Will a g10 limited slip (posi) carrier assembly fit in a c10 of the same year?

[72timemachine]

If you had, say a 1972 g10 van posi rear end, is it possible to install this carrier assembly into a 1972 c10 non posi read end? I't seems while the axles are different lengths, the spline count and axle bearings are the same.

Been studying the rear end chart from this site and I see some vans have the limited slip rear ends, or as GM coined the phrase, "posi-traction".

My other question is:

I was reading an article which said that Chevrolet pickup trucks from 1970-1987 had a width of "63.50, axle face to axle face, it this true of c10 and 1500 Suburbans of the same years?

Here is the article:

https://www.onedirt.com/tech/drivetr...rearend-guide/

Thanks for any help.

[Mike C]

Yes. If they are both 12 bolt trucks and the gears are within the same series. (2.76 to 3.42 in the truck are "3" series. 3.73 and up are "4" series. 2.73 and down are "2" series.)

So if your truck has 3.07 and so does the van your good. Or if the van has 2.76 and your truck has 3.42 your good. If you have 2.76 and the van has 2.73 you're NOT good. If you have 3.73 and the van has 3.07 that won't work either.

Those 2 series gears are uncommon in the early 70's so most likely both trucks have 3.07, but you won't know until you look.

Suburban and Blazer axles are the same as truck axles. Just because they are the same length doesn't mean all will interchange. Somewhere in the early 80's the truck 12 bolt started to be replaced by 10 bolts. while the 12 has 30 spline axles, the 10 bolt had just 28 until '88.

[68 TT]

If the G10 van rear end is a truck 12-bolt then the carrier and gears will drop right into the C10 truck rear end if it is also a truck 12-bolt.

There were other rear ends available stock that could be in either vehicle and many more that could have been swapped in over the life of the vehicle so you need to identify what each one has before you can know for sure if the swap is possible. With a picture of the rear end cover of both I can most likely identify them.

The late 1970 to 72 truck, Suburban & Blazer rear end and the 73-87 (91) square body truck, Blazer & Suburban rear end share the same width. The square body version is the same width for both versions with 2wd in 5-lug and 4x4 in 6-lug. I put a square body 4x4 truck 12-bolt housing into my 69 stepside with 5-lug axles and brakes from another square body truck 12-bolt rear end.

The square body brake drums and backing plates vary so not all the parts will interchange with the others even on the same model of rear end so get a matched set of brake parts from the same donor. The distance from the face of axle to the backing plate mounting flange on the rear end housing is the same so the parts all interchange as long as you have a matched set of parts. There were heavy duty brake options with wider than standard shoes in both 5-lug and 6-lug so the backing plates were altered for clearance.

[72timemachine]

Thanks to the both of you for the valuable information, I feel I can now stalk the junkyard with a bit more confidence. I suppose it would be best to read the numbers on the ring gear to be sure that ratio matches what is stamped on the axle tube, no? Cause like you said, a truck this old could have had anything modified on it.

Got time for another question? I have a friend who is a certified welder so if I were to find a rear end from a 1970's c10 (12 bolt) from a junkyard which I believe will have leaf springs, I would have to buy some new u-bolt saddles so I can attach that rear end to my '72 trailing arms after removing the leaf spring perches. What is the best place to measure from when attaching (welding) the new saddle brackets and how do you make sure the rear end is set to the factory angle. Do you use an angle finder? This is all new territory for me.

I also read on this forum to check the teeth on the pinion shaft as some have found cracked or broken teeth on some used rear ends.

Thanks for any help.