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Super Newb Question

SchnorrCS

SchnorrCS

1/2 ton status
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
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Location
Loveland, CO
Ok guys here goes-
I have a 74 K5 w/ 350 TH350 NP 203 front 44 rear 12 bolt.

Now for the question-
I have been working on lots of cars for upwards of 20 years this one not being my first 4x4, but I'm an engine tranny trans case guy, not so much when it comes to axles. I have recently converted my 203 to part time until I find a reasonably priced 205 to make a doubler, but now I wanna beef the axles some. My biggest question is about the difference between full floating, semi floating and not floating. What the heck is the biggest difference, and how do I figure out what the hell mine is. Dumb question I know, But I thought I'd go to the source to get some real answers.
Also, if it's not full floating, how could I go about converting it over to full floating? I have seen guys running locking hubs on the rear axle of their rigs, but wasn't sure if that was the point of doing it.
Any help you guys could throw my way would be appriciated.

Thanks,
Clint
 
Being a 12 bolt, it will be a semi float. Never made a 12b full floater factory. Only full floater that I would get (reasons being cheap, not gonna brake it, cheap Detroit, and will bolt in to your truck) is a 14b full float, out of 73-91 3/4 tons. Full floats have the hub sticking out of the wheels on the rear axle. I think in the pics link in my sig there are some shots of a full floater. It is round, and has 8 bolts that hold it in the hub. If you want beef, gonna need one of these. Also full float means if you break an axle, you can still drive the truck, the broken axle isn't attached to the wheel/tire, and won't come out while driving. All 4x4 fronts are full floater.
 
SchnorrCS said:
Is there anyway to convert what you got to a full floater?
Click to expand...

Yes. The kits are several hundred dollars and are no longer in production :)

Buying a 14BFF axle, replacing the outers up front and buying new wheels will be cheaper and a HECK of a lot more stout.

-- A
 
The biggest thing that helped me understand the difference between semi-floating and full-floating is that any of our front axles are full-floating.

On a full floating axle, the weight of the vehicle is riding on a spindle and bearings. So the axle shaft is only taking the strain of the rotating torque.

The semi-floating axle the weight of the vehicle is on the axle shaft and bearings. So the axle shaft is taking the strain of the rotating torque and the weight of the vehicle.

It comes down to the age old question, what type of wheeling are you planning to do? If you're talking about a doubler in the future, you're probably ahead to just get a 14bolt full-floater.

If you are going to hang on to the 1/2ton axles for a few years, you could throw some Superior axles shafts in the 12bolt for a couple hundred dollars and run that for a while.

Like said, if you could find a 12bolt full-floater kit, it will be more expensive than swapping in a 14bolt full-floater.
 
b454rat said:
Being a 12 bolt, it will be a semi float. Never made a 12b full floater factory. Only full floater that I would get (reasons being cheap, not gonna brake it, cheap Detroit, and will bolt in to your truck) is a 14b full float, out of 73-91 3/4 tons. Full floats have the hub sticking out of the wheels on the rear axle. I think in the pics link in my sig there are some shots of a full floater. It is round, and has 8 bolts that hold it in the hub. If you want beef, gonna need one of these. Also full float means if you break an axle, you can still drive the truck, the broken axle isn't attached to the wheel/tire, and won't come out while driving. All 4x4 fronts are full floater.
Click to expand...

3/4 tons were semi float. 1 ton axles were full float.
 
Hey thanks for all the replies.
I actually have a line on a 1 ton pickup that has been abandoned. It one of the old Camper Specials (I think a 77) that has front and rear axels, a 454, TH400 and NP205 that I can get for FREEEEEE!!!!!!
 
It ain't worth the trouble, let me know where its at so I can get rid of the eyesore for them.
 
Yeh, thought so, great find....put it to good use.
 
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