Help out the newbie please.

My son and I spent the afternoon at the U-Pull-It yard and found several 14 bolts.

The one I think I will go back a pull is in a '78 K-20.

This axle has 4.10's which is what I want to run for now.

Now my questions. From previous help here, I understand this is the carrier I want, if I want to go with lower gears later on. Is that the case?

Not being a Chevy guy I have never had the cover off of one of these. That carrier sure looked odd. As I understand, installing a Detroit is relatively easy. Is that true?

We pulled the axles on three different 14 bolts and all were 30 spline. I thought they all had 35 spline??

How do I confirm that the axle has the larger ring gear. I forgot a tape measure, and I think I was told that 14 bolts came with two different size ring gears.

Thanks in advance for any help!:)

Mike

PS We also found 5-6 Dana 60's. All but one were already missing parts and it was a 3.73. Also one Dana 70, it to was a 3.73 and under a huge service body with a spring pack that would hold up a house. Afraid it might have been abused just a bit!

A 14-bolt can use a spacer to fit a 5.13 ring gear on a 4.10 carrier. 4.56 is the carrier break, but your 4.10 axle will work fine.

All 14-bolts are 30-spline. But they do have 1.5" shafts. No 35-spline stuff in 14-bolts.

The larger ring-gear 14-bolt axle has a differential cover shaped like a diamond. The smaller one more rounded and looks bigger. I don't know how else to explain it. Sorry.

Detroits are RELATIVELY easy to install into a 14-bolt. If you are careful, you can do it without resetting backlash, but most likely you will have to.

Hope this all helps.

J. J.

you want yours to look like this.

Also make sure you don't have a gov-loc in it. Detroits don't fit the gov-loc carrier.

10.5" 14's have a removable cover behind the pinion yoke. (like a Ford 9") Also, if it has hubs (Full Floater) then its the 10.5.

http://www.alaskaoffroad.com/images/Tech/14bolts.jpg

This pic sucks but you can see the basic shape of the diff cover.

Most gear manufacturers use a thick ring gear for the 14, according to Randy's R&P. The lowest gears currently available for the 14 Bolt is 5.13 and is not available for the 4.56 Carrier. :rolleyes: Doesnt really make sense but, oh well.:p

With your help, I am now sure that I have found a 10.5" 14 bolt.

Hopefully I will go pull it out of the truck after work today. Can't beat the price of $110. For that I get to re-gear, upgrade and make a better part......but then I guess that's the point :cool:

Supposed to rain today, so it might wait a day or so.

Thanks for helping the new guy.

Mike

Congrats..............here's the link to the Detroit install article.

If you follow the instructions you will NOT have to reset any gear backlash or anything.

www.off-road.com/chevy/tech/detroit/

Most gear manufacturers use a thick ring gear for the 14, according to Randy's R&P. The lowest gears currently available for the 14 Bolt is 5.13 and is not available for the 4.56 Carrier. Doesnt really make sense but, oh well.

In a Powtrain Ind. catalog I have it lists 5.13 in thick and thin.

In a Powtrain Ind. catalog I have it lists 5.13 in thick and thin.

Thanks...I thought that sounded hokey when they said that...Fawkers:D

Raining torrents here today, so I had to put off pulling the axle.

Which may have been a good thing:(

In my F-150 I would of course have to upgrade the front to 3/4 ton to get the 8 lug pattern.

Called Boyce equipment and a couple of local 4x4 shops, and apparently all the money I save on the rear will be quickly used up on the front.........if I can find the parts.

Apparently only the parts from a '78-'79 F-250 will work, and they are hard to find.

Gotta explore this more before I invest any more time.

I did bookmark all the sites you folks helpfully gave me. Gonna go post on the Ford side of this site and see what I can do with the front.

Thanks again,

Mike

Sounds like that Pick and Pull yard would have some Fords layin around. What year F-150? If you want to keep the coil springs you will have to swap in 3/4 ton 8-lug outers onto a half ton front axle. If you are going leaf springs in front find and F250 from the same years. Lugs pattern is good and you don't have to change outers. Good luck

but I haven't had any luck finding them. Two year ago when I parked the project I had leads on a couple sets, but not now.

I want to keep the coils, and change the outer's.

Only offer I have had is to sell me the entire axle.

14 bolts I have by the gross, but front 3/4 ton Dana 44's seem to be a bit tough.

Ok...I just called both Drivetrain Direct and Drivetrain Warehouse.

DD offers OEM GM 4.88s and 5.13s for the 4.56 carrier for $325 a set.

DW offers 4.88s by Genuine for $199, or Precision for $275 and 5.13s by Precision for $275.

So that's just two places I've called......... lowers gears are available for the 4.56 carrier.

patooyee
I beg to differ with you on the "14 bolts only have 30 spline axles" I have two 14 bolts in my yard right know one is a cab and chassis FF 1.5" 35 spline axles and the other is a standard FF 14 bolt 1.5" 35 spline axles. I do not know of many FF 14 10.5" ring gear 14 bolts that are 30 spline. If you have more info. please pass it along.
Thanks

10.5" 14 bolt axles are all 30 spline, it is not the same as a Dana 30 spline it is bigger, in fact it is bigger than a standard 35 spline axle I can't remember off hand but its is a little bigger than 1 9/16".

i will recount the splines tonight and take a pic
thanks for the input

Originally posted by RocnWilly
i will recount the splines tonight and take a pic
thanks for the input

14 bolt = a big ass 30 spline shaft

just to let you know all 14 bolts are 30 spline. none of them are 35 spline. the 10.5 ring gear on the full floaters have 1.5+ shafts. you can run 5.13 gears on a 4.10 and down carrier but you have to by the extra thick ring gear. it is about 2 times thicker than a dana 60. the 14bolt is the easiest axle i have ever built. disc brakes was very easy also. the dana 60 axle was a pain in the butt to build. 5.13 gears is the lowest you can go in the 14bolt is the down side also not as much ground clearance in the 14 bolt as the dana 60. but you can grind and shave the bottom and get more clearance. just my 2 cents

i have seen lots and lots of 1 ton chevys with dana 70's in the rear, with 1.5" 35 spline shafts. You sure you dont have some of those? ALso, the semi floating 14 bolt is a 33 spline shaft, I think somewhere around the 1.3" size or so.

My eaton that I just finished Sunday is easier than your 14bolt! I'll post pictures if you wanna see em.

I thought the 14 bolt FF had 1-9/16" axle shafts?

Post pics of the eaton, there big burley dude !!!!:p

Originally posted by cj8scrambld
I thought the 14 bolt FF had 1-9/16" axle shafts?

give or take.. it's called 1.5".. but in reality it is a bit bigger

I had the shafts out of a 14 bolt from a '79 k20 the other day and looked over and saw the mic sitting there, so I measured them.... 1 9/16 at the 30 spline area, then neck down to 1.5 near the splines, then the neck down to around 1.39/1.40 area in the middle, then back up to 1.5 near the flange.

Justin

Whiole your shopping be sure to check the carrier and dont get the gov-lock cause your have to replace it if you want ot install a detroit locker.... The gov loc has three cross shafts and the open carrier has 4 cross shafts with the spider gears visible (at least on the one I have seen) through the carrier housing...

Originally posted by TNScrambler
I had the shafts out of a 14 bolt from a '79 k20 the other day and looked over and saw the mic sitting there, so I measured them.... 1 9/16 at the 30 spline area, then neck down to 1.5 near the splines, then the neck down to around 1.39/1.40 area in the middle, then back up to 1.5 near the flange.

Justin

they don't all neck down in the same spots either.. noticed this between mine and a buddy's 14b

my uncle has a 3/4 ton 1980 chevy truck. he says it has the 14 bolt axle. is a 3/4 model worth while and what might the differences be between it and a 1 ton? i plan on getting some sort of 14 bolt and putting 4.88 gears and either welding it or putting a locker in it.

AA Mfg. brake bracket...

Originally posted by Marksman
Raining torrents here today, so I had to put off pulling the axle.

Which may have been a good thing:(

In my F-150 I would of course have to upgrade the front to 3/4 ton to get the 8 lug pattern.

Called Boyce equipment and a couple of local 4x4 shops, and apparently all the money I save on the rear will be quickly used up on the front.........if I can find the parts.

Apparently only the parts from a '78-'79 F-250 will work, and they are hard to find.

Gotta explore this more before I invest any more time.

I did bookmark all the sites you folks helpfully gave me. Gonna go post on the Ford side of this site and see what I can do with the front.

Thanks again,

Mike

Mike......... the 8 lug swap on the 78-79 axles is not a huge deal.. yes the F-250 parts will work....but then so do Chevy 8 lug stuff too with some mods ( if they are available cheaper) Jeep J-20 as well.....just offfering you a few options. Knuckle out off a chevy bolts on and you get a smaller easier to work with caliper *cheaper too* than the Ford stuff....just requires a few steering mods.

NoRM

Norm,

the 8 lug swap on the 78-79 axles is not a huge deal.. yes the F-250 parts will work....but then so do Chevy 8 lug stuff too with some mods ( if they are available cheaper) Jeep J-20 as well.....just offfering you a few options. Knuckle out off a chevy bolts on and you get a smaller easier to work with caliper *cheaper too* than the Ford stuff....just requires a few steering mods.

What steering mods would I have to make? I was up in Idaho today and visited another three wrecking yards. I see ALOT of '79 F-250's on the road, but they never seem to end up in the wrecking yards!!!

It seems like I will end up with Chevy parts, which is not a big deal, but amazingly, I haven't had any luck with that either!! But if I widen the search with other makes and models hopefully I will find something.

Never thought the front end would be such a b**** to find. On a good note my wristed arm is almost done!!

Thanks for any help,

Mike

Basically.....you swap all the Chevy stuff knuckles on out.....this will require a diff taper in the knuckle *or diff tie rod ends* We have done this swap plenty of times and it's not much of an issue really. As for the parts....I can buy dana 44 3/4 stuff all day long here...ya get real stuck I could prolly round sumthing up.

NoRM