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axles

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84gmcjimmy

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Alright, I don't have one yet, but eventually I want a Nova or Chevelle...
my question is...
can you put rear truck axles under a 2wd truck or car? Or is there a difference between the 2? It's just more common to see 4x4 12 bolts, than 2wd ones. Also, besides the ford 9" and a GM 12 bolt, what are other common axles to put in muscle cars, or cars with big TQ and HP numbers?
Thanks!
 
The big block mopars used dana 60's but those are rare, hard to find, but i see no reason you couldent find a regular rear 60 to use, you would need a SF one though, so as to not have a big ole hub stickin out, pick up a HotRod mag, they will give you all kinds of ideas to use on your car:xmas:
 
You cannot use a truck rearend under a car. It is too wide IIRC. I would use the stock 10B car rearend because it can handle a lot of abuse. A car 12B is also a good rearend.
You could go to a ford 9" built by Currie or somone and you won't break it. That is probably the best car axle out there. Currie also makes custom D60's. Expect to spend 2.5K$ on a custom 9" or D60 from them.
 
A properly built 10 bolt will hold up pretty well on the street. When you start running slicks at the dragstrip is when the 10 bolt has problems. The lighter the car, the less rearend breakage you will have.
 
the car 12 bolt is completly different than a truck 12bolt. the car 12 is ALOT stronger. i think most car 10b have 8.2" ring gears. not a very strong unit. can be made to handle a decent amount of power, but if your going to spend any money on building up a good rear end... get a 9" they are the ultimate drag rear end. even the 8000hp top fuel dragsters use a rear end based on the 9".
 
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not to hijack, but what is the difference between a 2wd 12 bolt and a 4wd 12 bolt?
 
the mounts are different, and probably the width, then depending on what they came out of, 6 lug, vs 5 lug
 
My post referred to the comparison between car 12 bolts and truck 12 bolts. I have never compared 2 vs 4wd on trucks, but the last time I looked, the part #s for ring and pinion sets do not differentiate between 2 and 4 wd.
 
spartan4x4 said:
not to hijack, but what is the difference between a 2wd 12 bolt and a 4wd 12 bolt?
Click to expand...
Nothing , except the lug pattern and some years have wider brakes . My 10 bolt truck brakes , and the six lug shafts from a 4wd 12 bolt were all I needed to install a 5 lug truck 2wd 12 bolt in my Blazer:xmas::xmas::xmas:
 
shaft length was no different between 2" and other widths of shoes on truck 12 bolts and 10 bolts, 70-up they were a little over 31" long regardless of brakes

and 12 bolt truck being 4x2 or 4x4 didnt matter, they are all the same 8.875" ring gear equipped axle but there are six different load rated truck 12 bolt axle units, depending on exact model and year, van, pickup, panel, burb, etc., anywhere from 2800 to 3600lbs rated, mostly all depending on brake size



same housings same carriers same shafts just different backing plates and shoes and parts

car 12 bolt is a whole different thing yes, last in 72

big car axles like 70s olds delta 88 and such are really super close to same width as full size truck axles btw

so much so that you wouldnt even notice


cars like malibu and nova and camaro are narrower however

dont go with a truck 12 bolt

go with a 10 bolt car truck, 12 bolt car, or dana 60 mopar and such

most any will require welding on axle tubes to make bolt in

there are many web pages out there on this subject, some with illustrations and swap info,

go find them

good luck
 
84gmcjimmy said:
Okay I will keep my eye on 9" fords, and maybe 12bolt CAR axles.
Thanks
Click to expand...
What year are you lookign at? Leaf or coil sprung? Good luck finding a 12b, if you do its gonna be some bucks. 3 on the tree is right, a proper built 10b should be fine, I wouldnt wast time with a 9" either.
 
I thought car 12 bolts have larger pinion bearings than the truck 12 bolt.
 
K5MONSTERCHEV said:
What year are you lookign at? Leaf or coil sprung? Good luck finding a 12b, if you do its gonna be some bucks. 3 on the tree is right, a proper built 10b should be fine, I wouldnt wast time with a 9" either.
Click to expand...
The years I am looking at are 67-72 Novas or chevelles. I don't know, but probably coil (those are softer, right?) So I would have better luck building up the 10 bolt that comes with it, rather than looking for a 12 bolt?
Whats wrong with the ford 9"?
 
First of all its called a 12 bolt because thats how many bolts hold the ring gear, not the cover bolts. 10 bolts were usually 8.2 ring gear, but in decently powered cars they are 8.5. The older 12 bolts in cars and trucks are almost identical except for mounting locations. The only difference are the axle shafts being 5 lug or 6 lug, but they are still interchangeable with another. I dont remember the years of interchangeability of hand, but want to say the late 70's and earlier axleshafts are interchangable from car to truck. 12 bolt is a great choice for a chevelle or nova. If the car came factory with a bigblock you should already have one under the car. What makes the 9" stronger than a 12 bolt in some circumstances it the fact that the pinion is supported by bearings on both ends instead of one like the 12.
 
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