Beefing up a 14 bolt Semi Floater

[sled_dog]

What do you guys think about beefing up a 14 bolt Semi Floater for light duty use? Does anyone sell aftermarket shafts for it? I'm thinking about trying to pickup a 2wd C10 with a 6.2 and I want to take my axles from my V2500 Burb and slap them under it. I was thinking about a 14 bolt FF, but is a SF really that bad? My dad went through one in his old K2500, and I've known a few people who had some issues with pinion bearings, but with some aftermarket parts and a rebuild would a 14 bolt SF be that bad? Say a quality limited slip, new gears, new bearings, maybe some aftermarket shafts. The rig will be a tow, very light duty trail rig.

 

[Emmettology 101]

I dont think they are bad at all. Have one in my 89 p/u.. Also have a friend that has one in a 98 light duty 3/4... No problems that I have heard of.......

I am planning on putting one in my new DD/tow rig when the time comes.

 

[dwoods]

My 87 3/4truck has a 14 bsf never had a problem with it. The truck was my dads work truck for his masonary business and we really put the weight to it. I don't see a problem with using it.

 

[diesel4me]

pretty beefy if you ask me!

The 14 bolt SF in my 74 K20 was installed by a previous owner,mileage and condition unknown--I have had the truck 15 years,plowed snow every year,overloaded the pee out of it many times with loads of crushed stone,gravel up to the sideboards on the fleetside bed it used to have ,and several cords of firewood when I put the 900 lb flatbed/crane setup on it--

I even hauled a 4000lb detroit diesel engine out of a huge Alis-Chamlers bulldozer to the scrap yard 4 miles away--I was fully expecting either the axle tubes,springs or frame rails to turn to dust they were so rotted!--but its still in one peice,and the rear axle is no worse for the wear,it shrugged it off like it were no big deal!..

I have no complaints with my SF axles in my trucks--never had to do anything more than add gear oil once in a while!-I certainly got my moneys worth out of them..

 

[sled_dog]

guess I'll just run it, build it, blow it, and replace it Its going to be behind a turbo 6.2 and turning 33s if I do build it.

 

[dyeager535]

As with the 8.5", I think the only real weakness under "normal" conditions is the gov-lock!

IMO if there is nothing wrong with the gears, bearings or shafts, I'd leave well enough alone. GM *typically* used good components, and unless they are exhibiting issues, you will make a lot more work and expense for yourself unnecessarily.

Unless there is a TSB, I'd expect any failures to be "flukes" (short of the gov-lock issues) as this axle has been in use (and proven) virtually unchanged since 1982. As with anything made in the quantites we talk about, failures WILL happen. Any problems common enough to be statistically significant typically will result in a TSB, and from what I know, there are none on these axles.

 

[sled_dog]

my gears and bearings comments were more the fact that if I do this I will likely regear everything anyway, just to optimized with the 6.2 700R4 and 33s.

 

[dyeager535]

Ahh...gotcha.

If mainly street, I'd think an Eaton posi with the most preload possible would be about ideal. From what I've seen, all the traction aids for the 14SF are prtty pricey, but maybe thats normal for bigger axles.

8.5" LS diffs I think are around $300, I didn't find any 14SF stuff near that price.

 

[HarryH3]

Last year I swapped the 10-bolt out of the rear of our '94 Sub for a 14-bolt SF 6-lug. I decided to put in new axle bearings and seals before the install, just to be extra safe. The axle shafts in the 14bSF are freakin' huge when compared to the ones in the 10-bolt. The bearings are also much beefier. I wouldn't worry about snapping axleshafts unless you're running some really huge tires.