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.

Quick questions on 14bsf axles

Russell said:
Unfortunately not... GM changed the backing plate bolt pattern between the older drum brake and newer disc brake axles. The back spacing of the bracket is also different.
Click to expand...

Do we know when the pattern/spacing changed?

Did all 14SF's go disk at the same time, thus no drum braked axles will be spaced right, or is just a vintage thing? I have only dealt with my 14SF, so I have no clue when and what changed over the years.

As to parking brakes, I grew up in a hilly area, and parking brakes were always used. It was how I was taught, and I am pretty sure everyone my age learned the same thing. I've got a manual transmission, and it only took hearing one story of an automatic trans popping out of park for me to realize that parking brakes should always be used. You can get away with it on flat ground I figure, but it's habit for me, just like putting on a seatbelt.

In the case of this setup, this should be a pretty easy swap with no e-brake, since the calipers aren't going to be expensive like the Cadillacs, due to rarity and complexity.
 
dyeager535 said:
Do we know when the pattern/spacing changed?

Did all 14SF's go disk at the same time, thus no drum braked axles will be spaced right, or is just a vintage thing? I have only dealt with my 14SF, so I have no clue when and what changed over the years.

As to parking brakes, I grew up in a hilly area, and parking brakes were always used. It was how I was taught, and I am pretty sure everyone my age learned the same thing. I've got a manual transmission, and it only took hearing one story of an automatic trans popping out of park for me to realize that parking brakes should always be used. You can get away with it on flat ground I figure, but it's habit for me, just like putting on a seatbelt.

In the case of this setup, this should be a pretty easy swap with no e-brake, since the calipers aren't going to be expensive like the Cadillacs, due to rarity and complexity.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that the backing plate backspacing and pattern changed when they swapped to disc brakes in about 2000... but I am not totally sure about that.
 
Wonder if someone here can chime in with those specs on the disk braked rear...I'd be willing to measure mine to compare.
 
Chevy305 said:
Adam, a lot of states require a working parking brake for inspection...
Click to expand...

Ahh i see. None of that silly business here. Just wondered why so many people took the time and spent the money on them.
 
Russell, your truck was a crew cab short bed 1500HD, wasnt it?

No, that cant make sense. Because theyre 8 lug.
I thought they stopped offering the f44(heavy half) RPO code in 2000?
Only 6 lug 14bsf ive seen with discs was out of a Vortec Max truck.

And yes, as mentioned before, a 454SS was the only truck offered with a 5 lug 14bsf.
 
plyr2k said:
Russell, your truck was a crew cab short bed 1500HD, wasnt it?

No, that cant make sense. Because theyre 8 lug.
I thought they stopped offering the f44(heavy half) RPO code in 2000?
Only 6 lug 14bsf ive seen with discs was out of a Vortec Max truck.

And yes, as mentioned before, a 454SS was the only truck offered with a 5 lug 14bsf.
Click to expand...

It was actually a single cab long bed K1500 with a 5.3L / 4l60e / NP243 and factory ordered 4.10 gears. I was a bit surprised it had a 14 bolt vs a 10 bolt when I got it too. The truck had been rolled and I bought it for the engine. Got a pretty penny for the diffs as well.
 
To keep info going, if these guys are right (TSM seems to be pretty good in general) there is only one 9.5" backing plate bolt pattern: http://www.tsmmfg.com/generalmotorstru.html just scroll down to the last few 14 bolts listed...both are 8 lug references. They say the split occurred in 1987, but no change in bolt pattern, only thing that would have changed impacting brakes therefore would be the axle flange location I guess?

No one has a 2000-ish 14SF they can measure bolt pattern on??
 
Sometimes, I'm really on top of things. Other times... :doah:

I've been mostly CK5ing from the work laptop in my work van. It just occurred to me that I'm driving in a late-model Chevy Express Van 2500. Just looked underneath it... Yep. 14BSF with discs.

So, not only is it van-width, which is nice, but it's already set up with discs and obviously a parking brake. As mentioned earlier, something like this would obviously be easier than trying to scrounge around for parts. Just find a wrecked late-model van and pull the axle. New perches. Done. :P

BUT... it's an 8-lug axle. So, I'm wondering, would most of the parts be transferrable to a 6-lug? Like, could you swap the shafts and rotors and call it good?

Though, at this point, I personally would have to be REALLY tied to a set of wheels to justify keeping a 6-lug setup.


Pics from 5 minutes ago...

100_9662.JPG

100_9663.JPG

100_9664.JPG
 
The axle flange pattern does not look like the "square" one TSM shows as being the only one offered. Their info may be old.

Right off the bat though, looks like that setup won't work with 15" wheels to me. At which point you "might as well" go 8 lug IMO.

From what others have said the 8 lug to 6 lug 14SF conversion wasn't worth the hassle. Either get an 8 lug or 6 lug based on your requirements.

The question is, are there 6 lug 14SF disk setups? If there are, then you COULD get away with running one of those, but you'd still have to go with 16"+ wheels, at least as far as I can tell based on your picture. Without some stupid amount of backspacing or wheels spacers, the caliper is not going to clear a 15" wheel. :(

Only way to salvage the idea of using stock parts I can think of, is if any of the later vintage 10 bolts (or whatever was used in RWD cars, using the same backing plate bolt pattern) happen to be disk, and use smaller rotors, moving the caliper inward. I suspect not, since the GM literature seemed to show the same diameter rotor no matter what GVW.
 
10Bolt parts won't work on a 14bsf, the axle tubes are different diameters.
 
dyeager535 said:
The question is, are there 6 lug 14SF disk setups?.......
.
Click to expand...

Yep. As stated in my last post, any gm half ton with a vortec max. And, as russel pointed out, some other funky stuff Chevy did. You just gotta look. But I know and of the newer truck with 6.2's or the older ones with 6.0s that aren't denalis, have a 6 lug 14bsf with discs.
 
dyeager535 said:
The axle flange pattern does not look like the "square" one TSM shows as being the only one offered. Their info may be old.

Right off the bat though, looks like that setup won't work with 15" wheels to me. At which point you "might as well" go 8 lug IMO.

From what others have said the 8 lug to 6 lug 14SF conversion wasn't worth the hassle. Either get an 8 lug or 6 lug based on your requirements.

The question is, are there 6 lug 14SF disk setups? If there are, then you COULD get away with running one of those, but you'd still have to go with 16"+ wheels, at least as far as I can tell based on your picture. Without some stupid amount of backspacing or wheels spacers, the caliper is not going to clear a 15" wheel. :(
Click to expand...

Yeah, no idea on the 6-lug disc brake setups, other than what Russell said.

But, if I were switching to 8-lug wheels, that would mean new wheels, so no big deal if I had to switch to 17" rims, unless I were planning on keeping the tires, too. If I do swap in a 14BSF, the 8-lug version seems like WAAAAY less hassle, and that includes swapping the front end to 8-lug as well.

dyeager535 said:
Only way to salvage the idea of using stock parts I can think of, is if any of the later vintage 10 bolts (or whatever was used in RWD cars, using the same backing plate bolt pattern) happen to be disk, and use smaller rotors, moving the caliper inward. I suspect not, since the GM literature seemed to show the same diameter rotor no matter what GVW.
Click to expand...

You're probably correct. On my build, I'm not even to the point of swapping axles, yet. I'm just in the info-gathering stage. I'm digging all this info on this axle, though. I would prefer this one over a 14BFF, just in weight savings... Getting one out of a van with factory discs is looking like a better idea all the time.
 
plyr2k said:
Yep. As stated in my last post, any gm half ton with a vortec max. And, as russel pointed out, some other funky stuff Chevy did. You just gotta look. But I know and of the newer truck with 6.2's or the older ones with 6.0s that aren't denalis, have a 6 lug 14bsf with discs.
Click to expand...

If the width is right, then it would make sense to me to just grab a complete disk brake 14SF.

But again, by then I'm guessing no trucks were 15" wheels anymore.

Additionally, the 2003 trailblazer (only one I checked specs on) is a 6 lug setup, with a smaller rotor, but e-brake in hat setup too. Guessing thats a 10 bolt application? Looks like the bigger applications used the 13" rear rotor pretty much across the board.
 
Last edited:
I'm willing to be that you'd have to go with 16" wheels or probably shave the calipers at least with 15"s.

But here's how wide mine is:

IMG_20120327_163701.jpg


The rear width matches the front axle within a 1/2" or so. Its 84" to the outside of my tires front and rear. I have 4.25" back spacing wheels. The axle shafts I have are from an early 90's 4wd heavy half with 11" drums. The 13" drums were for 8 lug, but the 11" drums are still way bigger and beefier than the 10 bolt drums. You don't need disks for more than just having bling. Rear disks will just give you headaches with trying to get the proportioning right and always hearing about people having a prepetually soft pedal.
 
The hot rod Trailblazer SS's had 9.5" 14SF's with 6 lugs.
The current 1500's with the MaxTow package have 9.5" 14SF's with 6 lugs.
Disk brakes on both.
 
AJMBLAZER said:
The hot rod Trailblazer SS's had 9.5" 14SF's with 6 lugs.
The current 1500's with the MaxTow package have 9.5" 14SF's with 6 lugs.
Disk brakes on both.
Click to expand...

I don't believe trailblazer ss were 6 lug. And u bet that axle is narrower. Also, I don't think the AWD SS had a 14 bolt.
 
AJMBLAZER said:
You're right on the wheel pattern. I kept thinking 6 lug but it's actually 6x5".

As for the SS's having 14 bolts...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/06-09-Chevy-Trailblazer-SS-Complete-Rear-Axle-Rear-End-/270629942047
Click to expand...

Your right, but they also made awd ss. That didn't specify, but I believe Only the rwd tbss had the 14. I think the awd model was a 10 bolt. Like SS pickups and denalis. They are all wheel drive, so they have 10 bolts. A vortec max or a newer one with a 6.2, is selectable 4 wheel drive. They have 14bsf.
 
AJMBLAZER said:
The hot rod Trailblazer SS's had 9.5" 14SF's with 6 lugs.
The current 1500's with the MaxTow package have 9.5" 14SF's with 6 lugs.
Disk brakes on both.
Click to expand...

Not so concerned with them being 14SF's as I am the smaller diameter rotor they have. If possible to make the 10 bolt brake setup fit on the 14SF (6 lug rotor, e-brake in hat, so same idea asthe 14SF setup), it might allow running of 15" wheels. Again, only if you are tied to 15" wheels like I am.

Now I need to go check rotor diameter, and the various year trailblazers to find what the various iterations used...

Apparently same brake rotor diameter (12.8") on the SS, at least in 2007.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom