Could i get your comments on a 1980 3/4 ton front corp axle?

What do you guys all think of them? Good, Bad, Ugly?

Thanks

That would be a corperate 10-bolt, same as the 1/2 ton has. They break a lot, in my experience. Generally considered bad. Easy to find parts though, as they made lots of these bad axles, and they broke a lot.

Marcus

He's right in that is is a 10-bolt. He's wrong about how easily they break. Anything breaks if you try hard enough. I have friends who run 10-bolts with 39.5" boggers and barely ever break them. They are about the same as the Chevy d44 fronts that were used in the earlier years. All the dimensions that count are about the same too, including axle shaft size and spline count. Hell, most of the parts between the d44 front and 10-bolt front are even interchangeable. Even the shafts. (With a small amount of modification.) I used to think that 10-bolts were worthless, too until I realized that most of th components are the same as a d44 front. I think of 10-bolts more so as econo-d44's because the parts are easier to find and there are more of them. If I was running 1/2 ton axles, which your 10-bolt is, I would not care if I had a 10-bolt or a d44.

J. J.

Patooyee is correct. The 10 bolt is not a dana 60, but is at least the strength of a Dana 44 and parts are much more available. Not a bad axle if you can't afford a 60.

It uses the same u-joint (297X) which is usually the first part to break, but the 10-bolt has 28 spline inners compared to the 44's 30 spline. Both of em have 19 spline stubs.


And if your buddy doesn't break often with 39.5's it must be a pretty light rig, and he must not use the throttle much. In a fullsize rig in the rocks 39.5's will bust the 297X's pretty easily.

Originally posted by FordPowr
It uses the same u-joint (297X) which is usually the first part to break, but the 10-bolt has 28 spline inners compared to the 44's 30 spline. Both of em have 19 spline stubs.


And if your buddy doesn't break often with 39.5's it must be a pretty light rig, and he must not use the throttle much. In a fullsize rig in the rocks 39.5's will bust the 297X's pretty easily.

I thought that 10-bolts have 30 spline inners, just like the d44's. If not, I don't know how my buddy swaps 10-bolt shafts with his d44 shafts all the time. My other buddy with the 39.5's doesn't have a full size. It's in a CJ5 with a strong 360 V8 and a heavy right foot.

J. J.

Oh, shit! I forgot that this was the Chevy forum. I post in all of them so much that I don't even pay attention to which ones I'm in. :) Anyway, if you're doing any etreme wheeling with tires bigger than 35" and lockers in a full-size, I would definately say that a d44 front OR 10-bolt is too weak. Sorry for the confusion.

J. J.

10-bolt fronts were 28 spline except maybe (rumor?) last two years of production. 10-bolt rear is 30-spline, but the carriers and/or spiders will interchange with a front axle assembly, so that's probably how he does it.

I know that my 89 blazer ten bolt is 30 spline but I'm not sure when they started using 30 splines. You could look it up at coloradok5.com

As far as I know, all ten bolts (front and rear) were 28 spline till 89, when they both went to 30 spline. I doubt the splinage will make a difference, being that both types of 10B still had the 297x joints. If someone invents an ultra strong 297 size ujoint THEN the spline count may make more of a difference, but as for now you are still hampered by the small joint.:(

I have had pretty good luck with my front 10 bolt. It is locked and I run 35s on it and rockcrawl. I do have a dana 60 laying in the backyard for when it breaks though.