What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

I HATE 10 BOLTS! gov-bomb question

6872xtc

6872xtc

make mine modified
 Premium
GMOTM Winner
Joined
Sep 16, 2008
Posts
10,430
Solutions
1
Reaction score
13,110
Location
Palisade,Colorado
Ok, so the title is my rant!

My '90 K5 is having rear axle problems again. I haven't built one for it since I keep thinking that it doesn't get used hard and I have other things to spend money on.
I pull the original one with 270K on it as the previous owner had gotten the pinion bearing too tight and I had a good used one sitting here. A year and a half later, that one dropped a tooth off of the pinion. I could see that it wasn't completely fresh breakage. I found slight rust and some rounding of the broken edge.
So I traded for a K5 for the rear end. Now that it's cold out and inconvenient to have a problem, it is having a fit and it's in the differential.

My son has been driving it for about a year and a half, but I don't think that he is the problem. I can't prove it, but I can't prove that he does much wrong to it. Hell, I beat on my old '68 when I was a teen and no issues.

Now, what do you guys think is my best plan? I want to keep it 6 lug as I have 2 sets of tire and wheels for it.

Sorry for the long post.
 
Theres not really any options other than going to a 6 lug semi floater from an 88-98 truck and moving the shock mounts and such around. Unless you've got the tools to build a custom rear. If it was mine I' just get a $100 f150 8.8 and put 9in outers on it with 6 lug shafts.
 
Hmm, I have never heard anything about the 8.8. I saw a post somewhere that an axle from an '02 and newer is better than this Era of 10b. I was thinking some sort of upgrade would be better if I am looking at spending money. I don't have much luck finding 6 lug SF14 stuff.
 
I would take my chances on another 10B. Either rebuild yours or pick up one from the junk yard and confirm that it's in good shape before buying. There are probably millions of 10 bolt rears running around under 80-current GM's without blowing up. You just need one that is in good shape. Shoot, you said the first one went 270K, that has to speak for itself. Oh, and yeah make sure the boy isn't doing anything too wild with it.
 
6872xtc said:
I saw a post somewhere that an axle from an '02 and newer is better than this Era of 10b..
Click to expand...

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

did a rear axle swap a year ago for a guys 02-03 1500 with 10 bolt . his was junk / 1st used was junk / 2nd used was junk / 3rd I told them pull the cover before it leaves the yard and wastes my time . took them a week extra to find a good one .
 
Ok, thanks guys. I know that it is hard to find used parts that are in great shape! It all seems odd to me, but you are correct that it could be just how things work out sometimes.

And I hope that I can still trust my sense of when my son is being honest. He has already offered to pay for the parts and help with the work, however we fix it. He said even if we buy new.
I don't think that he is feeling guilty that he did something wrong, I hope that it's more due to he is using my truck while he builds his '72 K10.
 
'15 half tons got an all new 12 bolt 6 lug, 9 1/4" rear. My new GMC has one...looks like another option if you can find one of the new 1/2 tons in a wrecking yard.
 
tRustyK5 said:
'15 half tons got an all new 12 bolt 6 lug, 9 1/4" rear. My new GMC has one...looks like another option if you can find one of the new 1/2 tons in a wrecking yard.
Click to expand...

Wait...9.25? Why not simply run the 9.5 that they have made for so many years? Seems like a pretty minor split, size-wise. Did they discontinue the 9.5" axle? :dunno:
 
( quote) I'm surprised OP has problems finding the 6 lug 14SF, they are all over the place. Only issue I'd think would be finding the right gear ratio if you don't have 3.73 already.[/QUOTE]

I don't know if it is because people run trucks forever around here and boneyards go out and round up cars and trucks. Boneyard prices are stupid high, so I don't even call them.
 
6872xtc said:
( quote) I'm surprised OP has problems finding the 6 lug 14SF, they are all over the place. Only issue I'd think would be finding the right gear ratio if you don't have 3.73 already.
Click to expand...

I don't know if it is because people run trucks forever around here and boneyards go out and round up cars and trucks. Boneyard prices are stupid high, so I don't even call them.[/QUOTE]

No go on Craigslist either eh?
 
All that I find on CL is complete trucks. I may look closer at parting one out. Maybe I will get lucky somehow!
 
6872xtc said:
All that I find on CL is complete trucks. I may look closer at parting one out. Maybe I will get lucky somehow!
Click to expand...

If you create an account with craigslist, when you login you will have a bunch of tabs. One is "searches". If you set that up, you will be emailed any time something is posted that matches your search criteria.

Unfortunately for trucks, you'd almost have to do something like "1988 3/4" for one search, and "1989 3/4" for another, for the entire year range. "Chevy truck" "chevrolet truck" "gmc truck" searches might be generic enough to hit most posts. Then you'll have to do the work of trying to figure out which are applicable years, then which have the right axle, but at least that would save you the time of searching every day for every possible iteration.
 
If you don't want to weld, you can swap the shafts and outers from a 90's 9.5" axle onto the housing/diff of an 80's one. Lots of tech posts on 14Bs/f around here.

Might be simpler to sell the wheels and tires and do 8-lug swap, but I wouldn't want the 14BFF with tires smaller than 35".

Simplest plan is to swap in another 10-bolt, especially if you can find one with the right gears. What size tires do you run?
 
So that is part of my aversion to am 8 lug swap. I have a set of 32 ' s and a set of 33's for it, and no good extra 8 lug stuff. Plus this one is mostly daily driver, but it has done some stuff in Moab, hunting and other things.
I found a 12 bolt that I need to check out, but I have a feeling that I would probably need to put a fair amount into it. ( u joint, brakes, brake cables ) plus it may need more. And I forgot about a 10b that I have out of an '85. It has a loose pinion nut, but I know nothing else.
So I may have something to throw under it until I find/build a better axle.
I kinda like the idea of the 14SF.
Fortunately, I don't have to have it fixed really quick. ( too many trucks )
 
And maybe sweetK30 is correct that I just found a run of dang near junk ones.
 
Around here the "new" style 10 bolts go for about 600 to 800 bucks...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom