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Do I need Dana 60/14 bolt axles ?

77_Jimmy

1/2 ton status
Joined
Oct 16, 2008
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Location
Justin TX
I have a really clean 77 Jimmy with 400 sbc th350 and full time 203. I want to run 35 12.50 BFG's The truck will never be used for any off roading that a stock truck could not do. So will the d44/12bolt combo be alright for this? Also I like having full time 4 wheel drive , so will I have driveline issues with 4 inches of lift?
 
Nope :thumb:

My biggest suggestion is to carry spare rear axle shafts and know how to change them. You probably won't need them but because you have a semi-floating (c-clip) rear axle, if you break an axle shaft that tire will fall off.

Its always better to be too prepared ;)
 
Yea if your going to stay at 35s then your all good. The 60 is so expensive to
 
x2

with 10 bolts front and rear, and 35's youre on shaky ground. but with a D44/12 bolt setup, youll be fine.

as for driveline issues with a 4in lift, there are a few things, dropped steering arm, extended brake lines, little things like that. but you shouldnt need new driveshafts or anything.
 
Need is always a relative term. :D

In my case, my front 10 bolt is in desperate need of new tie rod ends, ball joints and gears and the rear 10 bolt is leaking in a number of places and in need of a brakes and a general rebuild.

I just happen to come across a newly re-geared (4.10's compared to my 3.73's) and rebuilt set of an 8-lug 10 bolt and a 14 bolt full floater. The price was right (especially considering the cost and labor of a re-gear) so it made more sense to go that route. The biggest I'm planning to go at the moment is 35's. Many would say that's overkill for a 14 bolt but like I said it was cheaper to go that route than to freshen up and re-gear my existing axles.

Either way, as much as I'd love a front 60 it's completely unnecessary.
 
you should be fine on light wheeling with those axles.i broke 3 12 bolts with moderate to heavy wheeling.then went 14 bolt and 3/4 ton front.mostly driving on street you shouldnt have too many problems staying stock.easy on the skinny pedal and no burnouts.haha.thats how i broke my first axle.spit out the ring gear teeth out the rear pan on my 12 bolt.stay stock til you break it.then upgrade as needed.
 
You should be okay but you may have to re-gear at least. A lot of half ton stuff came with stupid high gears in that era. It may just be cheaper to find some 3/4 tons with 4.10's...
 
Thanks for the replys guys. It has 3.73 gears right now. My main question about drivline was ,is 4 inches to tall for fulltime 203? Will 35 12.50 fit without trimming the front fender? The truck had a frame off resto about 8 yrs ago and is still really clean , so I really dont wanna cut fenders. My first plan was 2.5 lift with 33's but I came across a complete k30 for 1500 bucks.
 
I know the driveshafts are different between your year and mine..

In my case full time 4wd would be brutal on the street from the howl. I chose not to use shims in the front pack due to castor angle and the fact at lower speeds(under 50) I don't even notice it but then it hums pretty good up to about 70 and after that it makes some awesome noise.

It really depends on your angles and whether or not your front shaft is the cv type or standard type.

My 35's fit fine on my burb. The tires kiss the fenders when climbing in and out of ditches and the like but it's not bad and won't cause any damage. My truck isn't a wheeler.. if I were playing the rocks I'd be trimming.. but mine is also too clean.
 
I was 8" of lift and full time on the street for a while, no major problems to speak of
 
I would buy that. For that price, there is no reason not to upgrade. What do you like about full time four wheel drive?

Martin
id buy it too if i had the cashola.1500 is awesome for a k30.you get 1 ton axles for about what it cost to get them anyway.if they are in good shape you can just slap em under your rig and be good.
 
Well I picked up the k30 today. sbc 350 ,sm465/np205 ,dana 60 in the front 14 bolt ff in the rear , 4:10 gears , and factory tach. Got in it drove it home , all for 1200 bucks.
 
I would atleast do a 14b in the rear. I would not worry about the front too much.
 
Put it all in the jimmy. Going with part time 4wd while put less wear on everything and save on gas also. Easier to drive without the front pulling with the bigger tires.
 
and the fact that the 205 is gear driven and the 203 is chain driven. May not be an issue on yours, just saying
 
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