1982 5 lug 12 bolt...

[naynay]

So i found a guy with a '82 12 bolt for sale. he says all the spring perches and everything i would need to cut down have already been done. I know that the axle will be 1.5(?)" longer than the 6 lug that's in my 63 c10 now.. is it worth it for me to pick this up for $150?? I am having hell finding one from a '72 here in Dallas. The plans are 100% to have the rear notched and bagged before it hits the road, so is this an ok starting point?

just looking for opinions before i have him haul it all the way up here to me.

TIA,

[markeb01]

The price doesn't seem unreasonable, what I'd be most concerned about is the fit and alignment of the brackets that are suppose to make it work in your truck.

1. If the pinion angle wasn't set correctly, it may or may not be correctable with angled shims.
2. It would be wise to confirm the mounting pads are in fact the right distance apart for your chassis setup.
3. If the welding was done too quickly or concentrated in one spot for too long, there could easily be warpage in the axle tubes which leads to wheel bearing problems. If the guy that built it is a pro, he'd know this and probably not be a problem. If it's homebuilt...?

Also -
4. What gear ratio is installed. If it isn't what you want, it will cost a couple hundred more to have it changed, unless you can do this yourself.

[naynay]

right now it is just a bare rear end.. now spring perches or shock mounts or anything.. everything has been cut off... it has 2.73's in it, which albeit low.. i am really building this truck with the intention of taking a cross country trip in it, so highway gears are a plus for me.

I can weld myself but will probably farm that out to one of my coworkers to get the spring perches set just right. the reason i mentioned that i am bagging it is because if i end up 2 or 4 linking it i will be moving the bags further up i the trailing arm so it wouldn't really matter either way...right?

The reason i ask so many questions is because i am in downtown dallas and the truck is about an hour away on the other side of fort worth, so i dont have the luxury of just going out and staring at it t figure it out

[markeb01]

My misunderstanding. Yep good points, if you're still to design your setup, the only thing that really matters is that the gearset/carrier is in good shape. I'm not familiar with the brakes in this new of a rear end, but the only thing I can think to check is see if the emergency brake cable attachment is something that can be adapted to what's in the 63 chassis.

[ruffrida2005]

That's not a bad Price. Have you checked www.car-parts.com. I've been watching it for awhile and that price is about right on the site. I've found one with 3.42's down by me for $50

[Captainfab]

Just a FYI. If it is in fact from a '82 then it is a 10 bolt and not a 12 bolt. 1980 was the last year for the 12 bolt in trucks. However it doesn't sound like that will be an issue with your intended use. Just thought I'd let you know.

That doesn't sound like a bad price since all the original brackets have been removed. Just as long as it hasn't been butchered.

[naynay]

thanks man.. he said it's a 12 bolt.. i hope he knows how to count if he's cutting brackets off things

[ruffrida2005]

what's really the diffrence from a 12 and 10 bolt?

[Captainfab]

Aside from the number of bolts holding the ring gear onto the carrier (also the number of bolts on the rear cover) the truck 10 bolt ring gear is 8.5" diameter and the 12 bolt's is 8.875" in diameter.

For most applications the 10 bolt is just fine, but the 12 bolt is just a little bit stronger.

Originally Posted by ruffrida2005

what's really the diffrence from a 12 and 10 bolt?

[ruffrida2005]

so on a highway truck it wouldn't matter if it was a 10 bolt.

[Captainfab]

It's more of a matter of how much power your engine is producing and how much tire you are running. And of course how hard you drive it.

Originally Posted by ruffrida2005

so on a highway truck it wouldn't matter if it was a 10 bolt.

[Eagar1]

The 12 bolt wil also take more power to push, and is heavier, (less speed and mpg) so unless you are towing or hauling, the 10 bolt is just fine.