8 lug to 5 lug

[mizozuman2]

Okay, So I'm wanting to do an 8 lug to 5 lug conversion. Along with that, I'm wanting to do dic brakes and a limited slip. Would it be easier, and more cost effective to get a 10 bolt that has that stuff done to it, or get custom made axle shafts, and a disc brake conversion on a 14 bolt and get a Limited slip for it? Would the 14 bolt hold more power and torque?

'86 C20 Long bed 2wd. 5.3, 4l60e

Planning on small turbo and built trans soon. Getting all the other ducks in a row first. Don't want 8 lug because of the lack of rim choice. don't want open diff cause there's no point in a one tire fire.

For the front, I'm just going to do Early Classics spindles with some disc brakes in the front.

Thanks!

[roundhouse]

Probably get some custom shafts made
Several companies make em


Or maybe get a ford nine inch built by currie
All the hot rodders use a nine inch ford axle


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[mizozuman2]

Custom shafts are around $200 a piece, unless that's for the pair of them. Then a limited slip is $475, and a Disc brake conversion for the Semi Float is $500 from what I've seen. That's $1,375 for a 14 bolt.

Currie has a 56" wide axle. has dual use shafts for 5x4.5 and 5x4.75... but not 5x5. It's got no Differential with it, either. And it's $1,081. It also has no brakes, no spring perches, just the axle, and shafts. So I'm looking close to $2,000 on that.

Then there's a 9 inch out of a 2wd van on Craigslist. it's $150. Open diff most likely. Disc brake conversion is $600 bucks. Limited slip is $420 or so. In total, that's around $1,200. Then I need spring perches, Driveshaft shortened/lengthened, and a few other things, I'm sure. So I'd be looking to break even, or spend more on the Van 9 inch when I'm done as I would with the 14 bolt.

Another thing I've seen, is a 12 bolt, limited slip 5 lug. has a broken spider gear. $75. then $145 for the new spider gears. then disc brakes are $500. this would have more work for me to do to fix that spider gear, it seems like a PITA, but i'll only be into it for around $750. Which would be the cheapest route. Is the 12 bolt going to handle 500HP okay?

Thanks!

[roundhouse]

12
Bolt may hold up since you're going to be spinning the tires

All that HP isn't really going to hook up anyway

Can you set up the gears ?
That's the brain surgery of auto repair
Trying to get the preload and backlash set up
Easy on a 9 inch because it's all adjustable
And it's on a workbench

On GM you have to take it in and out of the case a dozen times 
That's the beauty of the 9 inch and the toyotas
The center swaps out easily

A axle from a van won't work
Gonna be way too wide and the diff is offset because the engine in a van is not in the center

Spend some time on pirate 4x4 reading about axles

Lot of good info there in the forums and in the information section

I can tell ya that a 14 bolt weighs nearly double of a 12 bolt
But you won't ever break it
And you don't have to worry about the C-clip falling off

The C-clip eliminator is something you need to budget for on the 10 and 12 bolts

And there's hardly and strength difference between a 10 and a 12


Keep shopping for a nine inch
That's probably the route I'd go for drag racing , since that's what all of em use

But you can break those too
When I was a teenager I had a 69 Thunderbird with the 429 Cobrajet engine and it would do burnouts like nothing youve ever seen

Doing lots of burnouts destroys the bearings in any diff
slings all the oil off the bearings or something




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[mizozuman2]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I'm not looking to drag race the vehicle too often. Closest drag strip is like 60 miles away. It's more of a daily driver, with the benefits of a turbo. Good gas mileage off boost, tons of power on boost. Any racing I'd do, would be soft launches, or doing so from a roll to keep it from damaging things by launching it. The 14 bolt would be easier, since I could do everything without removing the whole rear end. But the 12 bolt would be much cheaper. a 9 inch would be great, but WAY out of my budget. I am currently enrolled into college, and have a full time job as well.

[roundhouse]

Keep looking
You can find a 10 or 12 with the gears you want in good condition
At a good price
Don't rule out buying a 6 lug from a 4wd
The shafts are the same as the 5 lug
If you find a deal you can swap them


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[Captkaos]

When axle swapping, remember that in 1989 GM started switching to 30 spline axles, so these won't swap with 1988 down...