What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

8.5" 10 bolt rear differential recomendations

beater_k20

beater_k20

Banned
Joined
Dec 9, 2003
Posts
10,276
Reaction score
0
Location
Elkhart, IN
looking for something to replace the Gov Loc on my 91 K1500. needs to be street friendly, as i drive the truck every day, but also strong enough to take a beating in the mud, and on light trails. i'm going back to the stock 3.42 gears and 325 60 15 BFG MTs. also want something that replaces the stock carrier (have an open carrier handy, but i hear stock 8.5" carriers in general are weak.)
 
I don't think I'd worry about the stock carrier.

Stock gov-lock carriers are weak. Stock posi carriers in grand nationals and GNX's (came carrier as trucks, just not gov-lock) regularly see 10 seconds at the tracks without breaking.

Personally I'd prefer an Eaton Limited Slip in your setup with the 800lb springs in it, but if I intended on getting wheels off the ground, a locker is your only safe bet.
 
i like the detroit trutrac. fairly cheap at 320. i really liked my old one.probly wont work as good as a clutch style posi, but the trutrac wont wear out.
 
A 91 will probably have the 30 spline carrier. The 30 spline carrier has a reputation for being kinda weak. If you have an open carrier I would drop in a lockright and take my chances. That is about the cheapest answer you can get and still have traction for offroad.

There is no real cheap answer to replace the carrier. You are looking at a full case detroit, ARB, or some type of posi. I would drop in a lockright in the open carrier and take my chances if money is a big issue. The lockright will replace 1 of the weak links in 10 bolts (the spider gears). They will also give you good traction.

I am running a detroit in my 14bff and it has pretty good road manners. I can't say a lockright will have as good of road manners as my Detroit, but if it is close then it is a good option in my opinion.

Harley
 
i've ridden in Tim's Ranger a few times, and heard his Lock Right lock 2 or 3 times. first time it caught my attention, after that it seemed ok. i just didnt realize what it was at first. as for the Detroit, the ones i've experiencedseem to be more agressive than the Lock Right, but still livable.
 
I have the same setup- I think it's Gov-locked, but I'm not sure yet. I'm looking at the Aussie locker for front and rear, but it says I need to convert to an open rear diff first. I haven't been able to find a thread detailing how to do this. Anyone have a handy link?

Thanks
 
Hossbaby50 said:
A 91 will probably have the 30 spline carrier. The 30 spline carrier has a reputation for being kinda weak. If you have an open carrier I would drop in a lockright and take my chances. That is about the cheapest answer you can get and still have traction for offroad.

There is no real cheap answer to replace the carrier. You are looking at a full case detroit, ARB, or some type of posi. I would drop in a lockright in the open carrier and take my chances if money is a big issue. The lockright will replace 1 of the weak links in 10 bolts (the spider gears). They will also give you good traction.

I am running a detroit in my 14bff and it has pretty good road manners. I can't say a lockright will have as good of road manners as my Detroit, but if it is close then it is a good option in my opinion.

Harley
Click to expand...

From what I understand the newer (99-up?) 8.6" 10-bolts (not much changed from the 8.5" 10-bolt) use a larger ID carrier bearing because of the problems with the thin wall on the older 30-slpine carriers. I have heard that there are bearings that can be used to make the newer carrier fit in the older housing.

These are the part #'s that I have found but I have not checked to make sure they are correct.

Timken Part Number: LM102949 - Cone
Timken Part Number: LM102911 - Race
 
Hands down , Lockright with an open carrier . Cheapest , and drives good . Ya get used to it quickly , and virtually no maintenance . Run good diff lube like Redline and forget about it .

NO Detroit EZ Lockers/GG QuicLocs , they made some bad ones and I don't think 2 or 3 hundred bucks is worth the gamble ( I have a popping one for trail truck , out 283 bucks :mad: )

Lockright = Good
 
beater_k20 said:
TTT for the late night crowd. anybody got any cheaper suggestions? :confused:
Click to expand...

leave it stock? cant think of a good reason to upgrade a 10 bolt rear axle. For the same price of whatever diff you decide to run, you could have a ff14b plus a few hundred clams in your pocket.

j
 
jekbrown said:
leave it stock? cant think of a good reason to upgrade a 10 bolt rear axle. For the same price of whatever diff you decide to run, you could have a ff14b plus a few hundred clams in your pocket.

j
Click to expand...

its my daily driver, and it needs to be fixed. i have no plans of lifting it or installing a tire that would warrant the strenght of a 14 bolt, the 10 bolt lasted 170K, i would assume that the next diff will last just as long. i could go with one from a boneyard, however they run around $700. i can buy new gears, bearings and seals, and a new diff for that. why run someone else's junk when i can have something brand new?
 
An open 14bff will be somethin like 200 bucks around here. then he would have to match up gears and he would still be open.

A lockright is the way to go.

by the way 10bs are weak as hell compared to a 14b but they can still take a beating. I've run 35's with a heavy foot for 2 years and never had a problem. had some pretty bad wheel hop too. I do have an open diff but from what i've seen a 10b can handle 35's pretty well. Since he is running something under 35's i don't see how it will be a problem.
 
i understand you aren't going to be abusing your rig... I'd just never pour $ into a semi floating 10b rear end is all. Last thing I need to see is one of my rear tires rolling passed me cause a shaft broke.

j
 
dirtwarrior17 said:
you got a point but a 14 sf will do the same... thats why you carry axleshafts.
Click to expand...

no, thats why you run a ff14b. Cheaper, stronger and better in every way. Detroits are cheap for them too. :grin:

j
 
14FF for this truck would be well over $1K here. not dealing with a straight axle truck, those parts are a dime a dozen. also, the 3.42 gears that are in my front diff (which isnt broke, so it isnt getting "fixed") cannot be matched with anything for the 14FF. i've called around for a 3.42 14SF, even an 8 lug version, and there are none around here. i need something quick, and dont have a dependable fuel efficient rig to get me somewhere far away (OH, ILL, etc) to pick one up. this is the truck that normally fills that space. driving my 77 today, i miss my cooshy seat, my CD player, power windows (or at least ones that roll down without vise grips :D got parts to fix that BTW), and especially the AC. :(
 
beater_k20 said:
14FF for this truck would be well over $1K here
Click to expand...

holy crap... i wasn't aware that IN was that bad for truck stuff!!! I got a brand-new-in-crate 4.56/detroit ff14b for quite a bit less than $1k...

also, the 3.42 gears that are in my front diff (which isnt broke, so it isnt getting "fixed") cannot be matched with anything for the 14FF.
Click to expand...

ooooooooo, well thats a whole new ballgame then. I didn't even know they made 3.42 gears... lol!

driving my 77 today, i miss my cooshy seat, my CD player, power windows (or at least ones that roll down without vise grips :D got parts to fix that BTW), and especially the AC. :(
Click to expand...

lol! i actually enjoy driving more when I don't have any of the creature comforts. My 94 ranger commuter isn't very fun... but my K5 is. :grin:

anyway, ya got some pretty good reasons to not swap... hope ya find some goodies for your 10b soon.

j
 
Buy a LockRight and stick it in an open carrier. I can guarantee you I've put more abuse to one than you'll ever do webwheeling and mallcrawling.
 
Stick with the 10b. People give the 1/2 axles away, so finding replacement parts should be cheeper than a $150 14b. I couldn't sell my 1/2 ton axles for $100 (for both) so I dropped them off at the local parts yard. A year later they still had them. Check Ebay. I know I can get a Ford 1/2 ton diff. for $50. I have never looked for a 10b diff., but I'd bet they are there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom