68 4x4s

[Jtrux]

Originally Posted by drivethechevy

i wont have to look very hard my uncle owns the local junkyard
what should i look for specificaly axle wise?

Don't get anything past 76, or at least I wouldn't personally. In 77 they introduced the 10bolt and while there really isn't anything wrong with it, I just don't like it. They did also have dana 44's in 77 but if you just look for a 76 or earlier you won't have to worry about determing what kind of axle it is.

[og350]

in the front put either a dana 44 or dana 60 in the back go with a early 80s gm 14 bolt.ther are cheap and strong and you can take the front disck hubs from a 71-88 3/4 an bolt them on for 4 wheel disk. i have a 71 3/4 that had a sm465 with a 205 and it was fun but i didnt like to shift so i put in a th400 with a 203 fulltime and that sucked gas, so now it is a th400 with a 208. that is not bad but i want to try a 700r4 swap next. good luck!!

[special-K]

The way you`re going about it sounds good to me,too.You don`t need axles any heavier than what you already have.1/2 tons get the job done just fine for most people`s uses and I don`t get the impression you`re looking to go "all out" on this,as far as offroad-built goes(Watch out!You may catch the bug).BTW,what size are those Remington`s?

[msgross]

Originally Posted by Jtrux

Don't get anything past 76, or at least I wouldn't personally. In 77 they introduced the 10bolt and while there really isn't anything wrong with it, I just don't like it. They did also have dana 44's in 77 but if you just look for a 76 or earlier you won't have to worry about determing what kind of axle it is.

and you know this from personal experience or just everyone's opinion? I put a corp10 bolt in the front of my 68. Mostly cause I got it cheap and it had 3.73's in it. They are very nearly identical axles, and for the most part they are exactly the same. I know this because I had three dana44 and one corp10 in my garage in pieces. Corp10 rear axles might not have been as good as 12 bolts, but that's just what "I heard". Main thing is to be sure the tube is the same thickness, my dana44 was 2.75" and the corp 10 is 3" (guess that's weaker?) The top plates for the leafs will be different and your U-bolts as well. but if you find one with a front sway bar then you could add that to your 68.... that's how the sickness begins and snowballs into a huge project!

For the average guy a 1/2 ton works great.... of course the extreme rock crawlers go with Dana60/14FF option ($1500+). I use to run the snot out of my 79 blazer and never broke a part on it's 1/2 ton suspension...

It isn't quite a "bolt in" for a newer axle. Your steering drag link won't bolt up to the new axle. That's why I added Power steering and took all the parts off the donor truck. Then you run into the issues with bolting the power steering box up to the 68 frame. If it's like mine then you have to build a brace with spacers or buy an adapter for a 60-66 truck and bolt it on. Oh yeah, brake lines need changed up front and your master cylinder needs changed while adding a proportional valve to it. All that can come off a donor truck though.

Good luck and I suggest adding the new axle. The disc brakes will help and parts are cheap.

[drivethechevy]

im not gonna do much 4 wheeling with this truck im just trying t get a feel of what my options are, i will have to check on the size of the tires later today
id like to switch the truck to full disk brakes at some point but tis not really a top priority the truck is going to be my daily driver once its road worthy again

[drivethechevy]

Originally Posted by special-K

BTW,what size are those Remington`s?

they are 31x10.50r15lt and they are remington wide brutes
im glad my dad saved them he had them on a set of 70's-80's gm rallies that he had redone for his 71 4x4, and after about a year of them on the truck he decided he didnt like them and swaped the rims and tires out for a set of jep rallies and some goodyears
the rims and tires are deffinately gonna make the truck look nice in my opinion

[special-K]

That size tire came stock on an S10 ZR2.I`m sure 6-lug axles will handle it.I like the Wide Brutes,nice tread.

[Jtrux]

Originally Posted by msgross

and you know this from personal experience or just everyone's opinion? I put a corp10 bolt in the front of my 68. Mostly cause I got it cheap and it had 3.73's in it. They are very nearly identical axles, and for the most part they are exactly the same. I know this because I had three dana44 and one corp10 in my garage in pieces. Corp10 rear axles might not have been as good as 12 bolts, but that's just what "I heard". Main thing is to be sure the tube is the same thickness, my dana44 was 2.75" and the corp 10 is 3" (guess that's weaker?) The top plates for the leafs will be different and your U-bolts as well. but if you find one with a front sway bar then you could add that to your 68.... that's how the sickness begins and snowballs into a huge project!

For the average guy a 1/2 ton works great.... of course the extreme rock crawlers go with Dana60/14FF option ($1500+). I use to run the snot out of my 79 blazer and never broke a part on it's 1/2 ton suspension...

It isn't quite a "bolt in" for a newer axle. Your steering drag link won't bolt up to the new axle. That's why I added Power steering and took all the parts off the donor truck. Then you run into the issues with bolting the power steering box up to the 68 frame. If it's like mine then you have to build a brace with spacers or buy an adapter for a 60-66 truck and bolt it on. Oh yeah, brake lines need changed up front and your master cylinder needs changed while adding a proportional valve to it. All that can come off a donor truck though.

Good luck and I suggest adding the new axle. The disc brakes will help and parts are cheap.

Honestly, just preference.

[drivethechevy]

well the truck is coming home this weekend
i will have pics of the whole trip posted up on sunday
plan is to load the 63 dodge car onto my trailer when i get home from school tomorow, hop in my dads 01 dodge farm truck( its the only one that can pull my trailer right now) get down to a family members house at around 9pm stay the night there, get up bright and early and drive the rest of the trip unload the car and load up the new truck, hope to be back home by 10pm on saturday, total it wil be about a 500 mile round trip to go get the truck
i will start a build thread once i get it home
i have found out from talking to the owner that all the suspension is relatively and was gone through in 2003, the transfer case was rebuilt at the same time and the tranny was swapped out for a freshly rebuilt original and the good working one that was taken out comes with the truck, im not sure why the engine was taken out from the sound of the rest of the truck i am going to assume for a swap or a rebuild, also i found out that something on one of the lockouts is taken apart in 2004 but was never reassembled but it comes with everything i need to repair whatever the problem was and reassemble it,
this truck will come alive once more