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Which Axle Setup is best for 35" Tires and 4" Lift?

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Blaziken

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I have a 1972 Chevy Blazer which I am lifting using 4" BDS leaf springs up front and 6" BDS leaf springs in the rear. I am also setting it up with 35" BFG KM2 Muds.

The question is......are the Dana 44 up front and Corporate 10 bolt in the rear strong enough to handle the 35's with this lift set up and moderate wheeling?

If not, I am considering an front and rear Dana 60 Axle Swap instead (why mess around). I am not terribly familiar with the different Dana 60 axle combos available that will fit under a 1972 Blazer. Does anyone have a suggestion for an indestructible Dana 60 setup for both the front and the rear of a 1972 Blazer?

Thanks for your help
 
Go for the Dana 60 front and 14 bolt rear for maximum strength. If you get one ton gear the swap will be pretty straight forward. 3/4 ton gear would require you to cut and remount the spring perches on the 14 bolt. A Dana 44 front is adaquate, but at some point it will break based on your driving habits.

Moderate wheeling, why take a chance....the combo you have now is weak for 35's. Take into consideration that if you are out wheeling and snap an axle shaft, it could be a long walk home. Axles are that one area that you need to beef up just to feel secure when you are out on the trail

Thats my .02
 
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Blaziken said:
Does anyone have a suggestion for an indestructible Dana 60 setup for both the front and the rear of a 1972 Blazer?
Click to expand...


Your question right there screams "one ton" axle set up. :p:

Try a search, there's literally 100's of pages on this subject throughout this site.

As well as axles breaking as mentioned above, you can't discount the chance of breaking the knuckles either.

No such thing as moderate wheeling, go in prepared and if you don't at least be prepared to walk out.
 
How did your '72 end up with a 10-bolt rear??? :dunno:

If 35's is truly as far as you plan to go, then I don't see value in the expense of going 1-Ton. 35's aren't going to give you tremendous ground clearance to begin with, and 1-Tons are going to steal even more clearance than a typical 1/2-ton setup.

You can build a decent D44/12bolt combo for 35's. A few select upgrades parts in those axles would give you decent strength. The question is really what your definition of "moderate" wheeling is..... asking for "indestructable" moments later makes your true objective a bit unclear.


:usaflag:
 
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Blaziken said:
Does anyone have a suggestion for an indestructible Dana 60 setup for both the front and the rear of a 1972 Blazer?

Thanks for your help
Click to expand...

Just call Dynatrac , they will make an axle with your perches set right . Then your axles will be worth more than your truck :D

Myself , I am holding out as long as I can with locked 1/2 tons , and I do wheel the hell out of them . May live longer if I shed some weight .
 
Depends on what your budget is. Unlimited, yeah, call Currie, Dynatrac, or Boyce. If you're like the rest of us and do have a budget to work with, put a 14FF in the rear, and upgrade your D44 from 1/2 ton outers to 3/4 ton. That'll be the biggest bang for your buck. Then save up for the D60 front for when you kill the D44.

Another note...with a 4" lift in the front and running 35s, you're not gonna do any hard wheeling without a bunch of rubbing. That being said, unless you trim the fenders or get another 2" of lift, the D60 front may be overkill.
 
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You should have a 44/12 combo. Don't lock the front, and carry spare shafts. You should be fine until you start hammering the throttle. I wheeled 35s and 1/2 ton for a long time.
 
Thanks to everyone. I appreciate all the input.

Regarding the Corporate 10 bolt typo, i figured that Greg72 would catch that one. Its actually the stock Corporate 12 bolt in the rear. I decided that i am going to go forth with the stock running gear for now and run an experiment to see just how much it will take before it breaks. The $14,000 Dynatrac axles just ain't in the budget. I'll write back this summer with the test results.

Thanks again
 
AJs72K5 said:
Another note...with a 4" lift in the front and running 35s, you're not gonna do any hard wheeling without a bunch of rubbing.
Click to expand...

You really meant "a bunch of ripping" right? :haha:

You won't need to spend anywhere near $14K to upgade those axles.
 
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