1987 gmc axle swap ??

[jesdude7789]

Originally Posted by RandyP

Complete axle swap is easy peasy stuff that any old do it yourselfer can accomplish. Swapping gears though, different story, different time zones and different planets usually.

I sell rear axle housing assemblies for $150 - $175 when I have them. So getting one from a licensed salvage yard I would guess $200. As I said though, ask about a "cash and carry" price. Hell maybe you'll at least get tax knocked off or something.

Another positive from buying at a salvage yard, you normally get a 30 day warranty. That gives you a few days to get the part installed and put a few miles on it to make sure it does not have issues. Whereas if you bought from a CL person, once you exchange the money for the part, it's all over.

I did one years ago on my old 89 1/2 ton I used to have until my brother needed it. The stock 3.08 blew out on it one day and my dad got me a used 3.42 axle somehow or another and I swapped it out on a saturday. That gear combined with the holley tbi I had on it made it a good hauler for sure. gas mileage was in the toilet though haha. I am keeping the stock tbi on my 87 so I should be okay.

Originally Posted by nekkidhillbilly

find somebody who can swap for you. shouldnt take more than a hour or 2. used axle your going to deal with bad bearings and all that, have to replumb your brakes. me id have a the gears swapped with a posi out of another 8.5. replace all the seals bearing and needle bearings while in there. you gotta think a used axle from 91 is going to have a whole bunch of miles and age on it and if a needle bearing goes you got to pull it apart anyhow. just my .02.

I wish I knew guys like that but I don't. Any local shop won't do anything but a full rebuild for around $1000 so that's out of the question. I need to get more gearhead friends haha