Axle replacement; what should I expect from?!

[MagnuM4WD]

Hi! I want to replace my axles (1991 Chevrolet Suburban V2500 with HD front suspension and quad shocks). I will use a Skyjacker 2.5" with 4 springs suspension lift kit (4/6 leafs; standard truck suspension have 3/7 leafs). What should I expect from?!

Front: replace the GM Corporate 10 bolts (1991 Suburban V2500), with DANA 60 king pin (198? ???)
- can I reuse the truck shackles w/o problems, or the springs will hit the chassis?
- the chassis have a bumper, which limit the axle up movement; the bumper it will work properly with D60, or it must be relocate/take off?
- sway bar it's fit to D60? If I take off, what happened?
- D60 yoke will fit with GM10b driving shaft, or I must replace the D60 yoke?

Rear: replace the GM Corporate 14 bolts semi-floated (1991 Suburban V2500), with GM Corporate 14 bolts full-floated (198? Pickup V3500)
- can I reuse the truck shackles w/o problems, or the springs are to long for this shackles (the shackles stays up)?
- GM14bff yoke will fit with GM14bsf driving shaft, or I must replace the GM14bff yoke?

What it's the differences between D60 4.10-down carriers and D60 4.10-up carriers?


Best regards! Mihai.

 

[KansasTwister]

Hi! I want to replace my axles (1991 Chevrolet Suburban V2500 with HD front suspension and quad shocks). I will use a Skyjacker 2.5" with 4 springs suspension lift kit (4/6 leafs; standard truck suspension have 3/7 leafs). What should I expect from?!

Front: replace the GM Corporate 10 bolts (1991 Suburban V2500), with DANA 60 king pin (198? ???)
- can I reuse the truck shackles w/o problems, or the springs will hit the chassis?
- the chassis have a bumper, which limit the axle up movement; the bumper it will work properly with D60, or it must be relocate/take off?
- sway bar it's fit to D60? If I take off, what happened?
- D60 yoke will fit with GM10b driving shaft, or I must replace the D60 yoke?

Rear: replace the GM Corporate 14 bolts semi-floated (1991 Suburban V2500), with GM Corporate 14 bolts full-floated (198? Pickup V3500)
- can I reuse the truck shackles w/o problems, or the springs are to long for this shackles (the shackles stays up)?
- GM14bff yoke will fit with GM14bsf driving shaft, or I must replace the GM14bff yoke?

What it's the differences between D60 4.10-down carriers and D60 4.10-up carriers?


Best regards! Mihai.

the axle will bolt in the front, I don't believe the spacing is different in the front but i may be wrong.

I don't see any problems with the shackles, although you can only tell that after everything's bolted together and under load.

Ive never heard of someone removing a bump stop when adding a lift unless you wanted more flex.

Most people remove the front sway bar when they lift it to offroad it, and I'm not sure of the comparability between the 10 bolt and dana 60 though.

For U-joints, they sell a conversion U-joint, because of your location (Bucureşti - România), im not sure if the parts stores will have it readily in stock, but you should be able to order it easy enough. It will be all you need to convert from the dana 60 yoke to your current drive shaft.


Once again, I'm not knowledgeable enough about the shackles to give you an honest answer.

And once again, for the yoke, you can get a conversion U-joint rather easily.

 

[77_Jimmy]

I just did this swap on my Jimmy. Front axle 100% bolt in. You can keep your shackles and reuse your stock sway bar. I put on a 4 inch lift and my drive shafts came out perfect. The axle shaft centerline to drive shaft yoke is longer on 1ton axles compared to half ton stuff. So based on my swap , with only using a 2.5 inch lift you will have to have your drive shafts shortened . A 1 ton rear axle will have to relocate the spring pads and shock mounts. On the carriers 4.10 down means 3.08 4.10 , 4.10 up means 4.10 5.13.

 

[Stomis]

I just did this swap on my Jimmy. Front axle 100% bolt in. You can keep your shackles and reuse your stock sway bar. I put on a 4 inch lift and my drive shafts came out perfect. The axle shaft centerline to drive shaft yoke is longer on 1ton axles compared to half ton stuff. So based on my swap , with only using a 2.5 inch lift you will have to have your drive shafts shortened . A 1 ton rear axle will have to relocate the spring pads and shock mounts. On the carriers 4.10 down means 3.08 4.10 , 4.10 up means 4.10 5.13.

Everything I was gonna say

Stomis approved

 

[1BEATK5]

get the 14ff rear axle from a 73-87 3/4 ton truck or 73-91 burb. that way it bolts in with no mods. if the rear is from a 1-ton, the springs pads will be narrower and the shock mounts will be wrong.
it's the same axle otherwise, and just plain easier to swap in. and the 3/4 ton axle will be easier to locate and probably cheaper.

on the carriers, there is an offset difference. the lower the ratio, the thicker the ring gear has to be to match up with the pinion shaft. so at a certain point they change the "offset" of the ring gear mounting surface to move the gears closer together.
but dont worry too much about it. because they make "thick" gears to work on the higher carrier.
example= my truck has a 4.10 and higher carrier but has 4.88 gears. just look up the ratio you want, and look for thick gears. most use a "t' at the end of the part number

also make sure that you get the factory spring plates with the front 60 if you want to keep the sway bar. i don't remember seeing aftermarket ones with the sway bar mount on them. i would say just loose the sway bar, but i dont have any experience on a burb. they might drive noticably better on the street with one.

 

[Mountain_man]

I got my 14b FF off an 86 3/4 ton suburban with 6.2L diesel. The axle was perfect bolt in. Any suburban one should be exact fit though. Most will be 3.73 gears unless you find a 4x4 model with all of the above stuff too. Enjoy.

 

[MagnuM4WD]

get the 14ff rear axle from a 73-87 3/4 ton truck or 73-91 burb. that way it bolts in with no mods. if the rear is from a 1-ton, the springs pads will be narrower and the shock mounts will be wrong.
it's the same axle otherwise, and just plain easier to swap in. and the 3/4 ton axle will be easier to locate and probably cheaper.

on the carriers, there is an offset difference. the lower the ratio, the thicker the ring gear has to be to match up with the pinion shaft. so at a certain point they change the "offset" of the ring gear mounting surface to move the gears closer together.
but dont worry too much about it. because they make "thick" gears to work on the higher carrier.
example= my truck has a 4.10 and higher carrier but has 4.88 gears. just look up the ratio you want, and look for thick gears. most use a "t' at the end of the part number

also make sure that you get the factory spring plates with the front 60 if you want to keep the sway bar. i don't remember seeing aftermarket ones with the sway bar mount on them. i would say just loose the sway bar, but i dont have any experience on a burb. they might drive noticably better on the street with one.

The rear axle is from a 1 ton pickup and I already had to relocate springs pads and shocks mounts. The front axle it comes complete, with springs plates, U-bolts and springs plates screws.

 

[MagnuM4WD]

Another questions:
- Carrier of a D60 front, it's different from a D60 rear?
- The D60 rear carrier, can be fitted on a D60 front?

 

[MagnuM4WD]

...For U-joints, they sell a conversion U-joint, because of your location (Bucureşti - România), im not sure if the parts stores will have it readily in stock, but you should be able to order it easy enough. It will be all you need to convert from the dana 60 yoke to your current drive shaft...

Today I check the U-joints; both of them, they fit with the new axles yokes, so, no need new U-joints or new yokes!

By the other way, the rear springs, comes with factory rubber bushings fitted on (1-3/8", fitted in 1-3/4" outer sleeves, fitted in springs eyes). My question is: to keep or not keep the factory rubber bushings?!
If I decide to replace them, what type you recommend me to use: 1-3/8" bushings in 1-3/4 outer sleeves, fitted in springs eyes, or 1-3/4" bushings fitted directly in springs eyes?



PS: What can you tell me, about the questions from post above?

 

[MagnuM4WD]

Let me ask another question, even if you don't answer me to the previous questions:
What kind of DANA 60 I have?!! I know, it sound weird, but I really don't know what kind is!
What is it: it's a passenger side (Chevy/GM/Dodge), king-pin, single pistons calipers (the calipers is with one bolt down and for removal, the bolt get out and the part tight by the bolt, it's slide on the sides), manual locking hubs like Chevy/GM locking hubs, but with no typical BOM number! On the tubes don't write nothing! All written parts is on differential case!
On the yoke side wrote: on passenger side on top 60F; on driver side on bottom 185B.
On the differential cover side wrote: on driver side on top C40386; on driver side on bottom 60F.
So, please, enlighten me! What is it?! I need to replace the brake pads and I don't know what to order...

 

[sweetk30]

sounds like a reg old gm dana 60 front end.