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ORD 12 bolt full floater

E

EODBRIAN

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on their webpage they have a full kit for a 10/12 bolt turning it into a full floater. has anyone done this kit?? where does incorporating this kit move strength of a rearend up the ladder, or does it. i still have my 10 bolt installed and am about to install a 12. just looking for some facts and figures. thanx. brian.

EODBRIAN
 
The May 2000 issue of Four Wheeler has a article of a Warn full floater kit that they installed on a 12 bolt. Looks pretty straight forward and I've talked to 2 different people that have installed them. They said it took about a day to do it and they don't notice anything different other than the peace of mind knowing that if the axle breaks, they wont spit an axle out of the tube. This is on my list of upgrades that'll start next year or if I win the lottery soon.
 
The 12 bolt full floater kit is also like $700..I have built a 14ff with 4.88's including a ton of tools along the way for around 500$. I cant see spending the $
 
It will make your 12-bolt stronger, yes. It will make it safer, also, in that if you break an axleshaft your tire will not pass you on the trail.
I have a friend who has a 12b in his truck, and he talks about making it FF and putting on disc brakes. I asked him why he doesn;t just go buy a 14BFF and put $300 disc brakes on (like I did) and he says it is so he can use his 6-lug wheels.
Man, new 8-lug 15" wheels from 4WPW are about $55. Problem solved! Would still cost less to have a better axle to begin with!
I would NOT recommend putting money into a 10 or 12 bolt. Because if you really need the strength upgrades, you will eventually need a 14B and your money will be already spent.
-- Mike
 
Everyone seems to have forgotten the very reason for keeping a 12 bolt. GROUND CLEARANCE. I have more clearance with 35's and a 12 bolt than you would have with 37's and a 14 bolt. The full floater kit also greatly increases the size of the bearings that the wheels ride on. In addition, add crome moly axle shafts and the 12 bolt becomes very strong and I dont have 500 more pounds of axle to try and motivate over the rocks and killing my performance on the street. Unsprung weight kills. I personally go on some of the hardest trails in Colorado and Utah and my 12 bolt has never let me down. The dana 44 has pitched a few axles though. So it will soon be getting ORD's crome moly replacements

I thought I was wrong once,
but I was mistaken
 
Butch is right about his 12 bolt never letting him down, I 4-wheel with him a lot and have never seen it fail. BUT, I would still take the 14 bolt over a 10/12, I know two people that have bent the housing on 12 bolts and one was running the Warn full-float kit, two much money to put into an axle only to have the tubes bend. Umm, I don't think the 14 bolt wheigh's 500 pounds more than the 12-bolt and as far as unsprung weight goes, that must be a myth because it has never slowed me down.
smile.gif
I don't think the ground clearance is that big of an issue, with 37's I might have 1/2"(Can shave 1/2" of bottom of 14-bolt very eazy) lower hang than someone with 35' and a 12bolt, but will still have more clearance under the axle tubes. Blazer's are heavy, lets admit it, you can take the top/doors/tailgate off and they are still heavy pigs, I decided to just make it a little heavier so I don't have to worry about my axles anymore, and I have to drive it to Moab so I like the piece of mind I have with the stronger/cheaper axle, just my .2 cents. (that I saved buying the 14-bolt)
smile.gif


Steve
gears.gif

1990 K5 with stuff
 
I would agree with Steve and Mike regarding the 14bolt. I have had my 14bolt w/Detroit locker for 11 years, 454, 38.5 tires. It gets used hard, and NEVER any problems. I think it is only 200lbs heavier (if that) than the 10/12 bolts. Put discs on an it should be alittle lighter. It is cheap and robust! The diff does not hang down that much lower. If you have a choice between being stuck because your hung up (14bolt), or stuck because your broken (10/12), which is easier to deal with on the trail? I have never found the 14 bolt's weight or size to cause me concern or difficulty on the trail. When people on the trail have broken their 1/2 ton rears (shafts, tubes, gears, or whatever - and running smaller tires and smaller engines than me), they have often commented "Wish I had a Dana60 or a 14 bolt". I have never said "Wish I had 10/12 bolt". It's bullet proof. I can't even imagine what it would take to damage a 14bolt. And who ends up pulling these broken rigs out of the trails - me of course! Could you do that with a smaller diff? Don't forget most of the 14bolts already come with 4.11's, and a locker is only $280.
Don't get me wrong, there are alot of good points to the 10/12 bolt diffs, and it does well for what it was designed for. The 14 bolt FF is a cheap, bulletproof upgrade, for nominal weight gain and very little loss of ground clearance. I'm sure it's happened somewhere out there, but I myself have never seen or heard anyone break a 14 boltFF.

Walter
 
I have always stood up for the 10 and 12 bolts in the past, but I'm not real sure about spending $700 on the full-float kit. You can get a set of Moser axles for around $300 which should be much stronger than stock.....then keep one of the stock shafts as a spare. It's pretty easy to replace a shaft.....
 
Lots of good points on here, I'll stay out of most of it, BUT, the reason the 12 bolt in my K5 bent was blatant fabricators error. It's 6" wider than stock overall and I used heat on the axle tubes to straighten it out. I don't anticipate any problems with the current version. 3.5" x .250 wall DOM tubes and a truss should hold it up.
Also keep in mind clearance with a 37/38" tire to get the 14 bolt off the ground means you have to run a 37-38" on the front too, and 1/2T front axles start to get picky about throttle application at that level. Having the same clearance with 35's will help the front live.
SW

SW-ORD
 
I've got mine new in the boxes with the solid drive hubs...I havent' had the chance to install it and now I have to move everything into a new house...anyone wanna buy it???

bart
 
You know Warn just had a big shake up andthey are dropping the black Diamond line and a lot of the special stuff like the coil over suspension. My guess is that kit will also be dropped.

Diging it in the dirt with my K5's
Grim-Reaper
http://grimsk5s.coloradok5.com/
 
I looked long and hard at going to a 14 bolt! The problem was cost! I had new 6 bolt wheels, a new detrot locker , new gears, and I already had the rear disk too. So to go to the 14 whould mean getting all that new yet one more time! The full floater kit went on in about 4 hours! I had taken new rear rotters to a shop to have the centers turned out before hand.
I have asked warn if they are going to keep make the axels. They say that as long as now one copys the kit and sells it for less, like was happening with the coilover kits they will.

Its hard to say here what the ord/warn kit gets you yes its 700 to 800 bucks. yea a 14 bolt for just the rear is not that much more BUT you must change the front to the same bolt patern that s a nother 400 to 500 for hubs rooters and backing plates. Plus 300 to 400 for wheels and about 40 in lug nuts.

One last thought I have been looking for a trailer to put my blazer on being a 72 its a pig, a little over 6200 lbs in winter trim, this means I need to find a trailer that has 5500 lbs axels, much more costly then 3500 ones around here. With the warn kit on back I could flat toe the thing!!!!!!!

I understand the jeep thing I drive a BLAZER!!

Ken
 
I'll throw my 2 cents into the discussion. I bought a FF rear Dana 60 for $200. It's got a much thicker tube, FF security, and I only lose 1/4" ground clearance compared to a 12 bolt. If you have money in your 12 bolt just cut your losses and sell it. I sold mine quickly, built up 12 bolts go fast.
CB
 
So I would like to ask you the $64.00 questions? If you were to do it all over again, would you still go 12 bolt with a truss and FF kit?

I guess this was sort of answered when you got new axle tubes, but thought I would just come out and ask it.

Thanks. :)

Mike
tongue.gif

See <font color=green>EMMETT</font color=green> -&gt; http://emmett.coloradok5.com
 
The point being that its not just the cost of the 14 bolt! Plus your a bit limited on tires for 16 inch rims. If I had to do it all over I swap in a late model Z71 rearend with disc brakes and the 6 bolt patern! If not that then I would still build the 12 bolt with the full floater kit!

I understand the jeep thing I drive a BLAZER!!

Ken
 
Thats what I'm tossing around right now. I know where a 10f 12 rear is with 4:56's and a detroit is for $850. Thats about $600 cheaper than I could have mine regeared with a Detroit. I can get a 4:10 14 for $200 with a matched gear D44 for another $200. Throw in a minimum of $150 for rims if you grind the calipers.
The fact of the matter is you still have a 10/D44 up front that you have not made any stronger and you will have to change at least the better shafts. If your going 14 rear for beef and to handle big tires you got to swap to the D60 front or it is really pointless. You can pick up 12 bolt axle shafts for $20 and while yes it's a pain to change it's not expensive. If your running 33's I say there is no point in the swap. 35's your at the limit...If you lock the front...forget it. Take stock in your local junk yard your going to be buying front shafts hand over fist. I have as yet to see a 12bolt break a shaft. I'm the only full size GM guy in my club that hasn't blown a front 10/D44 (Well BigJBear may not have yet). I'm on 32's I'm debating 33's or 35's now.

Diging it in the dirt with my K5's
Grim-Reaper
http://grimsk5s.coloradok5.com/
 
I have a 14 bolt and i am rebuilding a dana 60 front.Steve from ORD on the pirates site said he was switching back too a 14 bolt and 60 combo.Just thought i'd give my two cents.
 
"Steve" on the pirate4x4 board is "Stephen" on this board and if you'll read his post further up this string, you'll see that he doesn't think he'll have any problems with the new tubes that are in his FF-12bolt now because they are 3.5x.250 tubing.

He also makes a good point about having tires that are too big for 1/2 ton axles. It's a fact of life that 1/2 ton running gear won't stay together for very long with a combination of BIG, (37"+) tires, heavy throttle, and hard four wheelin', especially underneath a vehicle that's as massive as most blazers are. It all comes down to how hard you wheel and how heavy your foot is. If you are going to be hammering your truck with "big" tires and heavy throttle, step up to one-ton gear. If you can control yourself and know the limits of your truck, stick with what you have and upgrade it as you need to.

HTH,

buddy

I've got my dream truck and it's a 72 K-5 that is getting there!!

By the way, Bart, I'm curious about the FF kit that's for sale too. Please tell us how much. And if you still have it around Feb. or Mar. I'd definitely be interested, 'cause I'm moving to Buffalo in about 2 weeks and I could probably meet you to get it. Thanks.
 
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