"Detroiting" your HO52
 

All right guys, here's what I got.....A 72 HO52 with 4.10 open carrier with 17 spline axles. I've heard by switching out the spider gears from a 14bolt I can run 30 spline 14 bolt axles with a detroit locker for a 14 bolt. Is this true? Anybody done this swap? I've already gathered up all those hard to find brake parts (big props to the thread on eaton's below:metal: ) just need to know what to look for to do this conversion. Thanks!

Re: "Detroiting" your HO52
 

if you use a detroit locker, you do not need spider gears. if you want to weld the diff you could do that, however.

I have all the parts, and I took both carriers apart and swapped the lockers (I had a detroit for each one). they fit interchangeably. I didn't finish putting either one back together, though, for lack of time (its finals week for me right now).
The 14 bolt shafts are a little bit longer than the eaton shafts, but it looked like they would work. if not, there is almost an inch of spline engagement that does not even go into the locker, so i could cut the ends of the shafts.

Re: "Detroiting" your HO52
 

What Adam said!

Re: "Detroiting" your HO52
 

Thanks for the info....I just don't feel comfortable running the 17 spline eaton axles although the splines look to be in great shape and pretty beefy. I'm going to be running a modified version of the "Impersonator" SBC 406 with 35's and don't want to take any chances. While I've got the diff apart is there anything else I should look for or replace? The wear pattern on the ring and pinion looks pretty good and I don't see anything that looks bad.

The Eaton axles are plenty strong for you engine, but finding a Detroit Locker with 17-spline axle side gears is difficult and expensive. The 14bFF Detroit and axles is a good mod for the Eaton. Advantage to start brand new with the Detroit, too.

For heavy duty use, I think someone makes 4340 14bFF axles. Maybe PolyPerformance. Probably overkill for most folks. I've never heard or read of either Eaton or 14bFF axle failures, but I don't get around much. Maybe if I dug on Pirate4x4.

I've read that some folks had to cut off 1/4 inch from the ends of the 14bFF shafts to fit them in the Eaton without the axle bottoming out in the diff before the axle flange mates to the hub. After the cut, I would bevel the ends to ease insertion.:D