need help rear axle questions - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

redbaron69 · 03-02-2010, 04:17 PM

man here in town has a 5 lug 12 bolt leaf rear axle for sale. he claims it come from a truck and i going to look at it. my 69 is leaf rear and i want to use it for my 5 lug swap. what are the differences from a 67-72 leaf rear and a 73 up? are they the same width from back plate to back plate? just dont want to buy something i cant use. thanks for any help

Jacfourteen · 03-02-2010, 04:24 PM

I know that the leaf spacing is different between a 67-72 and a 73-?. other than that I think that the 73+ have a 10 bolt not a 12 bolt, that is easy to spot

. Other than that I don't think there is much difference, you could take a 10 bolt and move spring perches and it would bolt up from what I've read. Good luck and I hope he has was you're looking for!

redbaron69 · 03-02-2010, 04:30 PM

yea stuff like that. i can measure the distance on my axle between the leafs a check for a difference. i think i see a post were somebody said the leafs were different widths? anybody know??

capev86 · 03-02-2010, 06:06 PM

do the mods mentioned above and you'd have the more modern 10 bolt rear under your truck. don't worry about a wider track width as the front is always wider anyway on a stock setup. especially on a 4x4 with the front wheels that stick way out, a wider rear would make it look more balanced.

ERASER5 · 03-02-2010, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacfourteen

I know that the leaf spacing is different between a 67-72 and a 73-?. other than that I think that the 73+ have a 10 bolt not a 12 bolt, that is easy to spot

. Other than that I don't think there is much difference, you could take a 10 bolt and move spring perches and it would bolt up from what I've read. Good luck and I hope he has was you're looking for!

Not all. There are plenty of GM12 bolts on 73+ trucks.

Jacfourteen · 03-02-2010, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERASER5

Not all. There are plenty of GM12 bolts on 73+ trucks.

I didn't know that. Are they the same internals, axles,etc as the earlier ones?

redbaron69 · 03-02-2010, 08:49 PM

thanks for the responses guys. my truck is a 2wd if they was some confusion there. i have seen the replacement axles you can get from ECE but i can get this rear cheaper. does anybody know about the width of the springs?

Longhorn Man · 03-02-2010, 09:07 PM

I know on the heavier trucks there was more than one width of leaf spring.
Look at the shock mounts, if staggared, then it was certianly out of a later truck.

ERASER5 · 03-03-2010, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacfourteen

I didn't know that. Are they the same internals, axles,etc as the earlier ones?

Same as the 72, but as LHM said, the shock mounts are wrong and the spring perches are or might be different.

03-02-2010, 04:17 PM	#1
redbaron69 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: marion nc Posts: 588	need help rear axle questions man here in town has a 5 lug 12 bolt leaf rear axle for sale. he claims it come from a truck and i going to look at it. my 69 is leaf rear and i want to use it for my 5 lug swap. what are the differences from a 67-72 leaf rear and a 73 up? are they the same width from back plate to back plate? just dont want to buy something i cant use. thanks for any help __________________ 69 short fleet 350/350 "under construction" 70 short step 307/3 speed

03-02-2010, 04:24 PM	#2
Jacfourteen Big Red - Now its a SWB! Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oroville, Ca Posts: 1,624	Re: need help rear axle questions I know that the leaf spacing is different between a 67-72 and a 73-?. other than that I think that the 73+ have a 10 bolt not a 12 bolt, that is easy to spot . Other than that I don't think there is much difference, you could take a 10 bolt and move spring perches and it would bolt up from what I've read. Good luck and I hope he has was you're looking for! __________________ 68 3/4 ton (Project)-350 Small Block, .030 over, 10:1 comp, 3998993 heads, C3BX edelbrock intake, comp cams XE268, Holley 670 SA, long tube headers, dual flow 40's, E-fan, Alum rad, currently under the knife getting shortened and bagged build thread 41 3/4 ton (wife's)-flatbed, fully restored to original 01 Tahoe LT 4WD (my daily driver)-Magnaflow Muffler, Rollin on 22's 02 Ford Mustang Convertable (Wife's Car)-Flowmaster 50, Clear corners, Intake, sittin on 18's

03-02-2010, 04:30 PM	#3
redbaron69 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: marion nc Posts: 588	Re: need help rear axle questions yea stuff like that. i can measure the distance on my axle between the leafs a check for a difference. i think i see a post were somebody said the leafs were different widths? anybody know?? __________________ 69 short fleet 350/350 "under construction" 70 short step 307/3 speed

03-02-2010, 06:06 PM	#4
capev86 Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Eliot, Maine Posts: 1,314	Re: need help rear axle questions do the mods mentioned above and you'd have the more modern 10 bolt rear under your truck. don't worry about a wider track width as the front is always wider anyway on a stock setup. especially on a 4x4 with the front wheels that stick way out, a wider rear would make it look more balanced.

03-02-2010, 08:49 PM	#7
redbaron69 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: marion nc Posts: 588	Re: need help rear axle questions thanks for the responses guys. my truck is a 2wd if they was some confusion there. i have seen the replacement axles you can get from ECE but i can get this rear cheaper. does anybody know about the width of the springs? __________________ 69 short fleet 350/350 "under construction" 70 short step 307/3 speed

03-02-2010, 09:07 PM	#8
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	Re: need help rear axle questions I know on the heavier trucks there was more than one width of leaf spring. Look at the shock mounts, if staggared, then it was certianly out of a later truck.

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