5 lug to 6 lug swap

[pohnjarker]

i have a 71 C10 with the 5 lug rear end and stock gears...3.08 i think.

there's a local selling a 6 lug rear end from a 69 C10 with 4.11 gears and trailing arms.

is it just a simple swap in for the rear end or is there anything else i would need??

for 80 bucks, it seems it would be cheaper to swap out rear ends rather than install new gears. im guessing the only "bad" thing would be is that the rear would be 6 lug and the front would be 5 lug?

[In The Ten Ring]

Very good question! Having two different lug patterns would make tire rotations rather difficult (to say the least).

Why, pray tell, the move to a 4.11? I have a 4.11 and although the truck pulls strong on WV hills, the gas mileage is a pain! I will probably move to change mine over to a 3.73 in the future.

[pohnjarker]

it'll be my around town fun truck/occasional track fun so im not worried about gas mileage
id prefer 3.73s but for as cheap as this 4.11 axle is, i figure id give it a try if it would work

[In The Ten Ring]

If that's what you want, then God bless you brother!

One this is for sure, you'll get plenty of torque with the 4.11.

[Mr Handy]

If you want 6 lug all around, all you would need to do is swap out for 6 lug rotors in the front I believe.

[hugger6933]

Why not get the rear then some 5 lug conversion axles for it so it will remain 5 lug all around? Jim

[michael bustamante]

As ling as the 6 lugger is a coil spring and your truck is a coil youll ne just fine. I think the u joint mounts have different hardware so be sure you get the hardware off the 69.
Get 6 lug rotors for a 71-72 from gmc pauls and youll be just fine.
Youll notice the 69 rear end is a little narrower though.
Does anyone know if he could just swap gears?

[pohnjarker]

if the gears would swap over, that would work too. still cheaper than getting new gears. ive ran used gears in my last car and if put in right, no problem.

[Bagd72Chevy]

You could also bring the axle shafts to a machine shop near you and have them weld up the 6 lug holes and redrill 5 lug. Then use your 5 lug drums that you already have. The 6 lug axle is narrower which is nice if you want some more meat back there!

[pohnjarker]

i will be putting some wider tires on for the track eventually so maybe that will work out...

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by pohnjarker

if the gears would swap over, that would work too. still cheaper than getting new gears. ive ran used gears in my last car and if put in right, no problem.

What he said LOL

[Cash3481]

If/When swapping the third members only you have to ensure the "series" of the center section is the same. This makes a difference as there are several types between the years. You can buy conversion ring and pinions for some if you wanted to change one series to fit in another series housing but the cost is a little more. Hope I explained that correctly. Good luck!

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

What he said LOL

Just use the entire third member (it's called a "case" in the shop manual, most people call it a "carrier") and the pinion, leaving the ring gear on the carrier case.

I've heard there may be a small difference between the stack on the older vs newer pinions involving an oil slinger. This I was told at Arizona Differential on Grand Avenue. Don't think it would be a big deal, and was told it was not. But, it may have some affect on the crusher sleeve. If you want to do it yourself I'll walk you through it.