88-98 rear end fit in an 84?

[benoit454]

My dad has an 84 c10 with a 2.72 setup and a good 350 and 350 trans. now and we've been having no luck with one for his truck. I got an 88 k1500 and found a junkyard with alot of 88-98 trucks 2 and 4wd.

So will a 88+ 2wd fit in his truck? as far as bolt in goes. Like will his driveshaft and leaf springs bolt to it? If we'd have to change brakes/line or wheel cylinders that be fine too.

[gchemist]

You have to move the shock and leaf mount perches. The 88+ trucks have a wider width between the frame rails.

[nlped]

I've actually done this and gchemist is right. You will have to cut the shock mount brackets and the leaf spring perches off of the 88 up rearend and move them to the appropriate location and reweld them into place. It's not very complicated, but a bit time consuming. Just remember that you need to drain the rearend fluid out before you start cutting and welding on it. The soft to hard brake line is the same thread pitch as your existing one, so you just have to use the lines and soft line off the newer rear. I did have to move the hard lines from side to side so the soft line was in the same place as the original soft line, but that took about 5 minutes.

Some of the advantages to going to the newer rearend is the availability of the actual rearend, the price of related parts, the 30 spline axles, the drum brakes are a bit larger, and the width is about a 1/2 wider on each side which makes the wheels sit more evenly front to rear.

Good Luck!!!

[benoit454]

lol never mind then, I just thought maybe it be a bolt in deal.

[benoit454]

will the guts fit inside the 84 rearend from an 88 plus?

[Manbearpig]

Originally Posted by benoit454

will the guts fit inside the 84 rearend from an 88 plus?

Yes

I wouldn't bother with them though.

[benoit454]

why not it's cheaper then buying some from summit and easier to find then the gear ratio wanted for the 84 truck

[Manbearpig]

Well are you going for the open rear or the G80 locker?

[68 TT]

The spline count on the axles changed so your 28-spline 84 vintage axles would be too small to engage the 88-up 30-spline carrier.

The gears will install into the older 8-1/2" 10-bolt though.

Most yards sell ring & pinion only fairly cheap. Mine goes for $42 for stuff with more than 30k on them.

[Manbearpig]

I was assuming he would grab the axles too

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Manbearpig

I was assuming he would grab the axles too

He was talking about putting the guts from the 88-up housing into the 84 housing so the axles from the 88-up are too long to fit to allow the use the 88-up carrier.

Custom length axles would fix that but they cost enough to make the spring perch & shock mount swap worth the effort to just use the 88-up rear end intact.

[benoit454]

aaaahhhh that's the info I was looking for if the axles would be the same or if the splines were the same.

I was going to go open or posi or locker anything as long as it was a better ratio then 2.72's

I would have tried to reuse the axles from the 84 if they were the same, if not I would have asked about the 88+ but knowing they are longer, I'll hold out for an older rearend from 73-87 or find one and get it's guts, or buy a new ring and pinion and use my carrier with it's locker.

[Manbearpig]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

the axles from the 88-up are too long to fit to allow the use the 88-up carrier.

Ahh hell didn't know that