Budget rear diff option?

[Rede]

I was told earlier today that my rear diff REALLY needs a total make over with axle tube seals, new bearings, new yoke (busted and seized ujoint band bolt) and of corse it needs brakes and parking/ebrake as well...

I don't have a ton of options here as far as parts locally for sale and I'm really living on a very small budget to finish my Gen6 454/TH400 swap into my 82 K20.

Right now, my options are:

1) Spend 500 bucks on most of the parts that I need except brake pads, drums and cabel..then hope to hell I know enough to tackle a rebuild myself.

2) Drop 800 (which I don't have) to get a shop to rebuild my diff correctly.

3) Struggle at a salvage yard to dig out a crusty 1970's 10.5" FF 14bolt from a wreck and hope to hell it doesn't need a rebuild.



Orrrr.... look outside the chev diff lineup?
I have a buddy with a 10.25" sterling FF diff that would likely sell for cheap and maybe even help my with the install, but I haven't a clue as to what I'd need to do. Well besides the obvious like match gear ratios with my D44 front diff and likely something with the spring perches...but beyond that, this is foreign territory.
I'll be calling to discuss price and take some measurements tomorow to see what te diff looks like and how it compairs...


My budget is like 500 bucks, tops and there is nothing advertized locally on kijiji and the usual classified places.
There was a D70 out of a dually, totally complete for 250 bucks in southern alberta, but I don't think a dually diff would work. Or am I mistaken?

[swamp rat]

You didn't mention specifically if you have a 1970 truck but i'm assuming so... There are other newer years of trucks that have the same diff and spring spacing as ours but not sure what years would work..might make a post like "what year trucks have"

[Rede]

ummm.. I don't know... do I have a 1070 truck...? lol
I don't know what that means.

If you mean a military truck, no its just a 3/4 chev that started out with a 350, 4spd, 14bolt 9.5" rear and Spicer 10bolt (I was told...?) in the front.

I took out something in the clutch/trany but I already had a TH400 that I wanted to swap in this summer but never had to help or the knowhow...
Once the 4spd died, I figured now was the time, but as I started taking off the tcase I figured if I wanted more grunt, now would be a good time to do a 454 swap as well... and it just started form there.. sigh.


Now I'm out of coin and don't have much to trade away for parts.

I really envy some of you guys who can just head over to the pick-a-parts/salvage yard and find all the beefy upgrade parts for cheap.

[LONGHAIR]

I would assume he meant 1970

[Rede]

As in year?
It's an 82, at least according to the vin but the box is the wrong color, the front springs are different, the front diff has some odd looking brace the runs from hub to hub and neither the motor nor the tcase are original. lol
Posted via Mobile Device

[swamp rat]

Sorry, I am riding on a gantry mill every night and it gets a little bumpy, kinda like being in a boat, sometimes i miss typo's Yea i ment 1970..

[raycow]

Does it really have a 9.5" rear? Thats a SF, and I thought those didn't start until 88. Anyway, if that's what you have, why not just look for another 9.5"? It will probably be less work than a 10.5" swap.

Ray

[Rede]

Originally Posted by raycow

Does it really have a 9.5" rear? Thats a SF, and I thought those didn't start until 88. Anyway, if that's what you have, why not just look for another 9.5"? It will probably be less work than a 10.5" swap.

Ray

Everything I've read suggests its a 9.5" seeing how there's no hubs, just a c-clip inside the center that holds the axles in place.


There was a Dana60 or 70 rear dually axle in Calgary that looked to be in nice shape.
Complete with drums and even the ebrake cables for 225 bucks.

But I don't know if it would fit my truck without a bunch of work and its aproximately 9 hours south of me. lol


Do the older 70's era 10.5 14bolts bolt right in or do you have to tinker with them to fit in place of a 9.5" ??

[raycow]

Originally Posted by Rede

Everything I've read suggests its a 9.5" seeing how there's no hubs, just a c-clip inside the center that holds the axles in place.

Do the older 70's era 10.5 14bolts bolt right in or do you have to tinker with them to fit in place of a 9.5" ??

Oh yeh, a C-clip is definitely a 9.5". As for swapping a 10.5", I am pretty sure you can find one to match your spring spacing, but I don't know how your driveshaft will fit up. Measure the pinion stickout on both rears, that is, the distance between the U-joint center and the axle shaft center. If you are lucky, they will both be the same. Don't worry if the U-joint cup diameter is different, because you can get a "transition" U-joint to take care of that.

Ray

[Rede]

I'm not too sure what to look for so I'll just take a bunch of measurements on my diff of where the perches are, width from hub to hub and the pinion to center.
I figure its best to go with a whole bunch of useless measurements than not have the right ones lol