crapper...
Well my 14BFF is toast - bad spindle - so I'm looking for tips on picking out a replacement. The transplant recipient is my 91 K5. The bad axle is supposedly a '79 out of a 3/4T Burb and it had 3.73 gears. I bought the K5 with the bad axle already installed, but have never driven it.

Unfortunately I had already installed my 4.88 gears and Detroit before I found the bad spindle. I was just about to check the contact pattern as a matter of fact. So I would like to be able to swap my whole pinion carrier and diff assemblies into the new axle. What do I need to look out for? What is a fair price for one in reasonably good condition? Any generic axle hunting tips?

On a mostly unrelated note - what is a fair price for a 2wd steering box in reasonably good shape? What should I do to check it out before buying? When did they change the hose fittings?
 
Did they ever change any of the internal that I would be swapping from one to the other? Also any specific (drum) brakes that I should look for?
 
There is a first and second generation for FF 14 bolts. The cutoff is around the same time they went to IFS IIRC.

The new ones allow the drums/discs to be removed without a press (i.e. the rotor/drum isn't pressed onto the hub by the studs). They also have different bearings, more ribs on the housing and (maybe?) the pinion support isn't removable.

You should be able to find a new axle pretty easily, I wouldn't pay more than $150. Swapping gears on a diff like this is really easy (check the tech article on Pirate), just make sure you have the right tools.
 
I thought the pinion housing wasn't removable only on the 14BSF, and that all FF had one?
 
just remenber to stay away from the 84'/85' year with the small pinion bearing.
 
The newer 14 bolt isn't a bolt in either, stay with the 73-87 and you will be fine. Only difference on the brakes is gonna be the parking brake cables. Some press into the backing plate and some bolt in.
 
the newer 14 bolts 88- present still have the removable pinion support and still share the majority of the parts with the eariler versions, the extra ribs were addded to help with the cooling of the diff because of over heating problems with the earlier version
 
All 14ff axles up until 1987 are all the same as far as internals go, starting in 1988 one of the pinion bearings was changed to a larger bearing but everything else is the same and the housing was ribbed. I'm not sure how long that axle configuration lasted until GM went with outboard mounted drums.
 
Um, are the 1 tons and the 3/4 tons the same? Are all of the 3/4 ton GMs SF? Are all the GM 1tons FF?
 
I am on the learning curve for 4x4 axles. There wasn't much call for 14BFF in the street racing fun of the 80s.
 
the 10.5 14bolt FF still has a removable pinion support....... the drums are still held to the hubs via studs as of 98..... had a dually i had to do rear shoes, wheel cyl., and drums on monday.
 
iwaxmyjimmy said:
the 10.5 14bolt FF still has a removable pinion support....... the drums are still held to the hubs via studs as of 98..... had a dually i had to do rear shoes, wheel cyl., and drums on monday.
Click to expand...


Not all of them apparently. It's a crap shoot.
 
iwaxmyjimmy said:
the 10.5 14bolt FF still has a removable pinion support....... the drums are still held to the hubs via studs as of 98..... had a dually i had to do rear shoes, wheel cyl., and drums on monday.
Click to expand...
I believe it is just the duallys that have the pressed on drums, the srw have floating drums.
 
The year switch was sketchy as well. Some SRW's in 88 had both and maybe some beyond that.
 
Just became aware of a potential difference in lower shock mounting points between 2WD and 4WD subs as well.
 
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