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Author Topic: Standard rearend swap question.  (Read 2802 times)

Offline The Lady In Red

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Standard rearend swap question.
« on: April 13, 2010, 11:06:50 pm »
The 86 K10 I have has a 10 bolt, 3.08 open rear that is on its way out.  I have an awesome identical replacement for it (38K orig. miles). 

Now this may sound like a stupid question, but I don't have a whole lot of experience when it comes with messing with gear swaps, and it would be quicker and easier to just swap out the entire units, but...

I have a G80 locker unit sitting in my garage that came from a 3.73 assembly (no pinion available).  Difference is, obviously, that the 3.08 ring gear has 40 teeth, and the locker ring gear has 41. When swapping out the ring gear, is that all I have to do?  I'd love to put the locker unit in, but it means swapping out the ring gear from a virtually *perfect* rear axle assembly.  Will I have to re-shim or re-align anything? am I asking for trouble?  Should I leave it alone, or take on the task? 

Help?   :-\

The Lady's caretaker
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Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: Standard rearend swap question.
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2010, 04:07:07 am »
IMO I'm intimidated by rear ends for some reason if i have someone over my shoulder to watch me I'm OK but i don't know what I'm doing so if i were you i would leave it alone like you said you need to shim it and buy a tool or two. others on here can help you out more but i tell everyone that ask me about rears just to swap the whole thing out. now a 14 bolt to me ain't nothing it seams like they made it so a novice could work on it
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If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

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Offline mountaindrew

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Re: Standard rearend swap question.
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2010, 06:54:49 am »
If everything bolts in with minimal or no money spent, I would say absolutely swap it in.  However, I had a 92 Suburban 4x4 with 35s and it munched two 10 bolt rear ends in about 70k miles with little to no wheeling.  If you have oversized tires or wheel hard and have to spend money on your 10 bolt to get it to work anyway, your money might be better spent on a 14 bolt replacement.  As far as replacing yourself- I don't know, I paid a shop to do my 10 bolt rebuild and front and back regearing.  Just my experience.     
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1986 Chevrolet C20 Silverado, C6P, 454, TH400, 3.73, FF
oil and trans cooler, 6 qt oil pan, p/w, p/l, air, cruise
17" Dodge wheels & E rated Michelins, Curtis hitch, Prodigy, Equal-i-zer

Offline The Lady In Red

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Re: Standard rearend swap question.
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2010, 08:47:12 pm »
I just swapped the new axle assembly in as a unit and kept it open.  I could sell the locker unit to re-coup the cash and time I spent replacing it today.  Funny thing... yesterday on my way home from work I smelled that gut-churning stench of burning gear oil.  Found that the wheel seal was leaking again, so I dug out the replacement open one today and replaced it. here are a couple of pics of the menagerie I found when I opened the cover of the original:


OH MY God



What the heck is this brown... stuff?



Lets not forget to mention the "hum" it developed, and the 1/4 turn of play between the gear mesh... Its a wonder it moved at all. The drained oil looked like brown sparkle base coat  ::) .  I am glad I don't 4-wheel in the woods with this thing.
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