just check around local junkyards and check out craigslist.com you shouldnt have to much trouble locating axles. just remember that if you have 4.10's in the rear you want to have matching or as close as possible gears in the front.
CK5
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new to 4x4
- Thread starter newlyblzed
- Start date
post up a "wanted" in the pacific forum. there's always guys in south washington/north oregon who've got 3/4 ton gear they're letting go for cheap.newlyblzed said:never mind scratch that...i just realized the post is from 03 not 07!!! don't really expect to hear back on that one!!! duh!
there's a few trails down in your neck of the woods i've been wanting to run. i'll keep you posted if you wanna join up with me some time.
check out my build thread to see pics of where we've been to recently in oregon.
I paid 150 for one of my 4 14FF axles out of the junk yard. had open carier and 4:10's in it.
stay away from the 14bff's that have the factory gov-lock locker. they're known to break and you can't replace them with another locker without replacing the whole carrier.
colbystephens said:stay away from the 14bff's that have the factory gov-lock locker. they're known to break and you can't replace them with another locker without replacing the whole carrier.
yea, what colby said. get a 14FF with an open carrier if you get one. stay away from the 84'/85' year 14FF axles. they have the small pinion bearings. not as good. wish someone would have told me that info when I was looking for one.
but I have 3 others 
so its ok. you want the 73' to 83' and 86'/87', maybe 88'. check your spring width and get one thats identical. my 89' crewcab has the later model 14FF with a wider spring width so it would not bolt into my 73' K5 without spring pearch relocation. look for an axle out of a 3/4 ton or 1 ton pickup or 3/4 ton suburban.
you might get lucky and find one with 4:56's and an open carrier but I would not pass a clean one up with an open carrier even if it only had say 4:10's or even 3:73's. get it and just put new gears in it. 14FF gears are relatively cheap. throw a detriot locker in it and call it good. after a disc swap ofcourse.
i see 3/4 set ups for about 250 to 300 around here regularly. these will bolt right into your truck.
colbystephens said:
wow! Oregon's 14FF's are kinda pricy. pick UR' part junk yards round here are bout 150 as I said, thats here in Los Angeles suburbs. that suprises me there going for that much up that way.
that 250-300 price includes a front axle. 
thus, very similar to what you quoted.
thus, very similar to what you quoted.
colbystephens said:that 250-300 price includes a front axle.
aahh, got'cha, that not bad at all then.
newlyblzed
1/2 ton status
ok so how about a 14 bolt with disc conversion running 5.13. $450
newlyblzed
1/2 ton status
oh it is an '85
newlyblzed said:
thats a good deal, if it had a detroit you should already be over there with the cash. if its a gov-loc thats a damn shame.
you won't find a matching front end for that, which means big $$$ for a gear swap in front. also, consider that you'll need 8 lug wheels for this. what size tire?
w/ 5.13's you'd be really well set for a very large tire (i.e. bigger than 40"), but if you run a small tire, your highway mileage is going to be seriously hurting! now, i don't know if that matters to you or not, but say you run a 35" tire (a good starter size for wheelin!) you'll be running 3100 rpm at 60mph on the highway!
when i started building my rig, my main goal was to make a killer crawling rig - designed for trails and rocks... pretty much everything except mud bogs. it's my daily driver so fuel economy was very important too. i chose to go with a diesel engine, manual tranny, 35" tires and 4.10 gears. it gets itself moving nice and quick and even without over drive i'm getting over 20mpg. at 60 i'm spinning 2500 rpm - and my engine is governed to 3600, which means its REALLY spinning fast at 60 mph.
my plan is to go to a 40" - 42" tire, keep the axle gearing the way it is and actually start using first gear. that way i won't suffer get up and go in the city, but i'll be cruising at 2100 rpm, and probably be getting nearly 25mpg. i'll get a doubler to make up for the lack of gearing for the trail.
anyway, i ramble, but i say all that to help you realize that what you want to do with your truck is VERY important to figure out before you start dropping all kinds of money into parts and then find that you don't want to go that route.
w/ 5.13's you'd be really well set for a very large tire (i.e. bigger than 40"), but if you run a small tire, your highway mileage is going to be seriously hurting! now, i don't know if that matters to you or not, but say you run a 35" tire (a good starter size for wheelin!) you'll be running 3100 rpm at 60mph on the highway!
when i started building my rig, my main goal was to make a killer crawling rig - designed for trails and rocks... pretty much everything except mud bogs. it's my daily driver so fuel economy was very important too. i chose to go with a diesel engine, manual tranny, 35" tires and 4.10 gears. it gets itself moving nice and quick and even without over drive i'm getting over 20mpg. at 60 i'm spinning 2500 rpm - and my engine is governed to 3600, which means its REALLY spinning fast at 60 mph.
my plan is to go to a 40" - 42" tire, keep the axle gearing the way it is and actually start using first gear. that way i won't suffer get up and go in the city, but i'll be cruising at 2100 rpm, and probably be getting nearly 25mpg. i'll get a doubler to make up for the lack of gearing for the trail.
anyway, i ramble, but i say all that to help you realize that what you want to do with your truck is VERY important to figure out before you start dropping all kinds of money into parts and then find that you don't want to go that route.
newlyblzed
1/2 ton status
good sense...right now I have 35's and would like to stay at that for a while until I can really build some money...my problem though is that it doesn't move. it takes forever to accelerate. I think it is a combination of poor carberator and poor gearing. I am replacing the carb as soon as my new one gets here..hopefully in a week and I will see how much improvement that makes but I think you have a good point..I might be jumpin in too deep to fast. but damn...lookin at all the pictures and the trails...how can you not wnat to jump in!!! lol. anyway...still gonna look for a rear end. Hopfully have a lead that will pan out on one that fits the bill.
check into getting that running gear from mountainexplorer (allan). 4.10s would set you up real nice with 35" tires.
you should still be able to wheel. heck i have the stock rears (3.08's) with 36x12.5x15 swampers and wheel with that. now with your 350 your not gona be blowing the tires off but you can still crawl around. should have decent power in 4 lo. thats all you need
newlyblzed
1/2 ton status
4 low gives decent power but not enough to do any real crawlin...a real steep grade will stall it out...but I think a lot of the problem was in the carb we will see soon....hopefully...
newlyblzed
1/2 ton status
Ok so I finnaly got under the truck and took off the rear cover...If I checked it right the gears are 2.8. I counted the pinion...(drive shaft gears) at 17 and the ring (wheel Gear) at 47. also took some pictures of it while the cover is off.
curious about the striation on the carrier?? think it is in the second picture where I show it. Guessing they were caused by the pinion but is this normal?? Sorry I am not a moron when it comes to cars but have 0 experience with differentials. Also what kind of rear end just a stock 12 bolt??
alright well while I wait on a reply I am going to go tear off the front diff be back shortly with more pictures.
curious about the striation on the carrier?? think it is in the second picture where I show it. Guessing they were caused by the pinion but is this normal?? Sorry I am not a moron when it comes to cars but have 0 experience with differentials. Also what kind of rear end just a stock 12 bolt??
alright well while I wait on a reply I am going to go tear off the front diff be back shortly with more pictures.
Thinking that you counted wrong look on the ring gear for the numbers see what they are. Yes its a 12 bolt factory 1/2 rear, those marks on the carrier are from the ring gear but not normal it shouldn't rub there might be loose. Just put it all back together and find another set
newlyblzed
1/2 ton status
alright I will find the numbers on the rear...here are the pics from the front I counted it at 15/41 for 2.733 gearing
