Let’s talk about the 14 bolt FF

[57taskforce]

I have a question I’m looking for some insight on. We all know how the 10.5” 14 bolts in the 1973 to about 1991 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, suburbans, vans etc all had inboard mounted drums (drum pinned to the back side of the hub via the wheel studs-have to remove whole hub, drum assembly to get to the brake components) in a couple different sizes. Somewhere in and around 1992 it seems that GM shortened the spindles a hair, changed the hubs up to match the spindles, and started running outboard(slip on drums)… on every thing except for as it seems 1992-98 3/4 8600 lb gvw pickups. 3/4 ton suburbans and 1 ton pickups all seem to have gotten the slip on drums, I’m not sure about the vans in my research at this point. What I’d like to know is do the 1992-1998 3/4 ton trucks still use the same old SRW hubs from 1973-1991? It would seem to me they would have too because from what I can tell the inboard drum setup still uses the old style spindle. I guess to ask the question another way, does the 88-98 trucks with inboard drum 14 bolt ff use a different single wheel hub than the sqaure body 14 bolt single wheel trucks or are they identical in every way? (Wheel placement etc.)

Reason I ask is because my 98 K2500 spun an outer race in the hub and Ive got an extra set of square body hubs I’m hoping i can rebuild and replace it with. I didn’t have the extra hubs with me when I had it apart so I couldn’t compare everything at that time. And I was in hurry to band aid the truck back together as it’s my current DD.

[b454rat]

I doubt the hubs are the same. The slip on drums are apparently rare, as there was no rhyme or reason when they got used. My 2 trucks have the traditional style drum/hub ,but have a van 14ff from an 02 that has the slip on drums. Google 14ff bible, it was on Pirate4x4, but should find it....

[95 S_Trucker]

I would assume the hub are the same. My 99 K2500 7.4 had the drums mounted behind the hub.

If I look up the brake drum, 1972-2000 had the same part number. The same is true for the wheel seals. That would tell me the hub and backing plates have been in the same place through out that range.

You can also peen the area where the race sits on your 98 hub and uses some locktite to help keep it in place.

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by 95 S_Trucker

I would assume the hub are the same. My 99 K2500 7.4 had the drums mounted behind the hub.

If I look up the brake drum, 1972-2000 had the same part number. The same is true for the wheel seals. That would tell me the hub and backing plates have been in the same place through out that range.

You can also peen the area where the race sits on your 98 hub and uses some locktite to help keep it in place.

I’m in agreement with all this, my truck is a ‘98 K2500 7.4. The brakes have to sit in the same place for sure and best I can tell I think the actual wms between the square body hubs and 88-98 hubs with the inboard drums are the same. I did dimple and lock tite the hub to hold the race but I want to have a back up plan in place in case I have any more issues. The race was fairly tight coming out and was definitely tight when the new in went in. I’m seriously considering swapping in an 01+ 10.5” 14 bolt with rear disks if I do have any more issues.

And the 98 hubs with drums assembled also look the same as those in my 72 K20 which has an 3/4 ton square body 14 bolt in it, and a spare axle I’ve got from a 89 square body cab and chassis truck. I’ve since converted the 89 axle using disk brakes from an 01 truck, but I do have pictures of it before I did the conversion. I converted it from dew to srw with drums before doing the 01+ disk conversion using the same single wheel hubs.

The 89 axle is a ribbed housing like the 98. I really am starting to think they are the same axle with different perches and shock mounts. That one is at my house about 180 miles from where my apartment is that i live in during the work week. Hopefully next time i go home i can do some measuring and find out.