Solid axle conversion build up. Need your help please

[LS12FAST4U]

I will see if I can get it cheap. If not I will keep looking. Thanks for the info.

 

[MaxPF]

All great info MaxPF. I actually got a line on a 10-bolt and I'm going to look at it Monday. Its got an Eaton E-locker, 4.56s, chro-mo shafts, and Warn lockouts....allegedly on a fresh rebuild. I assume its a 30-spline version but, I'll know once I take a closer look. It's a 3/4-ton, 8-lug version.

If it has an E-Locker it should be 30 spline. AFAIK Eaton never made 28 spline side gears for the 8.5/8.6" E-Locker.

Normally I don't mess with 10-bolts but, this one is already loaded with great parts and its basically a slam-dunk for a H3 swap...simply needs some ABS hubs and 3-link bracketry. Dimensionally...the corp-10 and Dana 44 are identical, and they share the same parts out at the knuckles.

Everything from the inner C's outward is identical, including the u-joints and stub shafts. In fact, the are actually Dana/Spicer parts.

But, I prefer the Dana 44 simply because their are so many goodies out there for them. Danas came in GM, Ford, Dodge, Jeep, International, blah blah...so there are many more sources to get parts from (especially used parts). Corp 10's only came in GM trucks, and you rarely find used off-road parts so you are more likely to be forced to buy all new stuff which gets expensive.

Hmm. My experience has been that there is tons of 10b stuff available when some Chevy guy realizes he really needs a 60 to spin his 42" Swampers :giggle: Used gears and lockers are the same with the 8.5 and 8.6 axkes, front and rear, so theres an abundance of those parts. 1350 yokes from a 9.5" corp. 14 bolt work on a 8.5/8.6 pinion shaft (although the Saginaw yoke is usually perfectly fine). Outer components are all interchangeable. There are definitely more manufacturers of D44 chromo shafts, but used ones must be out of a GM D44 front since the different applications all have different inner shaft lengths.

I run the early Dana knuckles exclusively...casting numbers C36519 & C36520. These are the flat-tops with the top-down taper that you speak of. I've tried a couple different times, and I cannot get high-steer to fit on an H3 with the box I run, so I just use low steer with a cross-over drag-link. The top-down tapered knuckles place the tie rod up high enough, that I don't see the need for a true high-steer.

Are you getting new ones somewhere? Used ones seem to be getting hard to find. That is one big reason why Reid started making the D44 knuckles.

Around here, Corp 10s and Dana 44s (GM & otherwise), are like dandelions. If possible try to find one with some goodies in it...it will be much cheaper in the long run. If you start with a bone stock axle, you'll end up with $3000 by the time you're done pimpin it out. Locker, chro-mo shafts, gears, bearings, cover, knuckles, lock-outs, etc....add up quickly. You don't necessarily need all the goodies but if you plan to wheel with 35" or 37"...the shafts in particular, is money well spent.

Pretty much like that everywhere I think. Like I mentioned above, guys build them up, get bigger tires, wheel harder, and eventially realize rock crawling in a full size rig with 38"+ tires is not compatible with a D44 or 10b front axle. So they sell the axle, if they can. They realize that even a loaded D44 or 10b won't sell for anything close to what a bone stock D60 goes for. Often times they resort to parting it out. These are the ones that can pick up for a good deal :deal: