Has anybody had good/ bad luck with the yukon 14b spool. I keep hearing about people breaking 14 bolt detroit's.

go with the detroit... people dont break them... people who can afford to break them do...:flipoff2:

The ARB's seem to be doing well. Atleast in my buddies rigs anyway.

weld it

I've broken two Detroit's. Weld it, as Reuben said.

I think a detroit is a :nuke: lying in wait for me. I found a site that offers a mini spool, basicly a lincoln locker. I am leaning towards that being with all the fires around, I dont have time and probably wont (to weld my spiders) before the con.

check out the thread on coloradok5, you dont actually weld the gears togather, you weld in the voids between opposing teeth on the spiders and it locks them togather.

I can weld about as well as a one handed monkey, and my welded 14 bolt has held up to lots of miles and a few trips off road. Other stuff has been broken, but the welded diff. has stayed solid.

BUT - it really sucks on the street as any spooled axle will.... But you know what your getting 100% of the time.

I've broken two Detroit's. Weld it, as Reuben said.

How hard are you on parts? Tire size?

How hard are you on parts? Tire size?
My rig is always taken to the max:smokin:

I had some spools, but they are gone. I can get atleast one more. Time will tell.

weld them up like this and it locks the rear end with out any damage to the carrier, if you dont like it you can still use the carrier.
http://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/2003/4a0d4d6c.gif

I think I will give that a try. Did you weld it all the way around or just the four point on each side?

pull the gears off the cross pin. weld each of them up as pictured. they interlock when you put them back on the cross pin. with the welds on each spider as shown above it does not allow them to spin. worked great on mine for 3 years now.

Broken detroits? Wow. I still vote for a detroit, they aren't so bad on $300-a-piece tires.

I am not sure about the 14 bolt detroit, because it is not a full case locker. It is basicly like a lockright. I had a dana 44 (full case) detroit with alloys in the rear before, and I raped the piss out of it with 35's, with no problems :evil: .

This is earlier this year is Hollister when I broke my Sixty Detroit in Tank Trap.
I just welded the side gears to the carrier and turned it into a spool.
http://beer.thisdysfunctional.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=4899&stc=1&d=1142215776

Just to clarify. I'm not knockin Detroits. But for simplicity and a low dollar budget I'd weld it. I'v been wheelin with JoshC and Reuben for awhile now and they both run 14 bolts that are welded that way and neither one has had a problem. I went to a spool in my 60 this year cause I wanted complete :nuke: proof:cool2:

:cool:

First get rid of the 14 and get a 60. Second get a Detroit. There have been some changes at tracktech and you can get detroit parts if need be for cheaper than you think.:smokin:

weld them up like this and it locks the rear end with out any damage to the carrier, if you dont like it you can still use the carrier.
http://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/2003/4a0d4d6c.gif

I would avoid this. I have had a 14 bolt grenade with this welded setup. Fully weld it or spool or detroit, but this has potential to make a real mess. WHEN those welds break out or the teeth break from the shock loading, there will be bits and pieces everywhere. That chances ruining the rest of the bearings and ring/pinion to boot. It will take just about as long to weld it like that, then assemble, and weld the crap out of through the "windows" in the carrier.

mine has been welded like this through a gear change, and beating the piss out of it, no problems.