D60 or Corp14?

[vectorit]

Jason - At this point I'd be happy running the 4.11 gear over the 4.57's I have now.

I like the 14FF due to it's sturdy build, and the availability of new OE and aftermarket parts.

The D60 just seems half the size of my Eaton or the 14FF.
Keep in mind I never went out to get the D60, it just came with the front axle I wanted. So I was curious about it as a possible candidate to replace the Eaton, but deep down I was scratching my head if I could get my self to go with it over the Eaton or 14.

There is a really good thread about swapping the 14FF drum brake system to the Eaton, and it looks like it is something that is attainable by swapping everything from backing plate out from the 14 to the Eaton.
I just need to come to a point where I can lay out all of the parts, and then see if I can make it all work.

(The 14FF big drums are better, and more readily available than my 12" Eaton drums).

I have run trucks with a 33" tall tire, while running a 4.11 gear with a SM465. I think I would be happier for sure, since with a 4.11 I'd still have a low 1'st in my 465. Where as I had a '70 PU with 3.73 gears and a 465, and the 1'st was no longer a crawling gear.

I know I am riding the line here with low gears and highway manageability while using a 465 trans, so the obvious is plain to me regarding the pitfalls of low vs high axle ratio's.

In my case I am struggling with history, classic looks, and highway manners... Plus the pain point of money being thrown at the whole thing.

My Suburban has always been a labor of love, so I don't want to ruin that with high credit card debt to get something I want out of it.

[argonaut]

If you're happy with 4.11 then I agree; swap out the third members in the eaton and swap in the big hub dana44.

This keeps a strong, period correct rear diff with good ground clearance and your target gearing.

This also gives you disk brakes up front which are easier to maintain and stay cooler. You'll just have to scar them and make some new stories that you can tell your son someday!

Are you going to do much towing? If not then I really wouldn't worry too much about the size or the rear brakes. You barely use the rear brakes unless you've got a heavy load. If the eaton drums are hard to source parts for then I agree about swapping the 14bolt brakes on.
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[vectorit]

I do plan to tow a vintage Airstream trailer, so the big brakes are attractive to me.

[Redcap]

Originally Posted by vectorit

Funny thing about this... Now the indecision has deepened for me.

I have a ready to go 14FF, and a D60 that I could bolt in now but would need freshening up.

For the front, I have a 1972 big hub disc brake D44 with 4.11 gears. This is the front that I want to someday swap in, to replace my closed knuckle D44 with drum brakes and 4.57 gears.

Here is where the indecision gets nuts for me...

I have a line on a freshened up Eaton HO-52 3rd member with 4.11 gears.
This will allow me to keep my Eaton HO-52, and then just swap in the 4.11 3rd member. Annd run the replacement D44 with 4.11's and discs without doing to much i.e. cost factor.

My mind thinks like this.
Get the new 3rd member with 4.11's (put aside the 4.57 3rd member).
Swap in the disc brake D44 front with 4.11's (Still be able to move the 4.57's from the closed knuck into the replacement D44 if I wanted to).

So, a simple 3rd member change out in the rear and getting more leg on the gear coming from 4.57 to 4.11.
Upgrade the front with disc brakes on a D44 that already has 4.11 gears.

This is where I struggle.. I restored my burb to OE 1968 spec with all of it's original parts, but I want to drive it more often and not go broke on fuel and be the last one to the destination.
I love the Eaton axle, but the brakes bother me because they have been such a head ache for me in the past. Though they are dialed in, and I don't foresee any more problems (anymore than what any drum brake system would give anyways).
The front... Well, I look at that as a safety issue. Disc brakes will stop better than the drums after the drums have already been heated up from previous hard braking. So I am not so torn on upgrading the front axle.

To me it's an issue with changing big original parts out in a truck that has huge sentimental meanings with me. Silly things like, I can tell you how each and every dent, gouge, and any other mark is on parts like this got there.

If this was any other truck, all this would be a non issue for me. I would just upgrade away and not think anything about it.

But when your Pop's walks around the truck and points to the ground down selector switch, and laughs about the time I did that on a high curb because I panicked when the truck shut off in the middle of the night... Yea, silly things like that are hard to get past.

I guess I don't understand the sentimentality against a mechanical system. Wouldn't you prefer what works best, rather than something you think you have a weird emotional attachment to?

[special-K]

I only voted 14-bolt because if you were going to swap,that would be an equally stout rear with the best parts availability. Dana60 brake parts are no easier found than HO52. The Dana60 may be a lighter rear,but they do the trick just fine. My '72 GMC has one with Power-Loc and is still doing fine. The truck was used to haul a huge 5th wheel travel trailer in it's former life. I love the HO52 and will keep those going as long as possible. My '72 has 4.11 rear and I've had 33s on before. That was a great combo and 35s are also a great combo with that ratio. Once I finish engine work I will finally install the lift and Dana60/HO52 No-Spin axles (4.10). I'm going with the HO52 rather than the 14-bolt that came with the Dana60 front. I think you're on the right track with your latest thoughts.

Originally Posted by 76k10

Everyone thinks they can get by with failure prone G80s until they personally fall victim to blowing chucks through their rear end cover. When they day comes, you will really wish you listened. I'll take my 12 bolt with an Eaton carrier over a G80 14 bolt any day of the week.

I'm not everyone,and far from it. I am "me" and "I" have been driving trucks of all sorts for over 40 years. I have had a couple with light 14-bolt/G80 and never had an issue. In my previous post I mentioned using it as it's intended and that's what I've done. I base my views on reality,my own personal experience,not from following the herd. People don't grenade 12-bolts?

Originally Posted by Redcap

I guess I don't understand the sentimentality against a mechanical system. Wouldn't you prefer what works best, rather than something you think you have a weird emotional attachment to?

Weird emotional attachment? I didn't realize being human was weird.

If you have the space,just hang onto the original parts and you could always swap them back. The Suburban will continue to age and one day being totally original may trump the driveability/off road factors...even if you didn't have human-like emotions

[obijuan]

eaton all the way. i didnt know this was an option for you. one thing you can do is take a 14 bolt detroit locker and put it in the eaton and run 14 bolt shafts. this gets you the non neck down super strong axle shafts, but retains the eaton axle look overall.

Also, 14 bolt disc brake kits swap right over to the eaton axle. they are dimensionally the same. which would lead me to believe you can put 14 bolt brakes on the eaton hub.

the eaton has 1/2" studs whereas the 14 bolt has 9/16ths. i am unsure of the interhcange of wheel hubs themselves. we had to "machine" a spindle lol to fit a 14 bolt bearings. it may be internet lore that a 14 bolt hub will fit. in my case it didnt.

[vectorit]

My apologies for the misleading nature this post took in the beginning.
At the time when I posted this, I was in fact looking to replace the Eaton.
But came across the opportunity for the 4.11 third member, which then made me rethink keeping the Eaton.

I like the idea of using the 14FF for upgrading the Eaton brakes, axle shafts, and Detroit locker.

That upgrade path sounds doable, since I already have the 14FF for parts.
Just wondering if I go this route.. Is it just a matter of swapping everything from the lug nuts in? Going with the 14FF locker, to accept the 14FF axles?

So in essence have 14FF drums, brakes, backing plate, axle shafts, and Detroit locker in a Eaton HO52. If all this takes is for me to invest in a 14FF locker so as to use the axles from the 14FF, then I will most definitely save up and plan for this upgrade path.

Doing this will also give the 9/16 studs, so when I go to the disc brake D44 all four corners will be 9/16 studs. This is great, because I already have four 1972 vintage steel wheels to put on them.

[Mcnasty]

just for simplicity, i would just drop in the 14 bolt ff. Sure it's big, and a bit heavy but you will then be running one strong rear diff. There is a support bearing on the business end of the pinion gear. Parts are everywhere, and, it's easy to set up.