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So after reading and asking, this is the big question. Need more opinions!

Should i swap to 3/4ton?

  • With all that abuse?! Hell Yeah! Axle Swap!

    Votes: 15 65.2%

  • Naw, thats baby stuff, keep the 10 bolts.

    Votes: 8 34.8%
  • Total voters
    23
Dabba

Dabba

1/2 ton status
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Posts
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Location
Long Island, New York
So, after doing my homework and bothering you all with my stupid questions, ive come down to two options.

The cheaper option is for me to leave my 10bolt axles in. Regear to 4.10/4.56 and leave em open. Put on 33 inch muds and a 4inch spring lift. I think this would be about $2400.

The more expensive option is to go with the 3/4ton 14bff/d44/8lug10bolt swap, new rims, with the 33 inch muds and lift. With a detroit in the rear. I think this would be about $3600.

The truck sees alot of road and soft soft sand. When i do wheel it on the limited trails we have on long island, i do beat on her in the sandpit. Pound on the gas, donuts, hit the bumps going pretty fast/hard. Getting some minor air at times. Spinning the tires. The trails themselves are not so rough, we take it slow and enjoy ourselfs in the trails, its just the sandpit i really beat on her. That and getting a locker would be the reason for me to go 3/4 ton.

If i stay 10 bolts i would leave them open because i hear the 10 bolts are more forgiving open. I dont really desire the locker that much to go 3/4ton, but i figured if i would i would pick up a detroit for the rear.

Now, is what i do to the truck out of the limitations of a 10bolt? or can they take this abuse fine? If i plan on continuing to do this, is it worth the extra money to do the swap. I know alot of you will just say go ahead, but im looking for the cheapest, effective solution. If 10 bolts are fine then awesome. If im gonna be breaking them id rather swap sooner than later.

Video examples can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/user/Dabba87
Not so much trying to get air with air, but going pretty fast over the sandpit/bumps/ruts. I will be going with hdsprings in the lift. Thanks

Please let me know your opinions. Thank you.
 
If your running 33's, your 10 bolt will be fine unless you bind it really bad, I'm just wondering where your coming up with your numbers, unless your buying everything new? Your best bet, is to keep an eye out for some used 4" front lift springs, get a rear shackle flip, find some used 33's, and get some gears, that will keep it much cheaper, and you'll have a pretty good wheeler.
 
hit the bumps going pretty fast/hard. Getting some minor air at times
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I say if you are going to be jumping it you might want to go 3/4 ton.
On the other hand I would not upgrade until it breaks. I vote option #1.
 
I have broken one rear 10 bolt and I always 4 wheeled like I was on egg shells. When the semifloating rear 10 bolt breaks, you usually can't get the vehicle home. My buddy broke a rear axle and had to leave the 4x4 out in the hills until he could get back with repair parts. I just put in a Dana 60 in the front and have built a FF 14 bolt that will go in next. If you can manage to break a FF 14 bolt axle shaft, ring & pinion, or locker, you can pull out the broken shaft or both, disconnect the rear driveshaft, and drive home on the front drive train. FF 14 bolts are cheap and easy to work on. Don't waste time with 10 bolt rear axles.
 
I say go with option 1 minus the regearing part, why waste money on regearing them anyway??? once you swap then the lift will still bolt up to the bigger axles. start saving for 1 tons now :thumb: then you can just swap in your 1 tons later on (ie build them-locker/gears out of the truck)
 
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i dunno :dunno:

if you are going to spend the money on regearing a 10bolt - you might as well find some 3/4 tons with the right gears. 4.10/4.56 should be easy to find in 3/4 tons as they were stock (at least 4.10's).
 
Dabba said:
So, after doing my homework and bothering you all with my stupid questions, ive come down to two options.

The cheaper option is for me to leave my 10bolt axles in. Regear to 4.10/4.56 and leave em open. Put on 33 inch muds and a 4inch spring lift. I think this would be about $2400.

The more expensive option is to go with the 3/4ton 14bff/d44/8lug10bolt swap, new rims, with the 33 inch muds and lift. With a detroit in the rear. I think this would be about $3600.

The truck sees alot of road and soft soft sand. When i do wheel it on the limited trails we have on long island, i do beat on her in the sandpit. Pound on the gas, donuts, hit the bumps going pretty fast/hard. Getting some minor air at times. Spinning the tires. The trails themselves are not so rough, we take it slow and enjoy ourselfs in the trails, its just the sandpit i really beat on her. That and getting a locker would be the reason for me to go 3/4 ton.

If i stay 10 bolts i would leave them open because i hear the 10 bolts are more forgiving open. I dont really desire the locker that much to go 3/4ton, but i figured if i would i would pick up a detroit for the rear.

Now, is what i do to the truck out of the limitations of a 10bolt? or can they take this abuse fine? If i plan on continuing to do this, is it worth the extra money to do the swap. I know alot of you will just say go ahead, but im looking for the cheapest, effective solution. If 10 bolts are fine then awesome. If im gonna be breaking them id rather swap sooner than later.

Video examples can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/user/Dabba87
Not so much trying to get air with air, but going pretty fast over the sandpit/bumps/ruts. I will be going with hdsprings in the lift. Thanks

Please let me know your opinions. Thank you.
Click to expand...

Well I think you could find a 14 bolt/dana 44 used with 4:10s for pretty cheap. And then start wheelin, if you feel the need for a locker, you could put in a detriot, or i am not sure but there is gotta be some type of lunchbox locker for a 14 bolt
 
hmm. I only tried jumpiing it that one time. Im just trying to figure out if the 10bolts can take that sort of crap. I just dont like the idea of leaving the rig on the beach or sandpit. The sandpit is questionable with legal status. I know everyone goes there and the cops dont bother us, but lets face it, theres no land left on LI that someone dosnt own.

I havnt weakend my 10bolts have i? Meaning if i keep it to what ive been doing or less i should be fine or is it everytime i pound on them i weaken the shafts?

As i said i dont want to spend money if i dont really need to until i have more of it haha. And of course if i break the 10 bolt tommorow somehow its going right to 3/4 tons.

Edit: i figured too that i might as well instead of regearing, but id need to regear anyway to 4.56s and if i go 3/4 ton i need new rims. and the ones i want are the ones i have so thats some decent money.
 
"The cheaper option is for me to leave my 10bolt axles in. Regear to 4.10/4.56 and leave em open. Put on 33 inch muds and a 4inch spring lift. I think this would be about $2400.

The more expensive option is to go with the 3/4ton 14bff/d44/8lug10bolt swap, new rims, with the 33 inch muds and lift. With a detroit in the rear. I think this would be about $3600."


!???WHAT??!!? :eek1::eek1:


A. an 8-lug front 10 bolt is still a ten bolt (not any stronger than the 6 lug you have currently) if your going to upgade then go with 1-tons to begin with and save money in the end...

and

B. $3600 bucks WTF?? :eek1: im not sure where you are coming up with your numbers but.....you can get a 4 inch lift on ebay for 400 bucks (even better and cheaper would be to get a reverse shackle and 52's for like 250)....tires and rims for 800 bucks probably...and 1 ton running gear for 1000-1200....

hell, i'll sell you my my D60 (detroit 5.13 hysteer crossover hydraulic assist) 14FF (detroit 5.13 discs) WITH 38.5 TSL radials and H1 rims if you are REALLLLY TRYING to spend 3600 bucks.....

anyway...all im trying to say is if your GOING TO upgrade, go with 1 tons...and it NOT as expensive as your numbers are showing....dont bother with regearing and locking 3/4 ton **** when you can get a 14FF locked, D60 4.56 gears fron a CUCV for 1200 bucks :bow:....and 33's are dirt cheap cuz they arent that "big" any more..**** here in the ghetto the "folks" drive around with 33's on their impalla's just to fit their rims :haha:....BUT if your SET on 3/4 stuff you SHOULD be able to find a MATCHING set for under 500-600 bucks at the junkyard, just add a detroit to the 14ff and be done.....

anyway just my .02....good luck :D
 
i was going more for spending 400 bucks rather than 1200. i dont think id need the one tons. My numbers do seem high but im looking at around 800 for rims, 900 for tires, and i was looking for the tuff country ez spring lift with the shocks and HD springs, so thats like another 900.
 
my $0.02: if you have 3.73s keep the gears, put a locker in back, limited up front, and real high quality shafts and truss the axletubes. that should be well enough built for what you do. besides, the locker will let you kick the back end around in the sand for more fun! and its not true four wheel drive until you have lockers.
 
noJeepshere said:
my $0.02: if you have 3.73s keep the gears, put a locker in back, limited up front, and real high quality shafts and truss the axletubes. that should be well enough built for what you do. besides, the locker will let you kick the back end around in the sand for more fun! and its not true four wheel drive until you have lockers.
Click to expand...

well me gov-loc let me do that? I am runnin 33's?


Sorry hijack
 
900 is with the shocks and hd springs, otherwise it was like 600 something. Out of reading this board it seemd tuff country was the most liked in the 4 inch spring lift.

Edit: unless you guys can point me to the cheapest source for a new tuff country lift. :)

She dosnt have 3.73s, came stock with 3.08s :(
 
3.08? oh gosh! replace them, too. personally i generally like to keep things light and 10 bolts should hold up to 33's.
 
Dabba said:
900 is with the shocks and hd springs, otherwise it was like 600 something. Out of reading this board it seemd tuff country was the most liked in the 4 inch spring lift.

Edit: unless you guys can point me to the cheapest source for a new tuff country lift. :)

She dosnt have 3.73s, came stock with 3.08s :(
Click to expand...

That price is with shocks and normal springs. You can upgrade to the 9000 series shock for 25.00 more. Its not the best ride in the world, but its a lot cheaper than 900.00
 
Yeah, local Craigslist has a 10 bolt and 12 bolt combo with 4.10's for $350. If I can't find a decent 3/4 ton combo some better geared half tons would work. Even 3.73 geared half tons would be a lot better with 33's than 3.08's.

Again if it was me I'd go find a set of 3/4 tons with 4.10's and cut to fit 33's. A 4" lift and very mild trimming should give you room for 35's easily enough and you can swing those with 4.10's.
 
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