Cheapie 14BFF gear swap

[benchseat4speed]

I am looking for a K20 14 bolt to do a bolt-in swap on my Jimmy, haven't located one with 4.10's and an open carrier. I do have a dually 14 bolt with 4.10's and an open carrier which is exactly what I want, just wrong housing. Suppose I find a junkyard K20 rear with 3.73's and a gov loc. What are the chances of pinion bearing preload, pinion depth, backlash, and carrier bearing preload being dead on by just bolting it all together in the K20 housing exactly the same way it came out of the dually housing? Thanks, Kevin

 

[blazinzuk]

I would say between 10% and 90%. Really I have no idea but in my searchings its actually hard to find a 14b ff with 3.73s almost all I have seen are 4.10s as far as the carrier you could change that no problem

 

[roadnotca]

Others will chime in soon, but thats what all the adjustments are for is to compensate for differences between one housing to the next. Pinion depth is the big driver. These were designed before CNC, so the shimming operations were needed to compensate for eyeball precision.
So even if you didn't have to make adjustments, you'd still have to check.
On second thought, you do have to perform the drill. The carrier assembly will either fall out or won't go, and pinion has to have the correct preload or its sloppy or tight.
A "mini" shim kit should do it.

 

[benchseat4speed]

So even if you didn't have to make adjustments, you'd still have to check.

Thats what I thought. I just don't have a dial indicator so thats why I asked. Went junkyard shopping today and found a 14 bolt with 4.10's, buuuut, popped the cover and it has a gov loc (three spiders visible from the outside of the carrier right?) I'm gonna pick it up for $140, and I guess I'll either weld the gov loc or try dropping my open carrier in instead. Thanks, Kevin

 

[79k20350]

Um why dont you just move the spring perches? or is this a c&c axle?

 

[benchseat4speed]

Um why dont you just move the spring perches? or is this a c&c axle?

Yeah it's a C&C, it's too narrow, and the shock mounts are on opposite sides of my Blazer. I'm thinkin its worth it to buy one out of a K20 to save the headache. Kevin

 

[dremu]

Thats what I thought. I just don't have a dial indicator so thats why I asked. Went junkyard shopping today and found a 14 bolt with 4.10's, buuuut, popped the cover and it has a gov loc (three spiders visible from the outside of the carrier right?) I'm gonna pick it up for $140, and I guess I'll either weld the gov loc or try dropping my open carrier in instead. Thanks, Kevin

Dial indicator is cheap at Harbor Freight

-- A