best years for axles?
 

I am apparently up the brown creek without a paddle, and will need to swap my front axle out. I need to know from what years I can pull a front axle for my 3/4t front end. I also wanted to know if I was better off with a corp 10 bolt front end or a dana 44hd?
I have a 70 3/4t which I believe means I will end up with different sized studs is that correct? Other than needing new lug nuts for the front, will I need anything else to bolt this axle up (will the drive shaft still work spline/length wise, spring width and location ok??
(I am aware I will need a diff. MC because of the drum brakes, and I already have a prop valve).

Re: best years for axles?
 

I'm not sure what yr GM swapped to the corp. 10 bolt, but any of the sold axle front ends should bolt right in. Both are comperable in strenght with a slight edge going to the Dana 44. ( It has thicker axle tubes ). I believe you'll find one of the ubolts on the corp. 10 bolt is longer than the Dana. I thought that the studs were the same ??? The most important thing is to match the gears with the rear.

I do believe the pinion shaft on the 10 bolt is slightly longer but the drive shaft should be able to collapse enough so it will fit.

Gary

Re: best years for axles?
 

i'm guessing that sometime around 77-78 was the cut-off for a dana axle in a gm 4x4. But it is a good deal to convert to a later model and do away with the drum brakes. Basically the only difference between a 10B and or dana 3/4 ton is the disc brake backing plates that hold the calipers...and of course the spindles and bearings. The bearings from 79 up are the 2nd design so the 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton use the same spindle bearings...before 79 is called design one and used different bearings...smaller i believe. Also the older axles under the gen1's used smaller inner axle shafts and thus smaller u-joints...plus the older hub seal design doesn't seal very well. Somewhere in 87-88 the 10 bolts changed to a 31-32 spline axle shaft...haven't owned one but i do know they added a couple of splines. Basically find yourself a 79 to 85-6 front 10 bolt in 3/4 flavor and you'll be allright. Also the 3/4 calipers are the same when it comes to size and mounting as the 1/2 ton version save a larger diameter piston...i believe it was a 3 1/16 piston.

Doug Wright

Re: best years for axles?
 

Your options are pretty much unlimited. Chevy D44 and 10b will fit, as well as Chevy D60's. Dodge D44's and D60's will also fit without much trouble, and I believe older Ford axles would fit, but they have the diff on the wrong side for our trucks.

Should make it pretty easy to find a donor.

Here's a site with mucho D44 info:

http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/web_rs44.html

AFAIK, the easiest candidates would be 3/4 ton D44s in 71-80 GMs. In 73-80 GM D44s, you also get slightly larger 760x wheel joints and axles that don't neck down as much.