need some axle help

[chevystudz7105]

i have an 82 3/4 ton chevy truck that has a 14bolt semi floater in it.  that axle is coming out and being replaced with a ff.  anyways  my buddy wants to buy this semi floater off me for his 91 chevy truck.  i always thought these axled would bolt right in no problem.  but taking a few measurements it looks like the leaf spring mounts on the semi floater are narrower then the mounts on the half ton rear axle that is in his truck.  from the edge of hte mount to the edge of the opposite mount on the semi floater it measured right around 45 inchs, and on the half ton axle in his truck i beleive measured 49 inchs.  but that was just doing a quick measure to see if it was the same.   so has anyone put one of these axles in a half ton newer truck?  is my only option of making this axle work by cutting the mounts off and moving them outwards and rewelding them to the axle?    if so  and someone has done this  do you remember exactly how far these mounts would have to be moved out?

also  since he wants to put this axle in a half ton truck he wants to keep it 6lug.   now can he take the 6 lug axle shafts that are out of a 14 bolt 6 lug (or is that a 12 bolt 6 lug axle) heavy half ton rear axle and put them in this  axle?  or is he pertty much screwed at making this axle work in his truck since he doesnt want to go to 8 lug

thanks for any help

[CRAZY MAN broncomudhead]

stick axles wheel to wheel and mark and weld new ones on , count splines and measure shafts  easier to keep what he has!

[chevystudz7105]

yea i dont really know why he wants to put a 14 bolt in there.  he mentioned doing a straight axle conversion  and runnin 44s  but its his dd  so i think he is better off buying an older truck and doing that work to it  kinda like i did with that 82.

[chevystudz7105]

anyone else?    dumb question but the 6 lug axle shafts out of his 1/2ton wont work in that semi floater right?

[Ranger Dave]

with the info, i,m reading    the  14 bolt axles are bigger around. than the  12 bolt  1/2 tons

hope this helps

[Econo-box from Hell]

My guess is that the 82 body style and the 91 body style used a different frame width.  GM redesigned the truck for the 1987 model year.

[7387chevynut]

I UNDERSTAND Whats going on here........................heres the deal.

Pre 1987 GM TRUCKS.............the spring pads are closer to the pumpkin.

1988-up C/K trucks................the Spring pads are closer to the brake drums.

Your buddys idea isnt going to work unless he cuts off the spring pads and re welds them in the correct spot. Since he wants to keep it 6 lug.............he would need to get a set of 6 bolt axles shafts that came from a 88-up 14 bolt.........and hope the spline count is the same........read below.

GM started offering a SEMI FLOAT 6 LUG 14 bolt in 1988 and used it until at least 2000 (old 88 C/K body style)...................it is a direct bolt in for any 88 up 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton truck.


In the end............easiest way here is to find a 6 lug 14 bolt.............it'll bolt right in..........and no fkin around looking for 6 lug 14 bolt axle shafts or rewelding spring perches.

[chevystudz7105]

thats what i was thinkin to that it would be easier to find that 6 lug 14 bolt and put that in his truck.  i figured that if he bought this axle he woujld then have to search around for the 6 lug axle shafts for it and more then likely he would end up buying the whole 6 lug 14 bolt axle instead of just the axle shafts.   

thanks for the help

[moose1229]

the perchs should be the same.I converted a 1/2 ton to a single wheel 1 ton with no mods to the rear axle.I put a 99 1 ton ff in a 95 1/2 ton front & rear,the onle mod I had 2 do was reweld the front upper control arm perch.It had 2 b moved ahead about 1-2 inches,other than that I had no problem.The guy I traded it to still drives it 2 this day and it is 1 heavy truck.

[chevystudz7105]

the perchs are not the same.  the axle is an 82 and would be going in a 91.  7387chevynut said that 88 up 14 bolts will bolt in with out any cutting and rewelding of the perchs as you did in your case.   but the kid is no longer buying the axle he is going to spend his money on other things which is no big deal.  so ill just toss it up forsale on here sometime.  see if anyone wants it