does axle from a pickup line up for my k5?

[knottyrich]

ok found a 3/4ton front axle at salvage yard..($300!!) but it's from a 84' 4x4 chevy pickup. will the spring mounts and shock tabs..etc. line up on my 86 k5? wondering if frame same width
i know i can just re-weld mounts but just curious if install will be pretty cut and dry. can i still use the same drive shaft? thnx dudes
i'll search forums for some more info on the big 3/4ton swap!
building some of my "tube doors" and trading for a rear axle! haha.

 

[owenst7]

ok found a 3/4ton front axle at salvage yard..($300!!) but it's from a 84' 4x4 chevy pickup. will the spring mounts and shock tabs..etc. line up on my 86 k5? wondering if frame same width
i know i can just re-weld mounts but just curious if install will be pretty cut and dry. can i still use the same drive shaft? thnx dudes
i'll search forums for some more info on the big 3/4ton swap!
building some of my "tube doors" and trading for a rear axle! haha.

All GM front axles are interchangeable down to the ujoint on the driveline (they're all 1310).

However, the only difference between a 1/2 ton front and a 3/4 ton front is the lug nuts. If you just want to run 8 lugs, just swap the outers on to your 6 lug axle.

$300 is pretty high for a 10 bolt in my neck of the woods, although I don't know about yours. I had mine posted on Craigslist for over a month until I finally had someone take it so they could turn it in for scrap.

 

[knottyrich]

wait wait...so its gonna be a 10 bolt?! i thought dana60's were on 3/4ton or 1ton trucks??
this axle swap is confusing....i need to ask for a 1ton when i'm calling around?

 

[dremu]

wait wait...so its gonna be a 10 bolt?! so a 3/4ton isn't an 8 lug axle....i thought dana60's were on 3/4ton or 1ton trucks??
this axle swap is confusing....

Dana 60's only came on 1-ton's.

3/4's had an 8 lug Dana 44 or 10 bolt (essentially identical.)

The 3/4 ton does have larger rotors and brakes with the 8-lug outers. It's also likely to have a lower (numerically higher) gear ratio, i.e. 4.10:1 instead of 3.73:1, for example.

The price could be high or low, depending on how new the brakes are, if it's had the balljoints replaced or if they're original, etc.

To answer your original question, any 73-87 4WD front axle will interchange easily. It's the rears that have the different spring pad widths, shock mounting, etc.

-- A

 

[owenst7]

wait wait...so its gonna be a 10 bolt?! i thought dana60's were on 3/4ton or 1ton trucks??
this axle swap is confusing....i need to ask for a 1ton when i'm calling around?

Dana 60s only came under K30s. K20s, K10s, K5s, and Suburbans (both 1/2 and 3/4 ton) came with either a Dana 44 or a 10 bolt (the difference between the two axles is negligible).

Some C/K20s came with a full-float, 10.5" ring gear 14 bolt. Some came with the semi-float, 9.5" ring gear 14 bolt. The difference depends on the GVW of the truck, not necessarily if it has 8 lug nuts. The 9.5" axle also came with 8 lugs, BUT the 10.5" axle never came with 6 lugs.

Rear axles are all interchangeable (short of possibly needing a conversion ujoint which are easy to find) except that K30s came with the spring pads at 40.5" instead of 42.5". 42.5" is the spring spacing for K5s, K10s, K20s, and Suburbans. In this respect, a 10.5" 14 bolt from a 3/4 ton truck or Suburban may be more desirable for swapping in to a K5. The only difference between a 10.5" 14 bolt from a 3/4 ton truck and one from a 1 ton truck is the width of the brake drums. The 3.5" (1 ton) brake drums are humongously unnecessary on a K5, but those axles came with longer wheel studs that may come in handy if you are going to run disc brakes in the rear.

There is also an 11.5" ring gear 14 bolt in the rear of the newer Duramax trucks. It doesn't have very good aftermarket support though and is even more of a trench digger obviously.

You should read through this if you are looking to purchase a Dana 60
http://pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/60_front/

14 bolt:
http://pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/14b_bible/index.html

The best way to tell if a front axle is the Dana 60 you want is if it has kingpin knuckles instead of balljoints. Kingpins will narrow it down to either a Chevy 60 (all GM 60s are kingpins), a slightly rare Dodge 60 (still a very usable axle on a Chevy), or a slightly rare Ford 60 (obviously it will be driver-drop, but these are also the most valuable 60s). Balljoint 60s are difficult to run steering arms on and the knuckles are not as strong as kingpin knuckles.

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

I paid $300 for a front 10b, but mine has an Eaton posi and chromoly axleshafts...

 

[knottyrich]

10-4...well thnx, ya'll saved me an hr drive. i'll call back and see if he has any 1ton chevy's. guy kind-of went .."duh..what" when i said dana 60

 

[knottyrich]

yeah..i'm figuring out my mistake..i guess i can do the 14bolt out back and flop in some 8lug rotors on my 10bolt?? that worked out for you "the beast"?

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

Don't D60's say, "D60" on them?

Edit:
Remember, the axleshafts and u-joints are the biggest problem with a 10b front.

 

[owenst7]

Don't D60's say, "D60" on them?

The lower drivers-side web says "60F", but it can be difficult to read and who knows if every one got stamped at the factory.

Notice the 4 studs holding my blue steering arm on, that is also the kingpin cap (this pivot point is where a balljoint would be on a D44, 10bolt, or balljoint D60).

Stock steering arm for a Chevy 60. This doubles as the drivers-side kingpin cap. Passenger-side cap is similar but without the steering arm lever cast in to it (It's also only stamped steel on passenger side).

60 hubs are much bigger diameter than D44s/10 bolts. They are the same as Ford TTB D50 axle hubs.

Lower right web shows the "60F" marking.

Also, GM 60s only have one ubolt on the passenger side. The inner ubolt is replaced by two studs that thread in to the center section.

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

Fwiw....

My 10b has:

- Yukon 4340 shafts. (inners/outer's)
- Spicer HD U-joint's.
- Stock K5 manual-locking hub's.
- Eaton Posi. unit.
- Sierra Gears.
- Timken bearings and seal's.
- 14" disc brake's.
- HD (3/4 ton) caliper's.
- Reid Racing HD passenger flat top knuckle.
- WFO HD TieRod w/ WFO HD TRE's.
- ORD X-over steering arm. (Held down w/ ARP stud's.)

- I also replaced the stock "Hub Lock-Nut's", w/ beefier versions from WCDifferential.


It's a beefy front end.

I wail on it pretty good in the mud.
I try to stay easy on it, on the trail's.
But, I have done a few full throttle application's, that put it through it's paces.

The only 2 thing's I've had to replace, are BallJoint's and a hub.
I drive waaaay too fast on stuff that's waaaaay too bumpy.
(It also got about a foot of air-time, but who's counting....)


Edit: I only had to replace the bj's, because I drive this truck on the road.