I own a 98 Chevy 1500 and I am looking to install a 14 bolt rear end. What models and years of Chevy trucks can I pull one off of. Are the 14 bolts all the same, or will some work better? Thanks

I put a '73 suburban Full-float 14 bolt under my '91 GMC 3500, I had to move the spring pads out a little, and angle them to match the springs, other than that it was very easy. You cuold try to find a full floater out of an '88 & up 1 ton or heavy 3/4 ton truck or Suburban, but most of the 14 bolts were the semi floater, and you don't want that one, unless you don't want eight lug wheels, the semi floater were available in six lug, but they're not much stronger that the 10 bolt you have and they're still a c-cilp axle

So are you plannign on going 8 lug in the front? If so what are you going to do straight axle or upgraded ifs. I just put a 10.5in semifloater 14bolt in my it was a ff made into a semi floater. the upside to this is it is shitloads stronger than the 10bolt or 9.5 14bolt and it doesn't have c-clips and you can stay 6lug. It's not as strong as the ff but its basically the best you can get w/o going to 8- lug. Hope this helped, if you need more info on the axle i'll get it fo you. My friend has pics too.
-Dave

Pictures, please. email em to theoriginalhardcore@yahoo.com or post em here.

Originally posted by MR4WD
Pictures, please. email em to theoriginalhardcore@yahoo.com or post em here.


http://www.drivetrain.com/14boltonstd.jpeg

14 Bolt Custom Rearend Differential

Our 14 Bolt conversion differentials offer Chevy Blazer, Suburban and pick-up truck and 4x4 off road vehicles that have the smaller 10 or 12 Bolt differentials. Vehicles that have been lifted and fitted with larger tires in the 33 to 35 inch range are very hard on 8.5" diameter ring gear-pinions and 30 spline axles.

Our Custom manufactured 14 Bolt offers a 10.5" diameter ring gear and pinion set. We manufacture each differential to your specification perches and brackets are supplied for you to install to ensure the correct measurements and angles. These differentials are manufactured as semi-floating allowing you to use your existing wheels and brakes. These differentials are available at $1999.97 plus freight and include the following:

Custom 14 Bolt rear differential with 12 month warranty for material and workmanship
New ring gear and pinion, your choice of gear ratio 3.42, 3.73, 4.10, 4.56, 4.88 and 5.13 at no additional charge
Industry leading large (1.55" diameter 30 spline ) custom heavy duty axles, 30 to 35% stronger than stock to meet your width requirements
Differential width or offset to your specification
Use your existing Drum Brakes, cylinders and pads and existing wheels and tires
Heavy duty tapered roller axle bearings, wheel seals and retainer plates non "C" clip
Spring purches and shock mounts provided.
1350 input Yoke not 1310
Torco Differential Fluid and Posi-additive furnished at extra cost.
We also offer a optional positraction unit for the Custom 14 Bolt allowing you to enhance your off-road performance:

Detroit Locker Limited Slip Positraction additional $378.87.

These differential assemblies are designed for easy drop in replacement, mount, connect the brake lines and mount the wheels/tires, you are ready to roll.






http://www.drivetrain.com/14boltkit.jpeg

Do It you self Kit for GM 14 Bolt Upgrade
If you have access to the required shop tools and equipment some good mechanical skills you may be able to manufacture your own 14 Bolt differential unit. Purchase a differential housing from your local salvage yard and select our kit at $1325.97 plus freight the kit includes:

Choice of gear ratio 3.42, 3.73, 4.10, 4.56, 4.88 and 5.13 at no additional charge, complete ring gear and pinion sets
Detroit Locker Limited Slip Positraction
Billet steel housing end flanges
Spring perches and mounting brackets
Industry Leading 35 spline Custom Heavy Duty axles, 30 to 35% stronger than stock to meet your width requirements, 6 lugs to match you existing wheels and tires
Heavy duty tapered roller axle bearings, wheel seals and retainer plates non "C" clip
Chrome differential cover
Torco Differential Fluid and Posi-additive furnished.


This is all from the drivetrain.com website for their kits for semifloat 6 lug 14 bolts. http://www.drivetrain.com/index.html

HTH's

You break an axle and the tire falls off, right?

Originally posted by MR4WD
You break an axle and the tire falls off, right?

Yep! Seems kinda steep also....

Well, it seems to me this might be a hot ticket for drag racing. You'd have to unload a ton of weight from the housing, shorten the tubes by a mile, you'd prolly want a gearset lower than 5.13 and you'd have to throw some SERIOUS stopping power on the axles, but as say, a funny car center section this might work. You'd never chew up a pinion. Other than that, I say thumbs down. That's about 80% of the entire point of owning a 14 bolt, so when you break a shaft you can still move forward and onward. If a guy wanted semi-float and 6 lug then I'm sure he'd be better off with a 9.5" ring gear diff (better out of the box clearance)...

On the other hand though, really nice product. I'm sure an awful lot of R & D went into this to get it where it's at. How much of a market is there though, for such an expensive product?

If a guy's running 35's on his 10 bolt junk and keeps breaking diffs, then spends 2000 on a semi float kit for the 6 lugger 14 bolt, I'm sure he'll step up to say 40's eventually. Then he'll puke the front diff everywhere. Those 6 lugger Dana 60's are an awfully spendy diff too, all for the sake of smaller brakes, semi-floating rear diff and 6 lug wheels. I'm sure by this point he'll be in for over 6,000 in diffs just to save money on a new set of wheels. Then, he'll step up to 44's, break an axle, have it fall out then change the diff over to a full floater. Then he'll really kick his own ass for having a $4000 Dana 60 6 lug front with smaller brakes and mismatched wheels.

(Edit to post) I just thought about it) There's no way to run c-clips in a 14 bolt, so you must run something similar to a Ford 9" bearing set up. The axle is retained by the bearing! None the less, a semi floater and when the bearing fails the axle still falls out. I've seen a 9" in a bronco that twisted the axle pushing the axle out of the bearings. Ouchy!

Well the axle wont fall off as long as it breaks before the set screw and bolt. And if you can break the axles chances are they wont break at the last 4" of the axle after the set screw and bolt, and since you are in california 4bangler, this shop i went to would work out great for ya. it's in salinas and it is chheaper than the previous axle. But anyways do what you wanna do. By the way what size tires you planning on running?
-Dave

Do a search, there's some guys on here turning down the outer hub on a 14 bolt to use 6-lug, way better and cheaper than all that semi-floater mess.

14- bolt semi-floater specs:

Houseing:
- 65.5" from flange to flange with the drums installed
- 47.25 from spring bolt to spring bolt (across the axle)
Shafts:
- .194" (5/16) C-clip, thicker than the 10-bolts.
- 33 -spline
- 1.376 dia at the spline.
- 1.703 dia at the machined wheel bearing surface
- The shafts taperd in steps, 1.376 to 1.420 to 1.650 to 1.703
- 4.5" center hub dia.
- 8-lugs on this one, but the specs are *probably* the same on 6-lugser

The truck I measerd from was a 2000 C/K body, (4wd IFS) 4-doors and a short-bed. SBC and 8600 GVW. A bit of an odd option package.

The SF shafts are big, I really have very little doubt that they will take all-most anything you can dish out. (even with the "dreaded" C-clips)

The FF original purpose in life is to carry weight safely. The fact that the shafts are "floating" is just an added bonus.

Just my take awn it.

"...since you are in california 4bangler..."

What? I'm in Michigan, and I have a full floating 14-bolt, several of them to be exact. You must of meant the other guy.

Why would anyone want to do all this work to make a full floater into a semi floater? Granted, the bearing retainer design is much better that the c-clip factory SF axle, but when you can turn down the hub of a full floater to allow 6-lug or even 5-lug patterns, why go through all the trouble?

OR, you could buy new wheels.

As an aside, I've seen 14 bolt semi floaters stand up to those 40" military tires for years, with minimal oil changes and never break a shaft... Everybody gives em a bad name, but I think their OK.

As far as a set screw retaining the axle, BFD... You break the axle and try and drive around with it then presto bango, the axle will chew up the bearing, prolly wrecking the housing at the same time and fall out. So, I'd rather turn down the hubs on floater OR buy a semi-floater. None of this converting a floater to a semi-floater business. That's like lowering a 4x4 and putting those electrical tape tires on it.

I am sure the 14bolt that i got is stronger than the 9.5" 14bolt. And will last quite a while longer so i am not complaining. Just because its a new route to go does't mean you have to rip on it. I am quite pleased with my 14 bolt and in no way is it like lowering a 4x4. And if it is, please let me know how cause there isn't any direct connection.
-Dave

Detroit Locker Limited Slip Positraction ??

WTF is that? And why would you want to drop $2k+ with a company that prints that?

Sheeesh!

Originally posted by BillaVista
Detroit Locker Limited Slip Positraction ??

WTF is that? And why would you want to drop $2k+ with a company that prints that?

Sheeesh!

For the budget shoppers, they'll ship you a welding stick for an added charge of $45. This is called the Detroit "spool" option. If it is intalled for you, a $100 charge will be added due to man power and electricity used.

"This is called the Detroit "spool" option"

Bwa ha ha!

Are you sure the proper technical name isn't:

Detroit Locker Limited Slip Positraction Power-lok spool ??

I don't own a chevy, but I own a Toyota. I'm in the process of putting a 14 bolt under my truck.
I picked the 14-bolt because they are cheap and strong. Here is what I spent so far.

14 bolt $75
disk brake brakets from Shaker $100
Calipers-rotors-pads $150
Shave the bottom of axle 1.5" $60
Detroit (used) $200 New $340 (i think)
R & P $200
Spring pads $23
Brake lines $30

Call it $850 after I paint it. That's not too bad for a FF bulit proof axle.

i got a 14 bolt out of an old two wheel drive pick-up with a gov lock in it.
the only mod i had to do was relocate the shock mounts.
it cost me 100 bucks.:D

Now I heard, the above companies "Detroit Locker Limited Slip Positraction Power-lok spool", will work with the gov-lock.:D
Shaggy

They did make 8 lug semi-floater's my neighbors have a work truck with one in the back. I thought about buying a semi floater, but I decided to go with a full floater in my ZR2 blazer, because by the time I bought the semi floater, regeared it, and locker it I would have spent more than I did buying the full floater, regearing it, putting a detroit in it, disc brakes, and coverting the front to eight lugs. I'm not baggin' on the SF 14 bolts, I just think the FF is more strength for your buck