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Strong 6 lug axle?

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nsxxtreme

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I have swaped my 10 bolt rear axle for a 14 bolt SF axle 6 lug. I have a 10 bolt front axle that is more than adequate for what I need. But I know someone that runs a junk yard and comes across all sorts of axles and I could get my pick.

I'd like to stay with a 6 lug front axle. Is there any 6 lug version that I should keep an eye out for that would be stronger then my current 10 bolt?
 
gotblazers said:
It didnt say 6 lug front axle on the title :o ill read next time lol
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Since when is a truck 12 bolt stronger than an 8.5in 10b?


Friend you screwed the pooch getting a 6lug semi floater. There is nothing factory 6 lug that has any strength for a fullsize truck. The dana 44 front in earlier trucks is the same strength for arguments sake and the only way to get a d60 in 6 lug is to buy $400 aftermarket hubs.

Save yourself the trouble of sinking money into a d44/10b and just go 8 lug. You'll regret it later if you dont.
 
usuall 12 bolts are stronger than 10 bolts and 14 bolts are stronger than 12 bolts and so on but maybe not in this case? They have adaptors so you can adapt an 8 lug hub to 6 lug for your wheels and get the big axle and keep your current wheel set up? just brainstormin here
 
I have a 10 bolt front axle that is more than adequate for what I need.
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You answered your own question right there. I can see the upgrade to the 14bSF for the rear, way stronger than the 10b rear. Should've been built like that from the factory. But if you have no reason to upgrade the front then leave it be.
 
Stomis said:
Since when is a truck 12 bolt stronger than an 8.5in 10b?


Friend you screwed the pooch getting a 6lug semi floater. There is nothing factory 6 lug that has any strength for a fullsize truck. The dana 44 front in earlier trucks is the same strength for arguments sake and the only way to get a d60 in 6 lug is to buy $400 aftermarket hubs.

Save yourself the trouble of sinking money into a d44/10b and just go 8 lug. You'll regret it later if you dont.
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There is nothing wrong with the 14bsf, in fact there is a thread that compares how much bigger the 14bsf internals are to the 10bolt.



Also, if you are worried about your 10bolt front axel, then do the chromoly shaft route and be set.
 
There are no factory 6-lug front axles out there besides the 10-bolt or Dana 44, and both are basically identical in strength. The only other 6-lug front axle I know of would be a D60 with aftermarket 6-lug hubs or something like a completely custom Ford 9" front setup.

I don't think it would be very practical to put 8-lug to 6-lug wheel adaptors on the front (i.e. if you bolted in a D60) because it would make the front axle a good bit wider than the rear.
 
Thanks for all the comments guys. I dont do any hard core wheeling. Mostly towing which is why I got the 14B to begin with. I stuck an eaton electric locker and 5.13 gears in it.

So eventially I will need to stick 5.13 gears in my 10b if I ever intend to use 4 wheel drive again. I know that the pinion is mighty small for a 5.13 in a 10b. Which is why I was asking. I do occasional light wheeling. I'm able to change the gears and do all the work myself so I am not to concerned. If there had been a beefier option I probably would have gone that route.

Thanks again!
 
I stuck an eaton electric locker...
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More info please. Off the shelf, new? Or a take off from an H2 14b? Just curious cause I see H2 lockers here and there, wondering if they will fit the 14bSF I have out of an 86 3/4 ton.
 
496truck said:
More info please. Off the shelf, new? Or a take off from an H2 14b? Just curious cause I see H2 lockers here and there, wondering if they will fit the 14bSF I have out of an 86 3/4 ton.
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Brand new locker. I don't know anything about the H2 locker.
 
Chevy305 said:
There is nothing wrong with the 14bsf, in fact there is a thread that compares how much bigger the 14bsf internals are to the 10bolt.



Also, if you are worried about your 10bolt front axel, then do the chromoly shaft route and be set.
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I never said theres anything wrong with a 14bSF. Only that if hes looking for something stronger for the front that getting the 6 lug SF rear was a waste seeing as how youd have to go 8 lug for the front anyhow.


And as far as the 10b vs 12b theyre both the same strength in a truck thats why GM stopped using them.
 
A D44 would give you a stronger front axle. It was offered in the older K5s and will bolt in. The 89-91 K5s/Suburbans received the 30 spline 10B. That is about it for 6 luggers unless you want to modify a D60, as previously mentioned.
 
nsxxtreme said:
Thanks for all the comments guys. I dont do any hard core wheeling. Mostly towing which is why I got the 14B to begin with. I stuck an eaton electric locker and 5.13 gears in it.

So eventially I will need to stick 5.13 gears in my 10b if I ever intend to use 4 wheel drive again. I know that the pinion is mighty small for a 5.13 in a 10b. Which is why I was asking. I do occasional light wheeling. I'm able to change the gears and do all the work myself so I am not to concerned. If there had been a beefier option I probably would have gone that route.

Thanks again!
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if i remember right, you have 35's on your truck......and you're right about the small pinion. if you have a 28 spline 10 bolt you can definitely upgrade by using a different 30 spline carrier and chromo shafts. at that point the u-joints would be the weak link, unless you upgraded those to like a CMT or something......then you'll just have the tiny pinion to blow.

sure you can have 6 lug shafts made for a D60, but that is a heavy axle and i think you'd need to shave the calipers to fit with 15" wheels.....it's generally not very cheap either. where do you want to put you're money?
 
factory 6 lug and much stronger :whistle:



2.5 ton top load rockwell 6x6 axles. :haha:


but for your current 10 bolt good shafts and top quality joints and a smart throttle foot = long life.
 
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